If Journey to the West was ironic, then what was it ironic about?

"Journey to the West" was one of the four famous novels in ancient China. It was a novel written by Wu Chengen, a writer in the Ming Dynasty. Journey to the West was based on the story of Tang Sanzang and his disciples, who went to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures. It incorporated a large number of myths, legends, and folktales. At the same time, it also contained rich philosophical thinking and social irony. The main sarcastic aspects included the following: Bureaucracy and social corruption: The novel depicted the connection between the celestial world and the human world, including the bureaucracy of the celestial world and the corruption of the underworld, hinting at the corruption and fraud of officials in society at that time. Buddhism and Feudal Superstition: The novel focuses on Tang Sanzang and his disciples going to the West to obtain scriptures, satirizing some of the drawbacks of Buddhism and Feudal Superstition. Among them, Buddhism was portrayed as a hypocritical religion that sought power in vain. Through the description of various demons and ghosts incarnating into monks, it hinted at some of the problems that existed in Buddhism at that time. The weaknesses and desires of human nature: The various demons and ghosts in the novel, as well as some of the characters, all reflect the weaknesses and desires of human nature. For example, Zhu Bajie's gluttony and laziness, the temptation of the White Bone Demon, etc. were all a kind of irony and revelation of human nature. Criticizing social reality: Through various fantasy plots and images, the novel reveals some problems in social reality. For example, the image of Sun Wukong in Huaguo Mountain could be seen as a reflection of the people at the bottom of society at that time. He was oppressed but disobeyed, pursuing freedom and equality. In general, Journey to the West was a work of adventure and profound meaning. Through irony and humor, it revealed and criticized social phenomena and human weaknesses. It has rich cultural implications and universal values, and is still loved and respected by readers.