MODERN IMAGES OF CHINESE HEROES(ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE COMPUTER GAME “BLACK MYTH: WUKONG”)

Over the past 2000 years, Chinese civilisation has been greatly influenced by Confucianism and Taoism, under the influence of which a range of plots and characters related to the theme of the hero has developed. Modern mass culture is characterised by an appeal to traditional images and archetypes. With the appearance of such cultural products as the Chinese computer game “BlackMyth: Wukong”, the traditional image of the hero of the Monkey King has acquired a modern character. The article analyses the transformation of the hero archetype under the influence of Confucianism and Taoism using the example of “Sun Wukong”. The material for comparison is the image of the hero in the classical Chinese book “Journey to the West” and in the modern computer game “Black Myth: Wukong”. Comparing the image of the hero Sun Wukong, we come to the following conclusion: The traditional classical image of the hero “Sun Wukong” has ideal moral qualities, which are highly valued by the Chinese people: self-sacrifice, the interests of the country and the people in the first place, has three noble qualities of Confucianism: “ren, zhi, yong”, but he is modest and cautious, not proud of merits, has the Taoist morality of “non-rivalry” and “emptiness and peace”. The Chinese-style hero image, under the influence of modern culture, on the basis of the original spiritual qualities, gradually awakens himself, emphasises the independence of his personality, promotes his nature, insists on resisting the external forces that control and suppress him, but in the face of the interests of the country and the people, he can show collectivism and is very much identified with his national culture. The country and the nation need heroic images. Heroic images in classical Chinese culture are contextual, with different cultural meanings in different historical periods, which are inseparable from the social and cultural context. Only the heroic image corresponding to the culture of modern society can be constantly reconstructed and become a common cultural memory in people’s hearts.