The thing about additional contexts especially in understanding literature is that you start regarding things in a new perspective. It could be knowing about witchcraft (Dante Alighieri’s she-wolf might possibly represent witchcraft) or domesticated macaques (I get the impression that Tripitaka’s able to convert and tolerate Sun Wukong’s got to do with actual Buddhist monks taming and caring for monkeys).
When you’re dealing with works written a long time ago, it can be really easy to miss the other context behind things. Moreso if it’s also from another country. I suspect given Dante Alighieri had been exiled for half of his life that staying in Northern Italy would’ve influenced him somewhat. That Northern Italy shares borders with Switzerland, Austria and Germany so there are inevitably some similarities.
Especially involving lupine witchcraft. Conversely speaking about Journey to the West, having read up on Thai monks feeding tamed monkeys it’s parsimonious that Tripitaka’s the one to handle and deal with Sun Wukong. (There’s also a superstition saying killing monkeys gives bad luck.) Not always the case but becomes amusing or different given additional context.
fynm 