The Tale of Genji, by Murasaki Shikibu

The Tale of Genji, by Murasaki Shikibu, reveals much about the power relations prevailing in the Heian period of Japan. Although the book deals primarily with the private and personal lives of those in the aristocratic class in that era, the stories inevitably shed light as well on their public and political lives, the prevalent institutions of the period, and the nature of power which shaped public and private relationships and identities of the time. Specifically, the study will argue that men wield the power at both the personal and political levels in eleventh century Japan, and that women are secondary figures who are kept in their place. Power is wielded according to standards and procedures understood and recognized by all, with rare exceptions. Because all of the characters belong to the aristocratic class--including princes and princesses, emperors, ministers, children of emperors and ministers, high-ranking consorts, etc.--there are no figures who are utterly without power. At the same time, characters do discuss the role of class distinctions in determining one's power and the rise and fall of the same. Power for those in the Heian period is a matter of adhering to the well-established hierarchy in private and public life.

The story is about a young man with much personal and political power--Genji, the son of the reigning emperor. It is telling that the book is written by a woman about a man--a suggestion of the dominant position of men over women in the Japan

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a misnomer; and there even seems to have been talk (which can only be called malicious) about affairs that he tried to keep secret. . . . In reality, his sensitivity to the world's opinion was acute. He was the soul of circumspection (41). In other words, however he exercised his influence and attraction as a man of political power in the world of sexual liaisons, he was discreet about it, and that is all that is asked of a man in this regard. His father the emperor, for example, was not so discreet and it cost him order and respect in court. One of the more central suggestions of the book is that as free with his sexual involvements as Genji was, he nevertheless developed a truly loving relationship with Murasaki. However, Genji's story includes many adventures which brought his alleged beloved pain: Recalling times when she had reacted to his adventures with anxiety and indignation, gentle though she usually was, he asked himself why he had let such meaningless distractions cause her pain, and wished that he might have lived his life differently (206). However, he lives his life differently only after she falls ill. Up to that time, he lets such meaningless distractions cause her pain simply because he cares far more abou

Category: Literature - T