date: 13-09-2023, nlb seminar by professor deborah shamoon. social context
tales of genji - Murasaki (purple) š shikibu (not real name)
- written in late 9th to early 10th century
- not a religious text unlike literature of itās time period, it was written for entertainment because compared to most of the classics, tales of genji had less warfare, more romance. the focus was more on psychological interiority and characters development.
- no og manuscripts and oldest copy is at least century later
social courting
- fragment of calligraphy in tale of genji
- high ranking women wore junihutoe (12 layers of robe)
- courtships took place through exchange of poems and letters.
- visit for three nights meant married
characters, structure & plot
prince genji
shining prince and he is the ideal man of the heian period
genji is a son of emperor and low ranking concubine so he will never be emperor
narrator also shows him doing bad things
challenges of reading genji
no clear climax, ends abruptly
endless chapters, like a modern day taiwanese soap opera
language is distant from modern japanese. native japanese speakers canāt read this. translations to modern japanese.
no names and referred to by ranks and titles.
waka poetry*
5-7-7-5 syllables, waka syllabus is part of heian court and literature, very complicated
based on allusions. part of artistry is taking well known tropes and fitting into the character situation.
themes in the literature
- moni no aware: sadness of things, impermanence, things that donāt last long, appreciation of beauty
- cycles of karmic retribution
- spirit possession - lady rokujo gives eerie gothic tone where illness caused by vengeful spirits. women and female anger are seen as dangerously disruptive because lady rokujo kills lady aoi - genjiās first wife - and then lady murusaki
Women Writers
unusual to have major japanese classic to be written by women
women writers declined in end of heian period until late modern century as a more militaristic samurai culture replaced it
author is a highly educated and lady in waiting to empress shoshi - writes take of genji to entertain the ladies in court. circulated widely during her lifetime
most women of her times were writing poetry and fiction
considered rude to refer to high ranking ppl by their name. in jap concept then, you donāt have a specific name throughout your lifetime
not unusual for writers to have pen name and nickname
high ranking women not supposed to show face in public. images of her were created after she died
legend: she was inspired to write tales of genji after she was inspired by the reflections of the moon on the water