The Tale Of Genji Character Analysis

Based on Murasaki Shikibu’s “The Tale of Genji” the ideal man and the ideal woman of the Heian Court can easily be discerned as not truly existing, with the main character, Genji, being the nearly satirical example of what was the ideal man, and descriptions of the many women in the story as prescription of the ideal woman with the young Murasaki playing a similar role to that of Genji in the story.

Cultural structures are often very complex and unique guidelines that vary across the globe. These cultural aspects provide a prominent background into the lives of each society respectfully, as seen often throughout the historic piece of literature, The Tale of Genji. Three crucial aspects depicted in the novel’s progression are the role of women, Buddhism, and the political configuration, each containing positive and negative attributes prevalent in the tale. China was a powerful nation at the time, and during this age, these three societal concepts were important, yet controversial at times. These concepts can all be related directly back to the central character, Genji, along with the other vital people who, not

The first assumption, women being only concerned with trifling things, is seen beginning with line 120 where the men say:

that part of women’s sin was the seduction of man and another was her failure to serve

In Lorraine's Hansberry A Raisin In The Sun. Walter wants to make money to support his family. He wants money because he thinks it makes him a “man”. How ever when his money is stolen, Walter’s perceptions of manhood shifts from valuing wealth and power to valuing family and pride.

A man had a decision to spare his wife in these particular circumstances as if she was an unruly pet or piece of property. Therefore, one infers that life for women in Babylon contained a constant need to assure a clean reputation and loyalty to the husband.

Genji tries to follow some aspects of Buddhism but others not so much such as monogamy, as he has many affairs in his lifetime. It is believed that all the

The various female characters in the novel have no real power of their own and were controlled by the male figures in their lives. This is most evident in the prevalence and acceptability of polygynous marriage at the imperial court. Genji’s father has several concubines, one of which is his mother. Genji’s mother, Lady Kiritsubo, is of relatively low rank and lacks any political influence at court despite being favored by the Emperor. The reason behind her lack of influence is that she lacks parental support at court. Her father, a Grand Counselor, is dead and her mother cannot provide political support. The fact that Lady Kiritsubo has no political influence despite her mother being alive and potentially being able to support her demonstrates that, on their own, women have no political power and that this must be derived by the men in their lives. In addition to deriving their influence from men, women at the imperial court are judged primarily for their physical appearance. This is illustrated by the fact that Emperor Kiritsubo remembers most fondly about Lady Kiritsubo is her appearance. He is so fixated on her appearance that following her death, it stated that he could not forget her and “summoned various women who might console him, but apparently it was too much to ask in this world for one who even resembled her” (p. 21). Interestingly, the woman he finally takes as a wife and consort, Lady Fujitsubo, bears a striking resemblance

In the play “A Raisin in the Sun” written by Lorraine Hansberry, she is able to take us to place to see what it was like for an African American family to survive in the mid-twentieth century. The play details how the main characters are going through an evolving social and economic position, as well as the evolving gender roles. Hansberry uses the characterization of Beneatha, Ruth, and Walter in order to show the expectations and assigned gender roles for the characters in the story. In short, Beneatha is depicted as a woman who is challenging gender norms and expectations upheld by her family, whereas Ruth is seen as an example of a submissive housewife fulfilling her expected duties. Using “A Raisin in the Sun,” as well as “Marxists

In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Walter Younger wants to be a “real man”. His dream is to become successful in business and make his family rich. However, when all his money is stolen, he becomes very pessimistic, abandoning the ideas of morality and dignity. At the end of the play, his son Travis inspires him to value his family’s pride over materialism. Over the course of the play, Walter’s view of manhood changes from someone wealthy and successful to a person who has pride and believes in human dignity.

I will argue that the depictions of women in The Golden Ass seem to reinforce the gender stereotype of women to be lustful and manipulative nymphomaniacs because of the qualities of several female characters. The Golden Ass identifies the latent nature of women through several characters, namely: The woman from Corinth, who Lucius sleeps with, The wife from the story, the lover, and the jar, and Photis. First, I will analyze the woman from Corinth who sleeps with Lucius and how her qualities reinforce the gender stereotype. Next I will analyze the wife from the story: the lady and the jar, and how her qualities connect to the stereotype of women. Then, I will analyze the characteristics of Photis and how her qualities support the gender stereotype. Once I have established the distinct stereotypes present in these women the position that The Golden Ass reinforces stereotypes can be taken because it will be understood that the majority of women share their respective qualities and therefore live within the boundaries of their stereotype. Finally, I will refute the opposition to my claim.

“The Tale of Genji” often confronts the modern reader with a quandary of morality and ethics through the protagonist’s domineering pursuit of what he regards as the ultimate wife. Murasaki, one who has barely reached puberty. Also, causing tension among the complex narrative interplay is the conflict between Japanese Buddhist customs as portrayed in the story with Genji’s identity crisis.. He seems to overthrow what would constitute modern moral sensibilities at the expense of insatiable sexual lust. This makes the reader consider whether Genji is wrestling with his conscience or whether he is past the point of return.

The values, makoto and aware, are also deeply ingrained into The Tale of Genji and are a recurring theme within the work. The men are always searching for women with sincere characteristics, and the women are always chasing after Genji, who is a paragon of sincerity. The value of aware is quite Buddhist in nature and describes the impermanence of all things. This is definitely the most significant religious influence on The Tale of Genji because aware is the abounding theme throughout the tale. Genji is constantly witnessing the impermanence of life. One such example is when he loses his wife, Aoi, to childbirth. She is very sick and fragile after the birth of their son, and Genji is deeply moved by her fragility, “The sight of her lying there, so beautiful yet so thin and weak that she hardly seemed among the living, aroused his love and his keenest sympathy” (Tyler, 179). After Aoi’s death, Genji takes it hard and “life was intolerable to him” (Tyler, 180). The feeling of aware is embodied in Genji’s reaction to Aoi’s sickness and death; moreover, the fragility of life is made clear to him

She says, “A knowing woman’s work is never done / To get a lover if she hasn’t one” (282). Through this statement, she implies that a woman needs a man, or at least needs to be able to seduce a man. However, the woman does not depend on a man to fulfill her and make her complete, as was a common concept; but rather, the woman dominates the man and takes advantage of the relationship.

Genji Monogatari or The Tale of Genji is a story that was written by Murasaki Shikibu during the Heian period. It is a very well received work of Japanese literature and the first part of the story is written with the main character being Genji, and then continues without him. I have no knowledge of the second half of Genji Monogatari but it is in the first section of this tale the characteristics and traits for ideal men and women of the society within the story can be gathered. The criteria for an ideal man or woman in The Tale of Genji was the importance of the physical attribute of beauty, the background, personality, and education of a woman, and characteristics that the main hero of the story, Genji, possessed.