In the 11th century, Murasaki Shikibu introduced to the globe the picture of the Heian aristocrat - an enchanting and poetic person with a penchant for amorous misadventures with some women. It is this light that the titular character, Genji, is introduced and developed, very much adhering to the influences of Shikibu's time. Through most of the tale, Shikibu illustrates his exploits as he makes his way to fill his life with the ladies he desires - from his stepmother to a ten-year-old girl he raises to be his ideal paramour. Times, though, have changed and the events on the Tale of Genji have lost their commonplace in society. Promiscuity, polygamy and other circumstances in the modern world are still, generally, frowned upon. It is now a point of interest what sort of tale of such acts still lives to be one of the biggest novels to possess been given breath to and how a character like Genji can be viewed as a hero by today's standards. However, in spite of the shift with time and perspective, The Tale of Genji has transcended through many dimensions. It hasn't only been a pioneer in the literary world because of its words and structure but also since it has presented another type of ideal of heroism in a way that it can be observed in Genji and in the essence of the tale regardless of the matters which it tackles. Centering over a promiscuous man's exploits, Murasaki's revolutionary piece over a different ideal of heroism, The Tale of Genji is a timeless source of lessons on life, love and loss.
II. Murasaki and her Masterpiece
The Tale of Genji, also known as Genji monogatari, is a creation of a Japanese aristocratic culture composed in the eleventh century during the peak of the Heian Period. Many scholars treat this novel as one of, if not, the greatest achievements of Japanese literature, not only regarding the Heian culture. Japan was quite definitely under the influence of the Chinese, and was going through a stage of finding its native culture when this novel came about. By this time around, naturalization of Chinese concepts was successfully penetrated in japan culture. The Tale of Genji was the first refined portrayal of self-expression within Japanese literature that owed hardly any to Chinese paradigm.
Integration of culture and art from the Tang dynasty uniting together with Japanese culture marked the Heian Period. Music developed earlier in the time while literature emerged from the utilization of letters. Women played significant roles in the flourishing of literature as they composed several diaries, poems and stories. These different forms of publications were famous outlets of expressions and inner feelings. As the literary work composed during the Heian period, The Tale of Genji was most likely written in kana - a term for syllabic Japanese scripts because the women in those days were discouraged from learning and writing in Chinese.
Genji monogatari was compiled by a woman known as Murasaki Shikibu, a nickname translating to "purple ceremonial. " She originated from a branch of the Fujiwara clan who at that time were the powerful ones dominating the courts during the Heian period. Her mother died when she was at a young age and for that reason, Shikibu grew up by her father Tametoki and was raised alongside him. Even young, she was recognized to be more intelligent than her brother. Thus, she was permitted to review and find out Chinese classics, which at that time was improper because education for females was highly discouraged. Tametoki secured a job as a governor of Echizen Province and took Shikibu with him during his mandatory tours. For this reason, Murasaki Shikibu married just a little beyond the most common age in those days, and ended up with one of her father's friends named Fujiwara no Nobutaka. It was believed that their marriage was a happy one despite his involvement with several other women. The couple bore a daughter whom they named as Kenshi.
Two to three years into their marriage, Nobutaka passed on, leaving Murasaki a sad and lonely widow. Instead of a husband, Shikibu had a lot of free time, leading to her involvement in the most common pastimes of her status as an aristocratic woman during the Heian period. This included the studying and reading of old poems and romances, as well as creating new ones. Scholars speculate the Tale of Genji was written by Shikibu at home shortly after her husband's death. Over time, Shikibu's works of literature were recognized by the empress. Due to her talent in writing, she was called upon by Empress Akiko to serve in court as a lady-in-waiting. A lot of The Tale of Genji was continued during her stay in court. Very little is known about her later life. However, there are speculations stating that Shikibu, in her fifties, chose to seek seclusion in a convent after retiring from court.
Shikibu's novel contained around eight hundred poems in fifty-four lengthy chapters, translating to five volumes in terms of modern Japanese printed editions. Having no protagonist or a clear-cut theme, The Tale of Genji is not an ordinary piece of fiction containing the qualities of a simple story line. It can even be seen as the predecessor of Western novels as Shikibu stresses mainly on human relationships and all of the thoughts they trigger. THE ACTUAL Odyssey plus the Iliad are to the West is what The Tale of Genji is to Japan.
Consistency and intricacy are two evident characteristics that made The Tale of Genji a masterpiece. The characters were often described according with their status or position instead of their real names. Even though there have been several hundreds of characters in the novel, Shikibu was able to give all of them their own identity predicated on personality, family lineage, and social relationships. Complexity of the plot and events show the author's skill in writing. All occurrences happened simultaneously in a smooth and clear flow much like that of real life. The novel can be seen as individual and independent accounts being weaved into a structured whole.
Being the first novel ever to be written, The Tale of Genji is known as to be an important piece of Japanese literature. Aside from the popularity it gained in the Heian court and from the emperor, it was also a significant representation of the courtly life in medieval Japan during the Heian period. This period in the annals of Japan was marked by the tolerance of affairs and polygamous relationships, especially among the list of aristocracy. Starkly not the same as today's ways, it was often that a man had a relationship with a primary wife and still retain other lesser wives. Being the persistent lover that he was, Genji didn't neglect to meet these standards of Heian society. The novel's accurate historical depiction is why it still remains widespread up to this date. In addition to this, the classic novel has made a great impact on the fields of painting and drama. Several paintings during the Heian period were predicated on the book. Even today, The Tale of Genji is still a prevailing influence in Japanese media as seen being often depicted in movies, Television shows, stage dramatization, books, and even teenage magazines.
Given this brief background in the Tale of Genji, women evidently contributed to the evolution of Japanese culture not solely on literature but also on other kinds of art. The novel itself is proof that women owned by the Heian period had a voice of their own, independent from the world of men. Although a lot of Chinese ideas and customs were inculcated in Japanese culture, is proof how Japan acquired independence in terms of fabricating their own self-identity. Much like Sun Tzu's Art of War, Shikibu's Genji monogatari remains a vintage for the reason that today's society can still quite definitely relate to its message and apply its lessons to real-life situations.
II. The Tale
The Tale of Genji travels back again to the Heian Period and embarks on a tale of love, lust and loss. At the center of the 1090-paged tale is the remarkably beautiful Genji, the shining prince. Born to a mismatch of sorts with an emperor father and a low ranking concubine of his, Genji's fate was undermined as a prophecy determined early on that he'd not be an emperor like his father. His early years were marked by tragedy as his mother fell in to the jealous eyes of these who surrounded her and led her to a premature death. At the age of 12, Genji is married off to an older girl, Aoi with whom he has hardly any interest in. Therefore, despite possessing a wife, he sets off into numerous misadventures with love as he partcipates in forbidden liaisons and clandestine affairs. He starts this excursion of woman after woman with Fujitsubo, the emperor's new wife and in place, his stepmother. Despite being a maternal figure in his life, he was enamored by her strikingly uncanny resemblance to the mother he barely knew of. Much to Genji's dismay, any relationship other than a parent-child relation with Fujitsubo would be deemed illicit. With an unyielding spirit, however, such constraints didn't stop Genji from entering into this relationship and even going so far as to having a child, whom they conceal as the emperor's.
Feeling discontented with the state of his relations, Genji makes a vacation to Kyoto, hoping to be "cured" of his illness. There, he chances after a ten year old girl who, in the likeness of his stepmother, quickly catches his affection. Her name was Murasaki as fate had it, after some failed attempts at adopting her, she would conclude being raised by Genji in his home and under his care. It had been in a young and unaware ten-year-old that Genji was forming what he thought to be the ideal woman. When Aoi passes after giving Genji his second son, Murasaki then becomes his wife. Despite being with the woman he loves, Genji, being the persistent seducer that he is, pursues several other women. His continuous encounters with women eventually put him in trouble as he was uncovered to have had an affair with the daughter of the political rival. As a result, Genji put in exile in Suma, where he was to be without Murasaki.
In Suma, he encounters another woman with whom he shares his time while in exile- Akashi. The partnership, however, is cut short when Genji is called back by the emperor and he's forced to leave her behind, only to find out later on that she actually is with child. His return from Suma marks a fresh chapter in Genji's life as he assumes different roles in society when his love child with Fujitsubo becomes emperor. Upon his return, he too builds a palatial home for four of his lovers, each wing of the house belonging to one.
Forced to marry his brother's daughter, Genji's love and affection for Murasaki are proven as he comes to her side when falls in to the hands of an illness that will soon take her life away. Grieving the increased loss of Murasaki, Genji retires to a temple and finally dies only two-thirds in to the tale.
In the ultimate part of the tale, the storyline veers from Genji and his women as the years are created to pass and the story targets two new characters, Kaoru and Niou. The two, although friends, are rivals in the arena of love. They fight in the affections of three sisters, Oigimi, Naka no Kimi and Ukifune, as they both share the same interests in them. Within their escapades, Oigimi, fearing that Kaoru will neglect her just as that Niou did with Naka no Kimi, took her own life. As the storyline progresses, Kaoru realizes that he, too, is deeply in love with Naka no Kimi. Ukifune was introduced to Kaoru to avert troubles between the two men. They, however, didn't escape further ensuing rivalry between your two as both of these come to love Ukifune. The tale ends on the sad note, as Ukifune attempts to kill herself but lives to see the pain and end up becoming a nun.
III. Genji, The Shining Prince
Though written in insular Japan some 1000 years ago, Genji's character has a semblance with many others in the literary world. You might easily associate him with Don Juan, who, in his conquests with women, would be quite definitely difficult to tell apart from the person that is Genji. In today's terms, he'd be called a playboy. With his charming visual appearance and poetic tongue to match, being wooed by one like him would be a simple task. As his story travels from page to page, you might always find Genji with a fresh woman and it wouldn't be so rare that he'd have multiple relations all at one time. When he built his palatial Rokujo mansion, it was designed to house four different females in his life, all of which he wooed through his charm and magnetism. Throughout his life, he caught the interest and hearts of several women, engaging in relationships, sometimes fleeting but many times sincere. He's regarded as prolific and promiscuous, setting his sights on a woman and actively pursuing her so that his desires are met, in the end seducing whomever he fancies.
Taking things from the events of the tale and the title of Asia's Don Juan, pointing out that Genji is very much flawed would not be much of an effort. Genji, himself, is even someone to point out his faults, being spoiled and self-centered. Despite having been made so imperfect, it is sometimes a wonder why he is hailed by many as the hero of the tale. Heroism, whether in reality or literature, has been often defined by many noble ideals and characteristics. Typically, he is recognizable by his sheer courage and physical strength. Observing Genji, these traits aren't made very much pronounced. Actually, sometimes, he shows the opposite as when he exiled himself to Suma to evade the results of his actions and the wrath of the relatives of Oborozukiyo. Additionally it is noticeable how Shikibu kept herself within the confines of Genji's romantic life for the most part, unlike other heroes commonly places set in the midst of physically and mentally arduous tasks or warfare. It had been in this way that Genji departed from the traditional hero and redefined what it is usually to be one. It must now be pointed out, though, that Murasaki Shikibu meant to illustrate her hero therefore. He was an unusual one. He was designed to turn into a hero in some other place, outside the commonly perceived situations and beyond the stereotypical strengths and characteristics with many times, he was made to be the contrast to the classical definition of a hero. He was created by Shikibu to contrast regent Kaneie of the Heian period by exemplifying a great sense of concern and sensitivity for others, unlike the regent who was lukewarm to the ladies in his life. Throughout his adventures with women, it is considered to be that, in the process, he previously inflicted some sort of pain to them. What is remarkable, however, was that he was sensitive towards them and took responsibility for what came after on many circumstances, best exemplified when he provided for many of the women and providing them with each a section in the Rokujo mansion. It had been also made evident in his encounter with Princess Safflower. Despite devoid of much affinity for her, this daughter of a prince who was near to ruins was eventually spared from misfortune by making use of Genji. It had been in this ideal of Genji that his self-redemption is found, one which marks him as a hero despite the gravity of his all too many flaws. It is in his ability to redeem and better himself from all his self-induced challenges brought by his flaws that he completes his quest to become a hero and the tale a universal literary achievement. Margaret Berry concisely narrowed down his character by saying In his long series of amours -despite impetuosity and irresponsibility- the Heian prince basically pursues only beautiful and enduring, though not exclusive, relationships in which they can promote the well-being, the capacities for beauty of the beloved while himself savoring the union with that which is beautiful. It really is in this statement that we find Genji's different sense of heroism within the higher picture of his flaws.
With this Don Juan's heroism and development of other characters, as well as the storyline, The Tale of Genji now becomes a source of lessons for readers to learn from and live by. Despite his amorous exploits, he has exhibited many ideals that will not only make him another type of kind of hero but also, allows The Tale of Genji to be relevant and instrumental in making life richer with lessons.
One of the recurring truths present in Genji is the evanescence of life. All throughout the novel, death was a present and recurring experience. A lot of Genji's family members were noted to get passed away, among them his parents, his son & most tragic and painful to his heart, Murasaki. It could be observed that the author emphasized this concept of experiencing loss and presents to the readers the idea that life is fleeting - So briefly rests the dew on the hagi. Nonetheless it scatters in the wind. Within the haste we make to leave this world of dew, may there be virtually no time between your first and last. Nothing in life is intended to be perfect and the tale expresses the wonder found in the ephemeral life many people are bound to. Thus, life, although many times a struggle, is something to be cherished. This idea is definitely not limited to a certain time despite being written under a different era. It still finds relevance after a while and in the current generation. While using recent reports of deaths and violence from around, the risk of losing someone is ever present and strong. This urges visitors to utilize the time they have with our friends and family wisely and maximize out of it as no one knows when those bonding times may end, hence the famous line carpe diem or seize your day.
The need for proper behavior is also often highlighted throughout the storyplot. It is taken to light the sooner elements of The Tale of Genji, where Lady Kokiden disregarded the emperor's suffering due to the death of his favorite concubine. She did not act accordingly in court in light of this situation and therefore, her demeanor resulted in a terrible reputation. In the current time of looser morals and demeanor, proper behavior is even more called for. The concept present in this lesson is similar to what most people make reference to as delikadesa/delikadeza. Here in the Philippines, whenever the first is in times in which he or she is likely to behave in a specific manner, delikadesa is exhibited.
Similar to the lesson mentioned earlier, but leaning more towards the female gender, would be the lesson to be morally intact. Although this holds true, it is also applicable to men because of the fact that the main character, Genji, is a playboy and involves himself in many affairs throughout the complete novel. As stated in the storyplot, there were a lot of instances wherein women were seduced or swept from their feet by Genji, without much consideration to their romantic status. Essentially, a lot of women made want to Genji plus some even bore his children like the Lady Fujitsubo, who bore him a son. Amongst all the girls, there was one who was able to resist Genji's wooing and remained chaste - Utsusemi. The author makes her a style of being morally intact. This lesson of morality could possibly be more needed inside our time now as compared to that of days gone by. Being a generation that's more liberal and less conservative set alongside the generations of past generations, we hear news left and right about prostitution houses, sex videos or scandals and so on. The type of Utsusemi is a frequent reminder to both men and women to be morally intact.
Having an open heart rather than bearing grudges against people is also a lesson that was shown in Tale of Genji. In one instance, while Genji was away to manage the sick Murasaki, a guy came to his house and made want to one of his wives. Even though Genji heard bout the affair and knew who he was, he didn't bear the guy nor his wife any grudges. Despite that, the guy did die of shame. This lesson can be applied inside our time today in instances wherein even though people do us wrong we do not let that single act or instance destroy the relationship we have with see your face.
One of the most important lessons that could be learned from the novel is that we should be repentant of the wrongdoings. Towards the finish of Genji's life, he became an officer in the empire and slowly rose in the ranks, performing good deeds. Upon his return from Suma, Genji seemingly returned somewhat matured but still his promiscuous self. This mood to be repentant and reflective is important and applicable still to our own lives for even in this time around period, people still make mistakes, commit sin, and wrong other people whether it be intentional or not, and recognizing our faults and repenting is an important step and process in order for us to grow and be better persons. It's been said that Once Genji has made a good fleeting commitment, a female do not need to fear abandonment. As observed in the novel, Genji left his recently wedded wife to become with Murasaki at that time she was sick and he stayed with her until she finally passed. A similar reliability sometimes appears in the manner he treats many of the women he has encountered, always expressing concern for others, in particular when he is the cause of the pain.
Despite the novel being centuries old, the lessons contained within it remain applicable in the lives of individuals living even up to today. The relevance in the Tale of Genji is not limited to its contributions to the world of literature and its ability to bring an obvious depiction of days gone by to the present. Moreover, it can be seen through these lessons, as it imparts onto its readers teachings on how to properly live their lives, though it's method may be quite paradoxical given the actual fact that the primary character Genji isn't really one of moral purity. In a way, the novel offers a complete perspective how one should act in living out one's life together with his flaws and struggles. Alongside this, the novel also showed the consequences of such actions. Despite possessing a character like Genji, the book can direct humanity towards a far more enriching path. It is in those aspects that the relevance of the book can truly be appreciated.
From the Heian period to today's world bustling with new ideals, Shikibu's The Tale of Genji is continuing to grow to become a beloved piece of literature, influencing much of the literary world. In spite of revealing the prominence of promiscuity, exploitation and other faults of society, the tale remains to be a classic tale of any hero to be exalted until this day. It is in presenting us with a hero beyond the extraordinary circumstances of warfare and chaos and lacking in superhuman strength, as heroes are commonly depicted, that the tale becomes another and influential source of lessons. In Genji, much of the world can easily see the realistic depiction of your hero, one who is flawed yet redeems himself. Your, he brings about a whole selection of learning's on life, love and loss and a new perspective on how one deals with his flaws.
