"The Tale of Genji"

Paper Summary:

This paper describes the writings of Murasaki Shikibu and the social norms for aristocratic women writers in the Heian Period of tenth and eleventh century Japan. The paper looks at the differences between male and female writing and highlights the writing techniques of women that were permitted in a male controlled world. The paper shows how "The Tale of Genji" is not only an entertaining and thought provoking masterpiece but also a document that provides a glimpse into the societal history of the Heian Period.

From the Paper:

"During the early periods of Japan, Japanese literature and poetry became the main focus of courtiers and aristocrats. The Heian period was an era that promoted waka poetry writing by both male and female aristocrats that contributed to the collections of Japanese literary work. One famous author among the court of ruling political aristocrats during the Heian period was Murasaki Shikibu, the author who creatively pieced together a work of fictional literary art called The Tale of Genji. This literary work would be considered the first modern novel of Japanese literary history and is currently famous for its unique writing style and constructive symbolism. The book consists of more than a thousand pages and is divided into fifty-four chapters. (Wikipedia 2007) The tale is very complex and contains a lot of symbolic views, which were cleverly scripted by Murasaki Shikibu. What inspired the female writer to write such a fascinating tale of lust, love, and adventure? Women of the Heian period were not acknowledged as well as their gender opposites during the time. Despite the restriction put upon women, Murasaki seemed to excel in her writings, claiming a big step on women literary work. Lady Murasaki used her experiences, knowledge of Buddhism, and her observations of the court to contribute in the creation of her most famous work."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Keene, Donald. "The Diary of Murasaki Shikibu," Anthology of Japanese Literature. New York: Grove Press. 1955. 145-155.
• Keene, Donald. "Kagero Nikki," Anthology of Japanese Literature. New York: Grove Press. 1955. 97-105.
• Keene, Donald. "Yugao, " Anthology of Japanese Literature. New York: Grove Press. 1955. 106-136.
• Shikibu, Murasaki. "Heart to Heart," The Tale of the Genji. Trans. Royall Tyler. New York: Penguin: 2001.
• Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/murasaki_shikibu, Wikipedia Foundation. 2007

More papers on "The Tale of Genji":

• Analytical Essay # 40286 : "The Tale of Genji"
• Essay # 40944 : "The Tale of Genji"
• Book Review # 66489 : "The Tale of Genji"
• Essay # 41010 : "Yosano Akiko and "The Tale of Genji"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: