Essay on The Cultural Significance of The Tale of Genji

The Cultural Significance of The Tale of Genji The Tale of Genji is one of the most important stories of ancient Japanese literature. Japanese scholar Sin Ohno said that there is no literature written during the Heian Era which is written in as precise language as The Tale of Genji. The author, Murasaki Shikibu, is a woman. In this tale, we can see the concept towards marriage of women during her period. During the Nara Era, and some time before, the concept of marriage was totally different from the concept we know today. It is called Tsuma Toi Kon. Tsuma means wife; Toi means to visit; Kon means marriage. In order to explain the marriage during this era, I will present an example of the typical interactions between men†¦show more content†¦During this time, daughters inherit the land from their mother. This shows that men and women did not completely rely on each other economically. Men and women generally had their own properties and estates. Sometimes women rejected men coming to visit them at their estates after the relationship began. On the other hand, men sometimes stopped visiting women. During the Heian era, traditional marriage was still strong. Also, in some cases, when a man stopped visiting a woman for a while, another man started visiting the woman. While the new man was still visiting, the old man might come back to visit the woman; two men might even meet ea ch other. Visiting several women at a time was not considered rude during this era. Women were often treated differently according to status. Women of different status often hated each other and became jealous of each other. In The Tale of Genji, women of the court hated Kiritsubo because the emperor loved her the most--even though Kiritsubo was in a lower position than those women. There were many problems concerning marriage during this era. During the Heian era, however, new changes occurred. The growth of a consuming public accelerated with the development of cities like Heian Kyo. People used to work, even wives of nobles, outside on their farm land. Royalty started living on the money collected by the government, and also lived on the properties and estates given by their parents. The populationShow MoreRelatedhope3544 Words   |  15 Pageswork but also to reveal the authors purpose and viewpoint and the cultural and social factors influencing the author. __________________________________________________________________________ Directions and Analysis Task 1 Analyze Literary Elements in Genji Monogatari Genji Monogatari, or The Tale of Genji, is a Japanese novel written in the early eleventh century that tells the story of Genji, the son of a Japanese emperor. Genji is considered to be one of the first psychological novels. Read theRead Moretale of genji Essay example5465 Words   |  22 Pagesand the cultural a nd social factors influencing the author. __________________________________________________________________________ Directions and Analysis Task 1: Analyze Literary Elements in Genji Monogatari Genji Monogatari, or The Tale of Genji, is a Japanese novel written in the early eleventh century that tells the story of Genji, the son of a Japanese emperor. Genji is considered to be one of the first psychological novels. Read the first four chapters of part I of Genji MonogatariRead MoreEssay on Buddhism in Japan3757 Words   |  16 PagesRight absorption: This is meditation to try to expeience the world in a different way Theoretically, if you follow these, you will reach Nirvana and ultimately end your suffering. Because of the simplicity of the Buddha’s teachings, its significance on personal action, and his opposition to the caste system, Buddha soon won himself many followers. Like other religious teachers, he usually used stories or parables to explain his beliefs. Around the year 483 BC Buddha passed away at age eighty