User talk:Atcovi/ENG225/Discussion Board Six: Gender, Performance, and Power

VI - Japan's Classical Age

 * Japanese culture --> adaption from Chinese & Korean culture [Chinese writing system, divine monarch, gov't based on administrative statutes and laws, Buddhism as state religion, city planning, etc.].
 * Japan was never directly in contact with China (like colonization, for example), so they learned Chinese culture from books.

Continental Culture and Bi-Literacy

 * The Japanese had two forms of language: Vernacular Japanese and Chinese-style writing. Vernacular literature proved to be used for multiple purposes: in the court and in romance.
 * noninflected lnaugage, one/two syllables [zh] vs. agglutinative [ja], polysllabic - differing word order. Differences in linguistics go on...

Heian Court Culture
—Atcovi (Talk - Contribs) 02:30, 4 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Imperial court vs. Buddhist clergy, capital went from Nara to Heian-kyo in 794. Golden age with Kyoto as capital.
 * Countryside was either gorgeous or primitive, the capital was "where it was at".
 * We can see Heian life through "vernacular tales", "women's diaries", and "allusive poetry/tasteful calligraphy".


 * Lives of aristocratic, Heian women: Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji & Sei Shonagon's The Pillow Book. Women lived in great seculsion.
 * Goes over "waka poetry", which gave an education to the aristocratic women.
 * Waka: Increase one's literary skills + simple form of everyday talk. Waka overtook Chinese-style poetry.
 * First imperial waka anthology: "the Kokinshu" [905].
 * 9th century: Kana syllabary. Women's hand, so to say. Hiragana script for inflections/grammar, katakana script for foreign words.
 * Fujiwara clan: regents married daughters into imperial family, who were very educated. Emphasized female literacy.
 * —Atcovi (Talk - Contribs) 02:44, 4 October 2023 (UTC)

Murasaki Shikibu (ca. 978 - ca. 1014)

 * The Tale of Genji - Masterpiece of Japanese prose.
 * Virginia Woolf: "certain court lady writing a beautiful novel in Japan".
 * Depicts the lives and loves of a former prince: Genji, who dies mid-book. About the human ability to be touched by people/outside world, love vs. lust, and vulnerability of women. Celebrates poetry, music, and dance. Touches love, art, and death.

Life and Times
—Atcovi (Talk - Contribs) 22:17, 4 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Shikibu --> appoint held at "Ministry of Ceremonial.
 * Murasaki --> "purpe", based off of heroine Murasaki.
 * Details her life, including ancestroy, decline to level of governors despite crazy ancestry (born of young emperors/imperial family), marriage and 2-yr daughter, wrote the chapter after husband's death. Writing got her an invitation from Empress Shoshi (1006) as a lady-in-waiting at the court. She stayed there until she died.


 * Reason female literature was vibing: Fujiwara regents fill ranks of their daughters' entourages with talented women.
 * Empress Teishi vs. Emperor Ichijo (Shoshi cohort of the latter).
 * Murasaki knew waka and Chinese poetry. Diary entry from Murasaki detailing this. Highlights subtle sexism.
 * Heian Japan: sex segregation to the max, women concealed from public eye, men with multiple partners due to conditions of the marriage, purpose of marriage, conditions of living under marriage [and polygamy]. All a breeding ground for women to become skilled writers.

—Atcovi (Talk - Contribs) 22:30, 4 October 2023 (UTC)

The Tale of Genji
—Atcovi (Talk - Contribs) 01:49, 5 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Named after male protagonist. Son of reigning emperor, Kiritsubo.
 * Goes through story. Attracted to Fujitsubo, someone who looks like Kiritsubo. Forced into exile after affair with sister of his father's principal wife (the Kokiden consort) [mortal enemy]. Genji is faithful.
 * 44 chapter tale in 3 parts: Genji's career [birth-exile-return to the capital], a lot of women. Ch. 34 - 41 waning years of Genji's life [death of Murasaki and Genji]. Last 13 chapters: last ten Uji chapters. Young man rivalry: Genji's son and Prince Niou [son of Genji's daughter, Akashi Empress].
 * Broom Cypress Sequence: pursues women of middle/lower aristocracy.
 * Relies on conventions from earlier tales: monogatari. Oppositions between reality and literature [for the sake of passion and emotional depth].
 * Strongly resembles Ariwara. Praise for Murasaki. Praise for the tale, including it being a popular tale for future generations [Genji cult], meditation on emotions (love).

The Story
Chapter 1
 * Crown Prince: Genji's half-brother/rival. Wasn't anywhere near as handsome as Genji.
 * Birth of Genji took hold, a lot of women were jealous of his mom.
 * Kokiden Consort (CP crew) was the Emperor's first wife.
 * Genji's mom faced a lot of jealousy because of the Emperor's privileged treatment of her, so he made a new quarters for her by removing the nurse's home outta there.
 * Genji's age, 3: mother became ill. Wanted to go home, but couldn't until a religious priest arrived at her family home to pray for her. Mom eventually died. He was very grief-stricken, even 49 days after the funeral. Genji lived in his mom's house.
 * The Kokiden Consort didn't care all too much of his grief, as they played music in the Seiryoden.
 * Grandma eventually died by Genji's age of 6, during a time where a heir had to be appointed. He returned to the palace.
 * King took Genji's intelligence and beauty as a sign that he'd die young. He was also good with instruments. Eventually, everyone started to love him.
 * Korean diviner incident. He declares he will be Emperor [bad] or Chancellor [good].
 * Was demoted to commoner status for fear of CP crew's backlash.
 * A young woman [Fujitsubo (name of a chamber)], the 4th Princess of the previous Emperor, closely resembles Kiritsubo [Genji's late mom]. But soon, the Emperor started fancying Fujitsubo.


 * The Kokiden Consort grew jealous of Fujitsubo as the Emperor was unfair to Fujitsubo and Genji.
 * "The Radiant Prince" --> Genji; "The Princess of the Radiant Sun" --> Fujitsubo.
 * Ceremony for "manliness" for 12-yr old Genji.
 * Appeared before the seated Emperor at the "Hour of the Monkey". The emperor was sad at the 'giving away of his youth' and was wondering if his mom was there, and how she'd react.
 * The "Minister of the Left" had a daughter whom he proposed to Genji and not to the desiring CP. The Emperor agreed.
 * The initiation resumed.
 * Food and presents were presented.
 * The Minister started to regret the selection.
 * New rival to the Minister of the Left: "To no Chujo" (TNC). Marries the MoL [?] 4th daughter.
 * Genji still has feelings for Fujitsubo. Genji will try to get Fujitsubo to the expanded 'former residence' of Genji's mom (under construction).

Chapter 2: Hahakigi (Broom Cypress)


 * Although the great title, Genji was secretly clumsy.
 * Genji's new role: Middle Captain in the Palace Guard. He stopped visiting his wife at the residence of her father [MoL]. Despite the rumours, Genji refuses to cheat.
 * Genji and TNC were pretty good friends.
 * One day, the palace was mad boring due to the rain. Genji read some Chinese classics while TNC pulled some letters out from a cabinet. Genji allowed him to read A FEW letters coming from ladies that liked him. TNC guessed the writers of the letters, where he got some right on and some were not anywhere close.
 * TNC goes off on a paragraph about how there is a lot of women with good qualities, but may fail expectations.
 * Women in higher class are presented without any flaws, even though you sure as hell know they have flaws!
 * Warden: "pedigree don't match rank, NO!"; "poor rank/status"; some women have very good upbringing and then become almost perfect for marriage.

pg. 21


 * Genji says that you must find a girl from a rich family, but TNC is not accepting any of that BS.
 * The Warden continues: "two-faced women aren't good"; "a woman who comes from nothing may be an absolute gem"; "a man focuses on one woman, good---a woman able to keep their man from going from one woman to another, good"; "a wife must assist her husband"; pick a "childlike, compliant woman". Mid-pg. 23, his conclusion comes through.
 * Dwells into some nonsense about a woman being a nun, having faults, and a devotion to the Buddha. Defends a husband who has a 'little affair on the side', but a woman must be modest in her anger and approach and not ignore this.
 * TNC supports the concept of simply ignoring problems.
 * The Warden continues: compares calligraphy with matters of art and pleasure. He then speaks of an affair. He felt something lacking, so he cheated on his wife who was not forgiving. He then started to calm down, to which his wife became a 'yes' woman out of her jealousy. So the Warden told her they need to break up, to which the woman was surprisingly ok with. Then he said some horrible stuff, to which the wife bit him. The story continues.... He ends up having no choice but to go inside her palace many months later after he was confined in that palace for music. He plays hard to get, despite the wife preparing the place for him, because she left and didn't want to see him. The Warden's games led to her demise, to which he bolsters her image - saying she was an exceptional wife because she was exceptional in dyeing cloth and was a good person to talk to.

[pg. 28]
 * TNC says women's beauty pass as the seasons passing. The Warden found another woman, skilled in poetry. He was secretly visiting this woman until this woman turned out to be sorta unfaithful. Accounts the story of the autumn evening (10th month): A man took him to the garden of a woman, where he played some songs to attract the woman. The woman dissed his flute playing, and played in return. The Warden saw the woman he treated as a "side-gig" act 'smart', so he felt embarrased and ended the affair.
 * The Warden concludes, telling them to heed his warning.
 * TNC speaks of his experience: A very determined side gig turns serious. A father of a baby bore from her and she was getting threats from TNC's wife's parents. Some misunderstandings and she then disappeared.
 * TNC concluded that it is impossible to find the 'perfect' wife.
 * The Junior Secretary shares his story at TNC's discretion. His affair with a Chinese teacher's daughter. Regret fills him, but the lady was special.
 * He eventually sees him while he was on errand - but she was being foolish and secretive. She also had a bad ordor. The boys call his bluff out.
 * The Warden criticises a woman who makes cheesy love poems. Genji starts admiring his crush even more.

Chapter 5
 * Genji spies at an old woman and her two young accomplices worshipping Amida Buddha.