Monthly Archives: April 2015

With an effort she feigned ignorance and responded to his joviality after all in her own distinctive way. Four years older than he, she had a more composed dignity and a mature that put his youth to shame. how could she be wanting? Obviously, Genji reflected, it is my own, dissolute behavior that has earned me her rejection. Her lofty pride at being only daughter not just of any Minister but of the greatest of them all, and of no less than a Princess, moved her to condemn his every lapse, while he on his side kept wondering why he must defer to her so and keep trying to bring her around. Such were the distances that kept them apart. (135)

Based on this passage, it focuses on Genji’s first wife, Aoi. Aoi is the daughter of Minister of the Left and married to Genji when she was 16. I chose this passage because out of women that Genji been with, Aoi is actually the first woman that reject Genji due to his immaturity and the numerous affairs that he have. With a high ranking family background and age difference with Genji, Aoi is very proud. Because of that, she distant herself from Genji.

My question about this passage is that since Aoi doesn’t like Genji that much, why doesn’t she just get a divorce or something?

“Though her father too resented Genji’s other affairs, he forgot his annoyance when Genji was here beside him, and no service seemed too great or too small. As Genji prepared to leave for court the next day, the minister looked in upon him, bringing a famous belt for him to wear with his court dress, straightening his train, as much as helping him into his shoes. One almost felt something pathetic in this eagerness.” (Beneath the Autumn Leaves, Pg 125)

I chose this quote because it is a great example of Genji’s influence and likability. Despite Genji’s numerous affairs, his wife’s father still admires him and is willing to go great lengths to please Genji. This quote also demonstrates the norms surrounding marriage at this time in Japan. Genji continuously mistreats his wife by having affairs and becoming emotionally attached to other women, yet he does not understand why his wife has grown distant to him. Genji blames his wife for acting coldly towards him while refusing to acknowledge his fault in the matter. His actions are especially displeasing to his wife because she is of high rank and is accustomed to being treated with admiration. This shows how extreme Genji’s pride is and his point of view that he can do no wrong.

Why do you think Genji’s father-in-law is willing to ignore Genji’s mistreatement of his daughter?

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A man sees women, all manner of them, who seem beyond reproach, said the guards officer, but when it comes to picking the wife who must be everything, matters are not simple. The emperor has trouble, after all, finding the minister who has all the qualifications. A man may be very wise, but no man can govern by himself. Superior is helped by subordinate, subordinate defers to superior, and so affairs proceed by agreement and concession. But when it comes to choosing the woman who is to be in charge of your house, the qualifications are altogether too many. A merit is balanced by a defect, there is this good point and that bad point, and even women who though not perfect can be made to do are not easy to find. I would not like to have you think me a profligate who has to try them all. But it is a question of the woman who must be everything, and it seems best, other things being equal, to find someone who does not require shaping and training, someone who has most of the qualifications from the start. The man who begins his search with all this in mind must be reconciled to searching for a very long time. (The Broom Tree, Page 36)

This passage, which is spoken by a guards officer, reveals something about the way women and marriage were seen in the Japanese society of this period. Finding a suitable wife is compared to finding the right person to fill a political office. “The emperor has trouble, after all, finding the minister who has all the qualifications.” According to the speaker, finding the right woman is even more difficult because “the qualifications are altogether too many.” He also says that it’s better to find a woman who has the right qualifications from the start and “does not require shaping and training.” This reveals the practical view of marriage that was popular in this time and place. The main role of the woman was to “be in charge of your house,” so she was to be chosen in a way similar to an employee.

What are the main “qualifications” that a woman should have according to the guards officer and others who share his opinion?