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?
