Ancient Literature in our Modern World

During this passage, in chapter 17, Genji and Murasaki are looking through pictures and artwork, in search of the best ones to present to the emperor. They come across Genji’s journal and artwork he made, during his exile in Soma. During his exiled Murasaki endured massive pain, which she still remembers. She explains how her struggles would have possibly been alleviate had she gone with him. Moved by her words, Genji expresses how he can vividly remember those moments and he’s still recalls the struggle and ordeals he had to withstand.

How would have Murasaki’s life been different if she would a chosen to exile herself with Genji? Would have she been able to deal with his womanizing ways? Would have his daughter, with Akashi, have been conceived?

The year soon will end, the spring there among the rocks is caught fast in ice, and the forms we knew so well vanish from before our eyes. (page 196)

The quote describes a harsh winter season which represents the end of the calendar year. We can see the author describing the winter conditions by “rocks is caught in ice”. Also, the description of “forms” vanishing represents the ice and snow that cover everything outside in effect making them disappear. This again points back to the text before this quote that describes the winter season.

In Chapter 13, the Akashi Novice demands Genji to marry his daughter, the Akashi Lady. But the Akashi Lady is taking time with her reply after Genji sending letters.

“When his daughter took a very long time to reply, he went in

to her to urge her on, but she refused to heed him. Genji’s

dazzling missive so awed her that she shrank from revealing

herself to him, and agonized thoughts of his station and hers

made her sufficiently unwell the she had to lie down.” (p.266)

She’s not revealing her feelings and decisions and being reticent about marrying Genji. The marriage is arranged by her parents so I believe she feels controlled by it. The Lady Askashi feels unsure about it since it’s her parent’s demand that’s forcing her to do it. I believe she does’t want to disobey her father and that’s why she agrees to it anyway.

While the Akashi Lady being reticent and unresponsive, her father answers in her place saying

“That your gaze like hers rests upon these very skies and she has always seen

surely means that you and she are one also in your hearts.” (p.267)

The Novice explains the Akashi Lady gazes into the same skies which Genji gaze in and may the two of them bring their thoughts into some accord. The Novice is illustrating an eager for desperately urging her to make a reply to Genji and so she finally does by writing back:

“Your heart’s true desire: hear me ask you its degree and just how you feel.

Can you suffer as you say for someone you do not know?” (p.267)

The Akashi lady responds asking how can you feel sorrow for someone you haven’t met in person. There is a mix of emotions here as the Lady’ reply reminds Genji of his days back in City. Genji now finally feels the sorrow of guilt by being attracted to the Akashi Lady while thinking of Lady Murasaki, his wife in waiting. The Lady’s reaction of astonishment to Genji illustrates the emotional effect a poem could have on young women. While the Lady Akashi’s reply sets Genji’s emotional reaction, it shows that the attractiveness of a women supports to carry their character. I believe Genji thinks he could get the Akashi Lady’s attention easily because Genji is under the impression of the stereotype that country girls are easy to give in or they throw themselves at city men like him. But the Lady Akashi ignores that stereotype. She is different having a character of not desperate for it and also because she believes Genji would not respect her in return.

Questions:

Why do you think Lady Akashi doesn’t believe in the stereotype of country girls are attracted to city men?

Do you think Genji felt the guilt after having an affair with Lady Akashi when he promised his wife Murasaki that he wouldn’t do anything with any country girls? Do you think he only did it in replacement for Murasaki that he can’t stop thinking of while he’s in the Akashi Coast?

When Genji returns back and tells Murasaki about the Lady Akashi, why do you think she react that way and what are the feelings and emotions that surround her?

Why did Murasaki get jealous only when she finds out that the Lady Akashi is pregnant?

In the chapter of The Green Branch, the Emperor had died due to a long period of feeling unwell. After the Emperor had died everyone was at a state of grief but the scene that interested me was the summon of monks.

He summoned the most gifted of the temple monks and set them to debating before him. In such a place he spent the night absorbed in the vanity of all things, but towards dawn he again remembered her who to him meant suffering. Meanwhile the monks clattered about offering holy water beneath a lingering moon, scattering chrysanthemums and red leaves dull or bright-modest occupation, no doubt, but, he felt, sufficient relieve the tedium of his life and of course to assure a happy prospect for the life to come. (pg 205)

This scene describes the important significant of the monks and how they can help cure a person’s mind by offering them holy water. In this case the monks helped put Genji in a state of relief because he had felt overcome by emotions. I thought these emotions were resulted by his guilty conscious because he would constantly leave women’s behind, as he goes out to find new women. One part of this passage that confused me was when it stated “he spent the night absorbed in the vanity of all things but towards dawn he again remembered her who to him meant suffering” who is the women that he is referring to?

Discussion Question:

1. What are your thoughts on the summon of the “most gifted” monks right after the Emperor had died?

2. How do you think Genji future is affected after seeing the monks?

“On the fifteenth night of the eight month, bright moon-light poured through every crack into the board-roofed house, to this astonishment, since he had never seen a dwelling like this before. Dawn must have been near, because he heard uncouth men in the neighborhood houses hailing one another as they awoke. “(Page 65, second paragraph)
I personally enjoy any study that has to do with science or math and this quote immediately captured my attention. I believe the quote describes a lunar eclipse sensation that occurred during that night. It will makes sense that this would happen on the 15th day of the month since that checks with the definition of lunar eclipse. I also, find it interesting that the author used months to describe the time frame. I was always under assumption that Chinese calendar was a little bit different from what we use now. Is that something that was lost in the translation?
What do you guys think? Was it a lunar eclipse and if so was the description of time lost in the translation.

I had passed over Genji’s trials and tribulations in silence, out of respect for his determined efforts to conceal them, and I have written of them now only because certain lords and ladies criticized my story for resembling fiction, wishing to know why even those who knew Genji best should have thought him perfect, just because he was an Emperor’s son.  No doubt I must now beg everyone’s indulgence for my effrontery in painting so wicked a portrait of him.

Murasaki ends “The Twilight Beauty” chapter with this short paragraph that, at first, addresses the story outside the narrative, then speaks directly to the reader firmly outside the story.  It was a surprise to me for the writer to end a chapter with this awareness of her readers.  “The Twilight Beauty” is the first time we see Genji in any trouble thus far, when his lover, Yugao, dies from spirit possession.  Until now, our view of Genji has been consistently positive, sometimes overwhelmingly so, and we know now that this is done deliberately.  Murasaki’s choice to do so is interesting, and I am unsure, with what has been read, if it is a good choice or not.  However, it is reasonable to believe that Genji is not completely perfect, even before this chapter; he is not a deity of sorts.

Question: How do you feel about Murasaki’s choice to only now reveal a serious trial for Genji?  Does this add or take away from the character Genji and his story?

“It is fragility that gives a woman her charm, though. I do not care for a woman who insists on valuing her own wits. I prefer someone compliant, perhaps because I myself am none too quick or self-assured-someone easy for a man to take advantage of if she is not careful, but still circumspect and happy enough to do as her husband wishes. I know I would like such a woman more, the more I lived with her and formed her to my will “(4. 86).

  The above paragraph is from the fourth chapter of The Tale of  Genji. This particular paragraph interested me because in it we, readers get an insight to Genji’s character, and  observe a more matured Genji who now knows what type of woman he would prefer. Here, Genji explains to Ukon how he would have liked her mistress, Yūgao more because of her delicate nature-the nature which Ukon and Tō no Chūjō reprove of. He then asserts that in a woman, he prefers her submissiveness more than her wittyness as he is not  shrewd or confident enough to deal with her witty character. In the end, he also points out that a fragile woman like Yūgao will shape herself according to his liking, and this would make him admire her more. Genji’s this conviction on his preference is very diffrent than the one we notice in earlier chapters. In chapter two, “The Broom Tree”, Genji and his friends shares their experiences of different types of woman, and discus which type and rank of women would be best to look out for. However, young Genji doesn’t share his opinions on his preference of woman as he himself is not certain about his liking. Instead, more or less unconsciously he sets out to test his friend’s theory. An impulsive Geinji then first pursues Utsusemi who belongs to the “middle-rank women” described by his friends. After Utsusemi, he pursues Yūgao who consequently belongs to the lowborn female category that his friends explained. These actions of Genji confirms his uncertainty about his own choice. He tries his luck with all diffrent types of woman, just to discover which type would impress him the most. Finally, Genji realizes his preference after knowing ang losing Yūgao within a short period of time. Genji’s this realization of his liking later also plays an important rule behind his decision of bringing young Murasaki in his house. Therefore, the above paragraph highlights the devlopment of Genji’s character. It emphasizes his mental growth. It also shows that even though every chapter of The Tale of Genji is about a new woman in Genj’s life, but through those women Murasaki Shikibu portays the diffrent aspect and growth of Genj’s character.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think Genji prefers fragile and submissive women over  perfect and distinguished women? Is it only because of his lack of self-assurance or there is more to it?

2. Does the jealous spirit of Rokujô kill Yûgao? Or does Genji imagine this ghost due to his own guilty feelings toward the lady Rokujô?

3. Is princess Aoi aware of Genji’s affairs? If so then why doesn’t she question him on that matter?

When reading Margaret Atwood’s play the Penelopiad we see a very different perspective on the Odyssey. Atwood decided she wanted to write her play in a woman perspective, by putting Penelope as the main character and narrator of the story. There were a couple of quotes i found interesting in the story that i would like to briefly discuss.

“Rumors came, Carried by other ships. Odysseus and his men had got drunk at their first port of call and the men had mutinied, said some; no, said others, they’d eaten a magic plant that had caused them to lose their memories, and Odysseus had saved them by having them tied up and carried onto the ships”.

To bring this quote into perspective i will start with the brief background. During this time Penelope has seen the beacon that the City of Troy has fallen and has been patiently waiting for her husband Odysseus to come home from war. After a while, Odysseus hasn’t returned and people began making up stories about odysseus and his death. What i found extremely interesting is Penelope being a the de facto ruler of Ithaca was able to stay loyal to her husband Odysseus for almost 10 years. No one knew what really happened to him, many presumed him dead and wanted her to pick a new husband to help her rule.

The Quotes above show a couple of stories people were saying that happened to odysseus. We know what really happened to him at sea getting lost but listening to Penelope’s perspective on how she dealt with all the false news was quite interesting. In a story where we saw a lot of back stabbing especially with husband and wife, Penelope was able to stay loyal to her husband for an extremely long time even though she didn’t know what really happened to him.

Discussion Question: At the end of the Excerpt of the Penelopiad Penelope says “Rumours stopped coming altogether: odysseus seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth”. How do you think Penelope was able to live with herself not knowing where her husband was? how did she deal with the pain and suffering? Do you think she knew where he really was and therefore delayed picking a successor?

For today’s discussion, I chose two passages from Book 15 of The Odyssey:

“As he spoke a bird flew by on the right, an eagle carrying in his talons a great white goose he had / caught / tame from the yard, and all of them, men and women, with stopped breath / followed his flight; but the eagle, as he approached them, / shot by on the right before the chariot, and they seeing / were filled with joy and the hearts in all of them were softened.” (15.160-165)

“‘Hear me! I shall be your prophet, the way the immortals / put it into my heart, and I think it will be accomplished. / As this eagle came down from the mountain, where was his origin / and parentage, and caught the goose that was nursed in the household, / so Odysseus, after wandering long and suffering / much, will come home and take revenge;” (15.172-177)

To provide some context surrounding these quotes, Telemachus is in the process of leaving Sparta after asking Menalaos and Helen for permission. After some heartfelt goodbyes and gift exchanging, Telemachus returns to Pylos. However, before he departs, they all see an eagle carrying a goose in its talons and were shocked in awe of the magnificent bird. Peististratos, the son of Nestor, asked Menalaos to interpret this omen if it was a sign for Menalaos and Helen or a sign for Telemachus and his group. Helen interjects by then saying that it was an omen predicting Odysseus’ return to Ithaca and exacting his revenge on all of the suitors who wish to take his wife for themselves and kill Telemachus.

I picked these particular passages because I loved the concept of interpreting things around us as predictors of the future (e.g. tea readings, omens). In Greek culture particularly, I find it very interesting since omens and symbols like these could be attributed to a god/goddess’s involvement in a particular situation, or it could be completely independent of that. What I find most fascinating about omens is the interpretations that arise from them. Sometimes, they are particularly spot on while other times, they could be completely off the mark.

Question:
Do you think Helen misread this omen? Could it be an omen for something else to come? Or could this omen be something completely unrelated to Odysseus/Telemachus?

What other possible events could this foreshadow, if any?

For today’s discussion, I chose a quote in Book 12: (Odysseus)

Zeus with thunder and lightning together crashed on our vessel,/ and, struck by the thunderbolt of Zeus, she spun in a circle,/and all was full of brimstone. My men were thrown in the water,/ and bobbing like sea crows they were washed away on the running/ waves all around the black ship, and the god took away their/ homecoming.” (lines 415-420)

Here is some background before I explain the quote. Odysseus’s men were warned multiple times not to kill the cattle of Helios by Circes. However after running out of food, the crew were getting hungry. Eurylochos’s patience broke and then persuades the crew to help him kill and eat the cattle. Eurylochos thought that they would build a rich temple for Helios and stock it with many dedications after killing and eating the cattle. But then Eurylochos said if the god Helios is angered over the killing of his cattle then let them die in the ocean rather than starve to death on a desolate island. Then the crew went ahead and started eating the cattle while Odysseus was away.

I thought this quote was really interesting if you look closely to what Odysseus is stating. In the beginning of the quote, Odysseus mentions how Zeus has brought great despair on his men by striking it with his thunderbolt due to the event where Odysseus’s crew member, Eurylochos persuaded the men to slaughter Helios’s cattle and skin them. Then Odysseus says how he loses all his men due to “the god” who takes away their fate of reaching home. This statement stuck out to me because physically it was a god’s doing which prevented them from reaching home but isn’t it the mens fault for not listening to the warnings which were given to them? I feel they should have known the consequences for their actions and Eurylochos also stated it earlier in the book that he’d rather die in the ocean than on the island.

Question:

Do you think that Poseidon was the one behind the storms that made them stay on Helios’s island for about a month because Odysseus taunted his son and told him who he is?