This epic, from Heian period Japan, is arguably the world’s first extant novel. Shikibu was born in the late tenth century to a family of the middling aristocracy, descended from the Fujiwara regent. In many ways, this novel is a story about nothing more than daily court life for the nobles in the orbit of the emperor. Most of the novel follows the life of Genji, an exceptional man, born to the the favorite consort of the emperor, but, himself, ranked as a commoner. “He cut such an attractive figure that the other men felt a desire to see him as a woman. He was so beautiful that pairing him with the very finest of the ladies at the court would fail to do him justice.” Genji, nonetheless, rises to the most envied positions at court— in politics, in romantic dalliances, and in prestige. By the end of his long life, he is even bestowed the honorary rank equal to a retired emperor, with all the pomp and deference that entails. Frankly, a great deal of the book describes, in graphic detail, Genji’s attempted sexual conquests and liaisons—some more willing than others. “During all those years when Genji ought to have followed the dictates of his heart and bestowed visits on her—a period during which the lady also thought longingly of him—his complacency, born of self-conceit, prevented him from feeling any sense of guilt or urgency about their relationship. Then after he had been convinced in his heart that she was frighteningly flawed, his passion for her cooled to the point that now they were estranged. Yet as memories of their affair came back to him on the occasion of this extraordinary meeting, his heart was roiled by powerful emotions of sorrow and pity. Thinking of all that had happened and of all that was to come, he wept, brokenhearted.” These pursuits are mostly drawn out courtships, with the women hidden behind blinds and screens until the final moment of conquest. The mere sweet sound of a lady’s voice wafting through the corridors will send a vivacious young nobleman into fits of pique and lust. “If a woman who is flirtatious and flighty and fond of faddish things gets in some untoward affair… well, the man is not entirely to blame now, is he?”
Many of the interactions between noblemen and women are conducted through the writing of poems, heavy with literary allusions. Classical poetry and older traditions are hinted at to say what might be too bold to be formally expressed. “Having passed so many dew-drenched springs/ At last I have entered the season/ When wisteria blossoms for me.” In general, courtly etiquette, tradition, and form play major roles in the novel. Proper attire, dialect, and cultural references mark the high nobility from the petty aristocracy and, worse, the rural bumpkins, such as mere provincial governors. “He kept the blinds up and, as he sat near the veranda in dishabille with a bound volume open on top of an armrest, holding his brush with the tip of its handle between his teeth, thinking about what he was to write, he looked so magnificent that no one could have ever tired of gazing at him. As he hunched over the pages of red and white paper that he had chosen specifically to set off his calligraphy, the manner in which he adjusted the grip on his brush and his expression of concentration made for a scene that discerning, sensitive people would have found truly breathtaking.” Playing musical instruments, such as the koto and lute, also served to stratify class—both through skill and even in style and tone. “When the instruments were tuned at last and the concert began, all of the ladies showed exceptional talent—though it must be said the Akashi lady was especially skillful on her biwa lute. Her venerable style of playing produced a lovely clarity of tone that stood out. The Major Counselor listened with rapt attention as Murasaki played the six-string koto, combining an unusual, modern plucking technique in her right hand with more traditional fingering in her left to produce a warm, gently alluring effect. He was startled to hear the Japanese koto played in this manner, for it was a style every bit equal to those displayed by affected masters of the art whose performances of songs and modes strove to dazzle.”
Aesthetic beauty is prized above all else—in nature, with cherry blossoms, maiden flowers, mountain peaks, and flowing streams, but also, particularly, in the looks of the noble young men and women. “If cherry blossoms held to their branches and did not scatter when we told them to tarry, why would we treasure them over other flowers?” When a nobleman acts less than honorably they are most often seduced by their primal urges lusting after incomparable beauty. “As he gazed at Tamakazura, he was suddenly put in mind of mountain roses at their peak, blooming in wild profusion, covered in dew and glowing in the twilight. He was comparing her to a flower out of season, but that was the image that came to him. A flower’s beauty has limits, of course; it must fade eventually, and it has ragged and frayed parts such as pistils and stamens that make it a less than ideal metaphor for a woman’s lovely face.” Falling into disrepute fawning over a woman almost seems the inevitable course of events within the context of this narrative. “Having tasted the sorrows of love for the first time this evening, I am ashamed and feel I can no longer remain in this world.”
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