The Pillow Book
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Sections 1–4 Sections 5–19 Section 20 Sections 21–29 Sections 30–32 Section 33 Sections 34–45 Sections 46–60 Sections 61–71 Sections 72–77 Sections 78–82 Sections 83–87 Sections 88–95 Sections 96–99 Sections 100–114 Sections 115–119 Sections 120–129 Sections 130–135 Sections 136–139 Sections 140–153 Sections 154–159 Sections 160–176 Sections 177–186 Sections 187–221 Sections 222–247 Sections 248–259 Sections 260–297 Sections S1–S29
Themes
All Themes Court Life vs. Common Life Poetry and Social Relationships Aesthetic Beauty, Delight, and Cultural Tradition Romance and Official Duty
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Sei Shōnagon Empress Teishi Korechika Fujiwara Tadanobu Tsunefusa Norimitsu
Symbols
All Symbols Clothing
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The Pillow Book

by

Sei Shonagon
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The Pillow Book Symbols

Clothing

In the court of Heian Japan, one’s clothing visibly symbolized one’s rank—an onlooker could determine at a glance, based on the colors and even the fabrics worn, what a person’s rank would be. In that…

read analysis of Clothing

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