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Heian Court Culture
Themes and Colors
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Tale of Genji, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
As a novel overwhelmingly concerned with Genji's numerous romantic pursuits, the relationship between men and women and the respective role that each sex is supposed to play in Heian court culture is extremely important. Specifically, The Tale of Genji illustrates how women are disadvantaged and disempowered by the laws and customs of the world they live in, while also suggesting that by either subverting those customs or very carefully cultivating the affections of powerful men, women can find a modicum of control over their own lives.
Throughout most of the first half of the novel, women are shown in most cases to be at the mercy of the whims and desires of the men around them. This is especially true when it comes to sex and sexual relationships—and in particular, the ways in which it's considered appropriate for men and women to interact with each other. All of the women in Genji are expected to keep themselves hidden from men other than their fathers and husbands. They do this by conducting their lives from behind screens or curtains and communicating with men primarily via written poetry passed back and forth with the help of messengers.
Despite the existence of the screens, however, women were actually not afforded much privacy and the screens did little to protect them from men's gazes. Men, especially Genji, consistently peek behind screens to catch glimpses of women they're attracted to, and the screens provide hidden places in which men can begin sexual relationships with women, often initiated through rape. Further, because the women are supposed to be hidden and often bear the blame for men’s actions, the women that Genji forces to have sex with him often feel unable to call for help—doing so would damage Genji's reputation as well as their own, making giving into Genji's demands the lesser of the two evils. This overwhelmingly suggests that women live their lives constantly vulnerable to the often-unwanted advances of the men around them and are equally unable to escape the ensuing sexual relationships for fear of retaliation.
As distasteful and forceful as many of these relationships' beginnings are, the novel does suggest that having sexual relationships with the right men (regardless of the details of the relationship's origins) is actually a very effective way for women to become extremely powerful. This holds true in particular for Kokiden, the Emperor's wife. Through their sexual relationship, Kokiden is able to navigate herself into a position of immense power when her son with the Emperor, Suzaku, becomes emperor himself. So influential is Kokiden that she becomes largely for sending Genji into exile. The same thing plays out later in the case of Fujitsubo (one of the Emperor’s favorite lovers) and her son, Reizei. Though Reizei is actually Genji's biological child, Fujitsubo and Genji keep this information secret from the Emperor. Because of this, Fujitsubo is able to maintain her powerful position and catapult her son to the emperorship at a very early age. This illustrates how a woman's sexual past can actually protect her from what would otherwise have the power to irreparably damage her reputation, assuming she can keep specific damning information (such as Reikei's paternity) out of the rumor mill.
In the case of the Akashi Lady, a young woman of humble (that is, country) birth, her sexual relationship with Genji is similarly implied to have the power to elevate her to the status of a court lady. After she gives birth to Genji's only daughter, who was foretold to one day be empress, Genji promises to bring her and the baby to court. This is a previously unheard-of promise and one that would solidify the Akashi Lady's standing as someone important and reasonably powerful, despite the disadvantage of being born and raised outside the city.
Of course, Genji never follows through with his promise in the novel, underscoring that even as women obtain power, they're still dependent on their relationships with men to gain and then hold onto that power. This suggests that even as women do ascend to these powerful places in Heian society, they're only able to do by working within a system inherently stacked against them and by using the abuses they suffer to their advantages whenever possible.
However tenuous this power may have been at the time, it's also worth noting that in the long run, the Heian women ultimately came out on top: Murasaki Shikibu herself worked within the system she describes, and her work and that of other female writers has far outlasted and been significantly more influential than any literary works by their male contemporaries.
Related Themes from Other Texts
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Women, Sex, and Power ThemeTracker
The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Women, Sex, and Power appears in each chapter of The Tale of Genji. Click or tap on any chapter to read its Summary & Analysis.
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Women, Sex, and Power Quotes in The Tale of Genji
Below you will find the important quotes in The Tale of Genji related to the theme of Women, Sex, and Power.
The Paulownia Court Quotes
In a certain reign there was a lady not of the first rank whom the emperor loved more than any of the others. The grand ladies with high ambitions thought her a presumptuous upstart, and lesser ladies were still more resentful.
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The narrator begins her tale by offering a glimpse into the intense female rivalry that guides court culture, particularly when those rivalries develop over attention from men. The lady in question here is the Lady of the Paulownia Court, Genji's mother. By opening the novel with this insight into the role that female rivalry plays in this world, the narrator is able to tell the reader from the very beginning that this is something that's extremely important and something to watch out for going forward. Further, by describing how every single lady in the Emperor's court harbors ill will towards Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo
Because she was of such high birth (it may have been that people were imagining things) she seemed even more graceful and delicate than the other. No one could despise her for her inferior rank, and the emperor need not feel shy about showing his love for her.
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When the Emperor brings Fujitsubo to court to replace the Lady of the Paulownia Court, she is so perfect (and, most importantly, more perfect than the Lady of the Paulownia Court) that others find themselves unable to hate her. This begins to show that Fujitsubo and Genji are, in some ways, very similar: both are exceptional and manage to escape the abuse that the Lady of the Paulownia court suffered, simply because they're somehow better than she was. However, this also begins to show that Fujitsubo is going to take over and become the Emperor's favorite concubine, thereby threatening Kokiden's Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusa
Evening Faces Quotes
She was of an extraordinarily gentle and quiet nature. Though there was a certain vagueness about her, and indeed an almost childlike quality, it was clear that she knew something about men. She did not appear to be of very good family. What was there about her, he asked himself over and over again, that so drew him to her?
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As Genji's relationship with the Lady of the Evening Faces progresses, he finds her to his liking in all ways except for her poor family connections. The fact that this is what Genji fixates on reinforces just how important it is for those at court, women especially, to cultivate and maintain strong relationships with powerful people. Were the Lady of the Evening Faces to tell Genji her name and take their relationship into a more public sphere, there would be a number of positive things she'd get by associating with him—possibly, even enough prestige to make up for not having Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo.
The weak ones do have a power over us. The clear, forceful ones I can do without. I am weak and indecisive by nature myself, and a woman who is quiet and withdrawn and follows the wishes of a man even to the point of letting herself be used has much the greater appeal. A man can shape and mold her as he wishes, and becomes fonder of her all the while.
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Several weeks after the Lady of the Evening Faces dies, Genji and Ukon discuss the lady's life and her disposition. Genji notes that he loves women like her who are quiet and moldable. This suggests that Genji enjoys relationships most when he has a high degree of control over his lover. For him, it's less attractive when women advocate for themselves or stand up for what they want, as both Aoi and the Rokujō Lady do later. This also, however, sets the stage for Genji's discovery of Murasaki. Because Genji discovers her as a child and is successful in kidnapping Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explic
Lavender Quotes
"It would be nice, I sometimes think, if you could be a little more wifely. I have been very ill, and I am hurt, but not really surprised, that you have not inquired after my health."
"Like the pain, perhaps, of awaiting a visitor who does not come?"
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When Genji grudgingly agrees to visit Aoi after spending time away from the city, he suggests she could be “more wifely” and she replies that he could spend more time with her. When compared with some of Genji's other lovers who are his favorites, such as Murasaki, it's clear that Aoi's choice to consistently call Genji out on his neglect is one of the reasons he doesn't visit. While it's certainly understandable why Aoi would choose to do this, it's also worth keeping in mind that she's able to do this because she already has a number of powerful relatives, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut oc
She did not seek to hide her distress, and her efforts to turn him away delighted him even as they put him to shame. There was no one else quite like her. In that fact was his undoing: he would be less a prey to longing if he could find in her even a trace of the ordinary.
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When Fujitsubo goes home sick, Genji makes up an excuse to visit her and rapes her. Fujitsubo's distress comes from the fact that she's been well aware since Genji's childhood that he's wanted to have sex with her, something that she understands could seriously damage her reputation were she to choose to go along with his wishes. She recognizes that while the Emperor is still alive, he's still the most powerful man at court and not even a relationship with Genji could save her from the rumor mill or from being cast out. The way in which the narrator phrases Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiore
The hand was very immature indeed, and yet it had strength, and character. It was very much like her grandmother's. A touch of the modern and it would not be at all unacceptable.
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Not long after Genji kidnaps Murasaki, they begin calligraphy lessons and Genji marvels at Murasaki's childish handwriting. First of all, this assessment of her handwriting situates handwriting and poetry as elements that are extremely important to Heian court culture. In order to be a proper lady, Murasaki will have to learn how to write properly and compose poems that will help her keep Genji's attentions. Similarly, the fact that Genji has these thoughts about Murasaki's handwriting suggests that his love for her isn't exactly unconditional. This implies that if her handwriting had been truly terrible, he may actually have liked Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut is
Murasaki was the perfect companion, a toy for him to play with. He could not have been so free and uninhibited with a daughter of his own. There are restraints upon paternal intimacy.
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The narrator describes how Murasaki and Genji become very close as time goes on and specifically, how he conceptualizes the fact that she is one day going to become his lover. That Genji is even capable of recognizing that his relationship with Murasaki is different than it would be if she were his biological child suggests that Genji is absolutely aware that what he's doing isn't normal, healthy, or within the realm of a conventional parent-child relationship. In other words, he's well aware that he's violating cultural norms of how parents interact with their children and guide them towards adulthood; Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recu
An Autumn Excursion Quotes
Fujitsubo was tormented by feelings of guilt and apprehension. Surely everyone who saw the child would guess the awful truth and damn her for it. People were always happy to seek out the smallest and most trivial of misdeeds.
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After Reizei is born and looks shockingly like Genji, Fujitsubo spends most of her time worrying that someone is going to question whether Genji is the child’s biological father. This shows how Fujitsubo is very much caught between the possibility of good things that could come because of her association to Reizei and bad things that could happen because of Reizei's paternity. Should the secret remain secret, Fujitsubo would likely be able to use Reizei's perfection to grab a great deal of power for herself, given how closely he resembles his father and how perfect Genji is. However, if anyone Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provide
Naishi, though much discommoded, did not protest with great vehemence. There are those who do not dislike wrong rumors if they are about the right men.
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When the Emperor discovers Genji and Naishi flirting, he believes that Genji and Naishi are actually having sex and Naishi doesn't correct him in this assumption. The fact that she does so because she believes that the rumors will help her illustrates that women's power comes entirely from the men they associate with. This further shows first how powerful Genji is; Naishi is clearly very tuned into how court life works, and it's reasonable to assume that she wouldn't allow this to stand if Genji weren't so influential and important. It's also worth keeping in mind that Genji never appears Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium rec
In the Seventh Month, Fujitsubo was made empress [...] Making plans for his abdication, the emperor wanted to name Fujitsubo's son crown prince. The child had no strong backing, however [...] The emperor therefore wanted Fujitsubo in an unassailable position from which to promote her son's career.
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As the Emperor prepares to hand the crown over to Suzaku, he seeks to make Reizei's position as crown prince as secure as possible by making Fujitsubo an empress. This begins to demonstrate just how much political calculus goes into a person's position at court. Someone like the Emperor has the power to simply make Fujitsubo empress just because he wants to, and this indicates the ease with which he gets his way at court and can ensure that the successors he chooses will do well. Those who don’t have the power to simply make their relatives a higher rank, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam offici
The Festival of the Cherry Blossoms Quotes
"It will do you no good. I am always allowed my way. Just be quiet, if you will, please." [...] Though of course upset, she evidently did not wish him to think her wanting in good manners.
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When Genji sneaks into Oborozukiyo's rooms and rapes her after a party, she at first attempts to yell for help. Genji, however, assures her that nobody will come to her. Genji's words in particular speak to just how entitled he is when it comes to women's hearts and bodies; he's never been successfully told "no" before, and he sees no reason why he should start to listen to women now. This reinforces the idea that he overwhelmingly views women as existing solely to please him, as Oborozukiyo does go on to do. When Oborozukiyo gives in to his advances because Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitati
Heartvine Quotes
Genji felt like a child thief. The role amused him and the affection he now felt for the girl seemed to reduce his earlier affection to the tiniest mote. A man's heart is a very strange amalgam indeed!
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As Genji prepares to marry Murasaki following Aoi's death, he delights in describing himself as a child thief. The fact that he finds this disturbing role so delightful shows that while he understands how the father-daughter relationship would function in normal circumstances, the loss of his mother as a child, his love for Fujitsubo, and Murasaki's resemblance to Fujitsubo has led him to view the relationship through an extremely warped lens. Notably, he feels this way about Murasaki because, being a child, she's especially malleable and he's able to truly make her into his ideal lover, something that he's unable Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus
Though avoiding display, he took great pains with her initiation ceremonies. She found the solicitude, though remarkable, very distasteful. She had trusted him, she had quite entwined herself about him. It had been inexcusably careless of her.
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This describes Murasaki's feelings about having sex with Genji for the first time, an experience that's probably more aptly categorized as rape given her thoughts on the matter. Her sense of betrayal shows that Genji truly abused the trusting parent-child relationship he developed with her over the years that she was in his care, and that makes this shift in their relationship even more difficult for her to stomach. However, note that Murasaki blames her sense of betrayal mostly on herself—she believes that she was careless, not necessarily that Genji is in the wrong for abusing his role as a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam of
Memories had dimmed over the years, but now the astonishing resemblance did a little dispel his gloom. The dignity that quite put one to shame also reminded him of Murasaki. He could hardly think of them as two persons, and yet, perhaps because Fujitsubo had been so much in his thoughts over the years, there did after all seem to be a difference.
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When Genji attempts to rape Fujitsubo a second time not long after the Emperor's death, he's shocked and in awe to see just how similar Fujitsubo and Murasaki are. This observation helps to explain why Genji has become so obsessed with Murasaki in the first place, even though she's a child: he has a hard time separating her and Fujitsubo and reminding himself that they're two individual people. In turn, Fujitsubo's resemblance to Genji's mother, the Lady of the Paulownia Court, ties all of this dysfunction back to the fact that Genji lost his mother as a toddler and was Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusa
The Sacred Tree Quotes
She was quite aware of Kokiden's feelings and knew that a world at the service of the other lady would be difficult to live in.
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Following the Emperor's death, Fujitsubo recognizes that while Suzaku is technically the one in charge, Kokiden and her father, the Minister of the Right, will be the ones actually running the government. The fact that Fujitsubo is scared of Kokiden in particular shows that the female jealousy and rivalry is truly what makes life difficult for the women of the novel, as women use their relative power only to take out their frustrations on other women, not on men. This also illustrates how dependent women like Fujitsubo are on the men they're having sex with to keep them safe and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi.
Suma Quotes
They lived precarious lives, completely dependent on Genji. So lonely indeed was their mansion that he could imagine the desolation awaiting it once he himself was gone...
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Before leaving for exile in Suma, Genji makes one final visit to Reikeiden and the Lady of the Orange Blossoms, who were lovers of the Emperor and were forgotten after his death. The recognition that the ladies are entirely dependent on Genji's affections reinforces that for women in the novel, male affection and attention are the only currencies they really have access to in any great supply. Because these women have no children, their relationships with Genji are the only way they're able to remain connected to court life and continue to exist as ladies of the court rather than Dolorem et quae. Exe
Akashi Quotes
He thought that he could hardly be expected to visit her. She had her own ideas. She knew that rustic maidens should come running at a word from a city gentleman who happened to be briefly in the vicinity. No, she did not belong to his world, and she would only be inviting grief if she pretended that she did.
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As the former governor attempts to orchestrate a relationship between his daughter and Genji, both the Akashi Lady and Genji feel unable to actually voice their attraction to each other due to their respective stations in life. For Genji, he recognizes that the Akashi Lady is too forward for his liking, given that he prefers women like Murasaki and the Lady of the Evening Faces who are more childlike and malleable. On the other hand, the Akashi Lady understands that being too forward with Genji would look just as bad as the reticence she's showing him at this point, as Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Re
Channel Buoys Quotes
Though she saw little of him, the lady was completely dependent on him; but she was not of the modern sort, given to outpourings of resentment. He knew that she would not make him uncomfortable. Long neglected, her house now wore a weirdly ruinous aspect.
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After Genji returns from exile, he neglects the Lady of the Orange Blossoms for the most part. Again, when the narrator notes that the Lady of the Orange Blossoms is completely dependent on Genji, it reminds the reader that women in the novel must compete for male attention and affection in order to get ahead in life if they don't already have children that can be used to gain power or prestige. The note that the Lady of the Orange Blossoms "won't make him uncomfortable" suggests that she's much like Murasaki or the Lady of the Evening Faces in that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omn
Her soft voice, trailing off into silence, was very pleasing. He sighed, almost wishing it were not the case that each of his ladies had something to recommend her. It made for a most complicated life.
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During Genji's final visit with the Lady of the Orange Blossoms, Genji laments that all of his lovers have good qualities that keep him coming back for more, despite recognizing that having so many women makes his life difficult. Again, this allows Genji to think of his relationship to his lovers as something where he has little agency or responsibility, as he frames this as being the ladies' fault for attracting him to them in the first place. While this particular passage is relatively mundane, this idea does balloon at various points throughout the novel and gives Genji the justification Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferend
