Marriage In The Tale Of Genji

647 Words2 Pages

Julie Allan
Professor David Gundry
CHN 50
20 February 2017
Wedded But Not Loved
In modern day society, it is common for marriage to be an act between two lovers. However, historically many cultures practiced a marriage where love had no correlation. Murasaki Shikibu brilliantly presents this ideal in her book, The Tale of Genji. This work of Japanese fiction takes place during the Heian Period. In this time, marriage was often used to help people alter their social status. This is best demonstrated through the marriage between Lady Aoi and Hikaru Genji. The marriage bonding Aoi-no-ue and Genji, may have been a normality of the time, but that does not mean it was easy. Genji struggles with balancing his marriage to Aoi-no-ue and his true love, Murasaki-no-ue throughout the novel. Though the intentions of the marriage were pure, the unhappy marriage is the result of the unhappiness for both Aoi-no-ue and Murasaki-no-ue. Aoi-no-ue, the daughter of the Minister of the Left, is married to Genji with the intention of altering her social status. Aoi-no-ue possessed many characteristics that would make her …show more content…

After Aoi-no-ue’s tragic death, Genji wishes to wed Murasaki-no-ue, but he is unable to because she was not a full royal, her father was a royal, but her mother, a commoner, causes her social status to be lessened. They are unable to bed wed but still long to be connected, Murasaki-no-ue is given a position that entails her to the same status as that of Genji’s wife. The attraction between Murasaki-no-ue and Genji is extenuated due to Murasaki-no-ue’s upbringing. At age ten, she was taken to Genji’s Nijō residence where she was taught how to act and behave to be an exemplary match and the ideal woman for Genji. Though seemingly happy for much of their time, Murasaki-no-ue expresses her desire to become a nun. Genji is quick to reject her aspirations. Much like Aoi-no-ue, Murasaki-no-ue becomes possessed and soon meets her

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