On The Female Images In Gengi Monogatali

Gengi Monogatali,written by Murasaki Shikibu,is not only a treasure in the history of Japanese literature,but also a masterpiece in the world literature gallery.Gengi Monogatali is the pioneering work of the world's full-length realistic novels,marking the peak of both Japanese classical literature and the monogatari literature.The emotional tone of “monoaware” in the work had a profound influence on later Japanese literature.In Murasaki Shikibu's Gengi Monogatali,all aspects of aristocrat's life are unveiled through the central character Hikaru Genji,by depicting his exotic love affairs.In the description of Genji and other noble men's pursuit of women,the image of a group of aristocratic women with different personalities and identities are shaped,which objectively reflects the tragic fate of the vast majority of women in that era.Combining with concrete examples of the female characters in the works,the thesis offers a profound analysis of the details and the characters' psychology.The assumptions about women in the novel are listed as followed: Murasakinoue,seeming being the embodiment of the ideal women in Heian era,is in fact a puppet of the feudal system;Fujitsubo,being Genji's favorite woman,chooses to become a nun giving up all the wealth in her middle age;Rokujyounomiyasundokoro looks forward to love and dares to express love and hate;Utsusemi loves Genji yet firmly rejects the courtship of Genji,possessing the potential of revolting the patriarchal society;Yuugao is gentle,submissive,and subordinate to men,being the victim of a typical patriarchal society;Ooikimi,rejects love all the way and has sincere devotion to seeking the Tao.After the floating boat experience for the love decision,Ukihune found herself in total despair on love,and decided to become a nun.Every woman in Murasaki Shikibu's work is unfortunate: some died or became a nun in their prime;some have desperate fate though they are lucky to stay in the temporal world.Combining the tragedy of women with the tragedy of the aristocratic dynasty,Gengi Monogatali is both the history of women's destiny and the vicissitude of Heian era.Through Gengi Monogatali,Murasaki shikibu indicates that women barely have social status with the polygamous marriage system in the era of Heian.Being noble or humble,it's unlikely for women to have true love.Being the puppet of noble men's sexual desire,women invariably serve as victims of the patriarchal society.The work reveals the fact that women have no power under the oppression of patriarchal society.Being unable to resist,they have totally become subordinate to the patriarchal society.In the novel,the author expresses deep sympathy for women.