Free Essays on Genji

Genji, the son of the emperor and a concubine, is used in this book to represent males and their unchanging harshness toward females. He searches constantly for the â€Å"hidden flower† or perfect female, however, he falls short of being the ideal male. He is unworthy to have the perfect female even if he did find her. He shows this through his many unfaithful, immoral affairs with females throughout the book. He is able to get away with just about anything due to his undying charm to both men and women. He has an unlimited amount of flaws in his character. He is disloyal, indecisive, and selfish. He worries only about himself and his own reputation as a man. He is completely intrigued by game-playing and therefore uses this technique to lure women in to him. Genji executes many corrupt and irrational events throughout the story. He kidnaps a woman and gets angry when she protests being with him. There is a belief that he may have molested a small boy. He is completely unfaithful to his wife with any woman who, even so much as, sparks his interest . He will never settle for what he has and continues to pursue any object that he desires without shame. Genji, growing up, was not surrounded by wonderful role models. He himself was conceived out of wedlock. This upbringing could have contributed to his sinful way of living. With the use of Genji’s character, Lady Murasaki attempts to convey the message that anyone who is deceitful and charming enough can con just about anyone if they make it a way of life. We, as people, have to learn to be strong and go against things of this nature. Murasaki also is able to portray the life that women had to live in this place and time. She wanted society to see how men really were and the wrongs in their behavior. In my opinion, she did a good job at showing the severity of this situation and made me happy to be living where and when I am.... Free Essays on Genji Free Essays on Genji Genji, the son of the emperor and a concubine, is used in this book to represent males and their unchanging harshness toward females. He searches constantly for the â€Å"hidden flower† or perfect female, however, he falls short of being the ideal male. He is unworthy to have the perfect female even if he did find her. He shows this through his many unfaithful, immoral affairs with females throughout the book. He is able to get away with just about anything due to his undying charm to both men and women. He has an unlimited amount of flaws in his character. He is disloyal, indecisive, and selfish. He worries only about himself and his own reputation as a man. He is completely intrigued by game-playing and therefore uses this technique to lure women in to him. Genji executes many corrupt and irrational events throughout the story. He kidnaps a woman and gets angry when she protests being with him. There is a belief that he may have molested a small boy. He is completely unfaithful to his wife with any woman who, even so much as, sparks his interest . He will never settle for what he has and continues to pursue any object that he desires without shame. Genji, growing up, was not surrounded by wonderful role models. He himself was conceived out of wedlock. This upbringing could have contributed to his sinful way of living. With the use of Genji’s character, Lady Murasaki attempts to convey the message that anyone who is deceitful and charming enough can con just about anyone if they make it a way of life. We, as people, have to learn to be strong and go against things of this nature. Murasaki also is able to portray the life that women had to live in this place and time. She wanted society to see how men really were and the wrongs in their behavior. In my opinion, she did a good job at showing the severity of this situation and made me happy to be living where and when I am.... Free Essays on Genji Genji: The Title Character for a Reason Genji must be recognized as the principal male character in Murasaki Shikibu’s â€Å"The Tale of Genji†. In this way, by literary definition, he is the novel’s irreplaceable hero. The more recognized definition of a hero, one seen for his special or bold achievements, could apply to Genji although he didn’t necessarily work hard to achieve anything. He was born beautiful, talented, charming, and simply irresistible and therefore can be called a hero at birth. This is quite an achievement, and the only characters eligible for comparison after Genji’s death are the two princesses, Oigimi and Naka no Kimi. Although Genji’s father removes him from the imperial family, it is only a technicality and Genji spends the majority of his life experiencing luxuries as an Emperor’s son. He is immediately favored by anyone who enters his path and it seems that his entire existence was previously planned out to be naturally perfect; an impeccable being born into a situation in which he can properly be displayed. The fact that Genji doesn’t need to work for any of his accomplishments (this includes his many women) raises the question of whether or not he is in fact a natural born hero, or simply spoiled â€Å"royalty† with an offensive amount of luck. â€Å"Genji’s looks had an indescribably fresh sweetness, one beyond even Her Highness’s celebrated and, to His Majesty, peerless beauty, and this moved people to call him the Shining Lord†¦ His Majesty was reluctant to spoil Genji’s boyish charm, but in Genji’s twelfth year he gave him his coming of age, busying himself personally with the preparations and adding new embellishments to the ceremony. Lest the event seem less imposing than the one for the Heir Apparent, done some years ago in the Shishinden, and lest anything go amiss, he issued minute instructions for the banquets to be offered by the various government offices and for the things...