Logical and original analysis of The Tale of Genji - Essay Example

Telling the History with a Tale The Tale of Genji is known as Japan’s first psychological or historical novel. Although there are debates questioningwhether it really is the first historical novel, or if it can really be called a novel, there is no doubt that The Tale of Genji is really a historical piece. Genji, although a fictional character, is a very real representation of a court official during the time the piece was written. And by telling the story of Genji, it tells the story of the culture and traditions embedded in the Japanese culture.

The Tale of Genji starts out with how Genji came to world. He was the son of the Emperor and his favorite concubine. This shows us that during that time, it was usual for men to have many romantic exploits. It was legal and there was nothing that women can do about it. It was the way of life. And since that was the practice of those in the higher position, men of lower position did the same thing. Even Genji has so many romantic exploits. He even managed to have a secret affair with his brother and father’s concubines.

This was forbidden and it meant punishment to whoever that makes a mistake of being involved with the concubines of those in the higher court. That is the reason his brother banished him to Suma even if his brother found his affair with the concubine amusing. Japanese have that odd tradition of not saying the names of other people, especially those who have high ranks. That is the main reason for the difficulties encountered when reading the historical text. It bears no names and only describes the characters according to their ranks and status in life, for example, Minister of the Left.

It was considered rude in the Heian period to say the real names of people. And so when the text was studied and read by the modern readers, it became difficult to understand. Since it was a long piece, and the story spans years, the characters involved constantly changed. Men are described through their ranks and women are described based on the color of their clothes. Since the characters change throughout the story, with the court replacing older or dead ministers and court officials, it was difficult to determine if the chapters talk about the same people as the story progresses.

Another difficulty that the language of the Heian period brought to the story was that it was in the form of tanka, a classic Japanese form of writing poetry. This makes it a hard read because in tanka the reader is supposed to complete the thought of the first few lines. It may seem reading a hanging sentence.A significant piece of historical information that The Tale of Genji revealed was the political side of the older Japanese courts, how it managed to have emperors and empress, the succession of rulers and the bitter fights of getting the throne.

It shows that the primary line should be the son of the wife of the ruler but when he dies and there is no heir, they look for a replacement in the sons of the emperor’s concubines. That was the reason why Genji’s son and daughter became rulers of the Japanese court. Since he was the son of the emperor’s concubine, he was part of the succession line although his descendants were not the primary choice.The Tale of Genji is thick with the many traditions and practices of the Heian period.

It is a good piece to read if you want to discover what were the practices during those times. The behavior of men and women, the language and the politics of the period were all there. And what’s good about it is that the story spans years and so you can see the evolution of these practices.