A Discussion of the Character Psychology of the Tale of Genji - Coursework Example

Running Head: CHARACTER PSYCHOLOGY A Discussion of the Character Psychology of the Tale of Genji In this essay, the researcher will discus the psychological framework of gender relations and the hierarchy of the Heian society. Contemporary themes of psychosexual development such as the Oedipus complex play a significant role in the relationships and behavior of Hikaru Genji specifically and the court life of the Heian period in general. The elusive pursuit of satisfaction of the main character is largely driven by his desire for a relational counterpart that possesses qualities similar to the mother figure of Lady Fujitsubo. While The Tale of Genji is perhaps the oldest novel in the word, the psychological aspects of the characters in this work are still vibrant. The depiction of many relationships in this novel, particularly the relationship between Genji and Fujitsubo parallel several aspects of contemporary psychological theories. The theory of the Oedipus complex puts forward that males are inherently attracted to their mother while harboring a sense of aggression toward their fathers. This tension is palpable in many instances in the novel. A central motivation within the Heian court was for individuals to present a daughter to the Emperor or Heir Apparent in order to attain a higher degree of social status. Thus it was typical for the Emperor to engage in polygamous behavior. This process allowed his prestige to be more readily extended among people within the upper aristocracy (Tyler, 2001, xiii). In addition to the Empress, the Emperor had a number of Consorts and Intimates. A hierarchical structure was established with Empress holding the highest status with the Consorts and Intimates progressively lower in rank respectively. Genji is the protagonist in Shikibu's novel. As the Emperor's son, Genji was born to an Intimate that lost her father and had little political sway in the aristocratic circle (Tyler, 2001, xiii). While the Emperor may have wanted to select Genji to be the Heir Apparent over his firstborn, due to the dynamics of the Hiean hierarchical structure, this was not possible. Instead, the Emperor detaches Genji from the imperial family by giving him the title of commoner (Tyler, 2001, xiii). Thus Genji serves the Imperial dominion as a senior government official (Tyler, 2001, xiii). While the novel contains many characters, including the women in Genji's life, the narrative returns to a focus on him. One of the main subjects in this novel is the nature of Genji's intimate connections and while he is involved in a number of relationships, there are recurrent themes that pervade the literature. Genji's mother died soon after childbirth and while he lacked the opportunity to know her well, he heard that Fujitsubo, his father's future Empress closely resembles her. Early in his life, Genji begins to adore her and later he has an intimate liaison with her from which their son will subsequently succeed to the throne (Tyler, 2001, xiv). This adoration for the mother figure of Fujitsubo will influence many aspects of Genji's future relationships. While he has relations with Fujitsubo, the nature of their connection is both discreet and brief. Genji is frustrated at the fact that he cannot attain or possess the embodiment of his desires as Fujitsubo is beyond his reach. Essentially, he attempts to recreate this special love in a young girl, Murasaki, who closely resembles her. Motivated by his desire for the mother figure, he personally grooms Murasaki to fill this role. When she becomes of age to marry, they are wed and she becomes the great love of his life (Tyler, 2001, xiv). Her death has a devastating effect on him. He becomes filled with hate as he cannot or will not accept the fact that he has survived her (Tyler, 2001, p. 761). His desire to live is largely diminished with the death of the mother figure. "Yearning too fondly for a twilight one autumn many years ago, I saw the end come at last in a cruel dream at dawn (Tyler, 2006, 761)," Experiencing significant pain, Genji detaches himself from his reality in an attempt to alleviate his suffering. Though he desired to escape or depart from life, he resolved not to do so as others would not judge him to be subject to a weakness of will (Tyler, 2001, p. 761). While it seems clear that part of Genji's attraction to Murasaki was derived from the fact that she closely resembled Fujitsubo, it can also be posited that the majority of Genji's women were also stand-ins for the mother figure. Genji harbored a sense of both remembrance and connection with all women with whom he had intimate relations. The nostalgic theme of the mother figure pervaded Genji's perception of Fujitsubo both before and after her death. In the beginning of her decline, Genji neither accepted nor fully understood the gravity of the situation. On some level be believed that Fujitsubo as the mother figure would survive sickness and death. He rationalized the initial stages of her decline with the fact that she had often been sickly and this particular case was simply another of her indispositions (Tyler, 2001, p. 355). While her death was described as a dying flame, it was clear that Genji was later able to place the role of mother figure onto his other intimate relationships as he continued to seek similar attributes in his relational counterparts. Upon her death, Genji's father reveals his intention to appoint his son to chancellor (Tyler, 2001, p. 357). Genji's adamant refusal to accept his father's wishes is perhaps a reflection of his exacerbated sense of aggression towards his father that was elicited from Fujitsubo's death. On some level Genji may have blamed his father for failing to prevent her death. Genji continued to ruminate about the passing of Fujitsubo. He imagined her to be angry in a fleeting dream of his. She criticized him for not keeping a previous secret. Though he was unable to respond to her due to the fact that he was awoken from this state, perhaps the answer was not clear to him at the moment. Genji felt a deep sense of guilt over her passing. While he projected this outwards toward his father previously, he also blamed himself for being incapable of preserving her life. As he was unable to control the circumstances that led to her death, it was perhaps a parallel situation to the fact that he was also unable to save his biological mother as well. Internalizing the guilt and shame he felt for being unable to save the mother figure, Genji went to great lengths to seek the approval of his female counterparts. On some level he either believed or understood that gaining the approval of females that fit the mother role would somehow alleviate his painful feelings. Perhaps it was this process that resulted in his adventurous disposition. He engages in an intimate encounter with Oborozukiyo, the daughter of his main political enemy. These feelings of shame and guilt are subsequently magnified when the older sister of Oborozukiyo seeks to destroy Genji. The girl's older sister was the Heir Apparent's mother and held significant influence in the aristocratic society, thus Genji was forced to retreat into self-exile (Tyler, 2006, p. 379). During his exile to Suma, Genji experiences a number of significant events. Further ruminating about his circumstances he is nearly killed in a great storm. In addition to this, Genji has a number of extraordinary dreams regarding his father. As the storm subsides, he encounters a wealthy individual, Akashi Novice, who invites him to be his guest. This stage of Genji's journey illustrates his transition toward reconciling his aggression and tension toward the father figure. Both the encounters with his father in his dream state and the invitation of Akashi Novice help to establish trust and reconciliation with Genji toward the father figure. This resolution of previous internal conflicts greatly empowers Genji and he returns from exile as powerful as ever (Tyler, 2001, p. 257). Genji's return from exile signifies a shift in the emphasis of his aspirations and he focuses on the concepts of beauty and prestige (Tyler, 2001, 257). While experiencing difficulties in a number of relationships, Genji begins to question the fundamental motivations that drive his behavior. While this is perhaps one of the first instances in which this discourse is explicitly stated in the text, Genji has been perpetually dedicated to this subject for much of the novel. Perhaps at this point he is beginning to understand both himself and the situation to the extent that he is able to articulate his introspective inquiries. While Genji is beginning to show increasing levels of self-understanding, it is the nostalgic remembrance of Fujitsubo that is another significant factor in driving him to these fundamental questions. Reaching a pinnacle of power and status, Genji has constructed a number of interconnected mansions. Each structure housed a woman with whom he had ongoing relations. These physical structures could represent or illustrate the internal framework of understanding that Genji is compiling within himself through his life experience and reflection. Later, Genji responds to the request from his half brother, Retired Emperor Suzaku (Tyler, 2001, p. 697)). Genji is asked to marry the young daughter of his half brother and accepts with the intention of later shaping her to fit the characteristics of the mother role that was previous held by Fujitsubo and later Murasaki. This shows that he has not fully resolved his quest to attain and possess the mother figure. Unlike Murasaki, she has the social standing that would allow her to become the wife of Genji. The subsequent relationship that Genji has with Suzaka's daughter is largely difficult and disappointing. Unable to go back on his decision to establish a relationship with her (due to the societal regulations of the Heian court) he nevertheless abandons her in order to care for Mursaki when she falls ill. Ultimately, Genji effectively abandons the pursuit of the mother figure with the death of Murasaki. While surviving her, he is left largely reeling from this loss and eventually travels to a temple where he is understood to have also died in a matter of one or two years. While a significant portion of the novel remains after the departure of Genji, the focus continues to center on gender relations and hierarchical dynamics in the Heian court. Ending on a vague and largely inconclusive note, perhaps the ending of the book is meant to mirror the inherent ambiguity in life. The character study of Genji reveals many aspects of both the nature and historical context of the Heian society. Though a fictional story, The Tale of Genji may be considered a documentary on court life (Tyler, 2001, xxvi). The descriptions and depictions of this era are generally accurate and a reader may gain a significant base of knowledge when reading this work. Like all societies, gender relations largely shaped and influenced the social dynamics of this ancient realm. The 'normative' behavior of the Heian era was a reflection of the inherent beliefs and expectations of the culture. The high court can be considered as the manifestation of cultural ideals. Just as self-reliance and individualism are fundamental components of Occidental societies, duty and community are the Eastern counterparts that are exemplified in this novel. Several times in the novel, Genji desired to leave both his community and role in society, though ultimately it was his sense of duty that prevented him from carrying out these wishes. An example of this occurred when Fujitsubo died. Consumed with guilt and shame, Genji sought to alleviate his suffering by detaching and thus renouncing his ties to society. He soon convinces himself that this is not a valid option due to his core beliefs and expectations of his culture. Another example of these traits is exemplified in the checks and balances of the Emperor. Though possessing great power, the Emperor is bound to follow his role over his individual desires. An example of this occurs early in the novel when Genji is effectively forced out of court life. Though the Emperor favors Genji above his other children, he is not able to grant him the status he desires for his son due to the social standing of Genji's mother. In this instance, the desires of the Emperor are superceded by his duty to maintain normative behaviors within the court. While the novel possesses a number of unique qualities and traits, the symbolic components of the story and the psychological attributes of the characters are inherently similar to other forms of literature found in various locations and times. For example the theme of gender tensions can be found in both Occidental and Eastern literature. Just as in modern society, the people of the Heian era were subject to the same basic psychological actions and reactions. The bond between mother and child pervades through all cultures. Perhaps the language of the mind is universal. This would help to explain why a novel written over a thousand years ago is still be relevant to modern readers. All people can feel the spectrum of human emotions and can thus understand the inherent meaning behind language differences. For example, Genji faces a number of complex and daunting psychological difficulties as he seeks to come to terms with his internalized feelings of guilt and shame. In the process of encountering and connecting with the mother and father figures, Genji is able to understand himself. References: Tyler, R. (2006). The Tale of Genji. New York: Penguin Classics. Read More