In The Tale of Genji, the third-person, self-acknowledged female narrator makes several conscious references to the act of tale-telling. She occasionally mentions information she does not have for the reader, or information she cannot relay to the reader because she is a woman. Composed in the 11th century by Murasaki Shikibu (whose real historical name is not known), discuss how this particular narrative voice has potentially influenced why Genji’s story has survived to today.

In the Prologue, which is an excerpt from Chapter 25 (a chapter not included in this version), Genji is having a good-hearted debate with Yugao’s daughter Tamakazura about the nature of fiction. What is the argument they are making about truth and its relationship to fiction? In the end, do they agree more than disagree? 

Considered by some to be the world’s “first novel,” the power dynamics between men and women during Japan’s Heian period are integral to The Tale of Genji’s main plots. The period supported polygamous marriages for males, and predetermined women’s lives through marriages limited to strict family social rank. Choose a relevant current headline or pop culture example from today, and compare and contrast: a.