The Tale of Genji. Chapter 3: The Shell of the Locust

[rachelmanija]

I am positive this chapter is funny on purpose, not because of my modern eyes.

Despite the comfort of the young boy, Genji is still depressed over having been rejected by his sister. The boy is depressed because Genji is depressed, and because Genji just isn't that into him. So the two of them return to the governor's mansion, where Genji spies on the sister playing Go with Sai a plain woman who nonetheless seems intriguing. (According to kate_nepveu and telophase, the sister is the governor's step-mother and the plain lady is her step-daughter, but I am very bad at complicated character relationships and somehow missed that.)

Anyway, Genji sneaks in when everyone's gone to sleep, but the sister sees him and sneaks out, leaving her robe behind. Genji doesn't see this, but momentarily mistakes the plain woman for the sister and begins to molest her. The plain woman is surprised but pleased. Genji realizes his mistake, but rather than run away and look stupid and make her feel bad, he doesn't tell her who he is and pretends that he totally came there to have a single secret sex session with her and no one but her. Then he steals the sister's robe as a keepsake and flees.

When he tries to sneak off the grounds with the boy in tow, an old lady mistakes the robe-muffled Genji for a tall lady staying at the palace and toddles after them, chit-chatting interminably. Poor Genji, this just isn't his night. Neither is it the boy's:

It's not that you aren't a nice enough boy, and it's not that I'm not fond of you. But because of your family I must have doubts about the durability of our relationship."

A remark which plunged the boy into the darkest melancholy.

So Genji's sad, the boy's sad, step-daughter's sad because Genji never calls her again, and the sister's sad because her carefree single days, when she could have had an affair with Genji with clear conscience, are over. Genji and the sister console themselves by writing poetry, and Genji further consoles himself by smelling her robe. I bet he shows off the robe to To no Chujo later.

Comments

[kate_nepveu]

I bet he shows off the robe to To no Chujo later.

I bet he does too!

I hope this was intended as sex farce. I don't see how it could not be. But it was so very long ago that I just don't know.

[faithhopetricks.livejournal.com]

OK, I must see if I can get a decent copy of this tomorrow (payday), cause I can no longer resist.

[greenapple2004.livejournal.com]

Man, I have this gorgeous 2-volume edition of Genji, and I've never managed to get more than 20 pages into it. Now may well be the time, though. You are inspiring me. :-)

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

It's pretty easy to read if you just read a chapter at a time while lounging in bed, which is undoubtedly the way it was read in the Heian court.

Have you read The Pillow Book? That's more accessible, I think.