The Tale of Genji, chapter 5: Lavender

[rachelmanija]

I got so curious over the chapter that telophase was having fits ("SKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK!") over that I read ahead. My reaction, in brief: "SKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK!"

Genji has malaria, so he goes to a mountain monk to hit on any women or young female children in the vicinity get cured. While he's there, he notices a beautiful ten-year-old, who resembles his step-mother Fujitsubu, who in turn resembles his dead mother. Genji pervs on her like there's no tomorrow, figuring he can bring her up and, like Pygmalion, mold her into the perfect mother-figure woman. Let's unpack this a bit: Genji's perfect woman is a girl young enough to be his daughter, who closely resembles his mother, and whom he will raise as if he's her father. It's a Freudian Ouroboros.

Genji hits on the little girl, but everyone around her is all, "Nope, sorry, she's way too young. Call again in four years, when at least she'll have hit puberty." So Genji proceeds to kidnap her! And install her and her nurse in one of his residences (hopefully not another haunted one), and treat her like a creepy little sexualized Mommy-daughter-fetish doll. And-- this is Murasaki! Who ends up being the love of his life! Eeeeeew!

If I can drag myself away from the main SKANK thought SKANK that this SKANK chapter left in my mind, I find it interesting that every single other person in the chapter thought the girl was way too young for anyone to be sexually interested in, and even Genji realized that his fascination with her was freaking people out. Which suggests that even in Heian Japan, men who perv on ten-year-olds are pervs. Which makes me wonder how Murasaki's readers received this chapter.

Comments

[marici.livejournal.com]

Also, the murasaki plant whose roots provided lavender dyes is the symbol of loyalty. ^_^

SPOILERS
Oh yeah, I think the Rokujo Lady's jealosy may have been implicated in Yugao's death. It definitely caused Aoi's. She's another example of the emotional pornography of female helplessnes -- her illness and weakness are described in detail, and Genji's love for her grows as she fades.