The Panchatantra!

I could not help but notice, that these three princes were to mature or more so become all the wiser by simply listening to frame tails. Yes, these frame tails teach lessons on how they should conduct themselves, as a ruler and a man, but what happens when they are faced with a real problem that is not answered in the stories?

As being a reader of these tails, being inside tails, being inside more tails it can be a little hard to follow. Assuming, that us as students are smarter than the three princes, how well do you think the princes actually followed the tails? Do you think they had to stop and explain matters and actions multiple times?
Out of all of the stories told by Visnusarman which do you think is most helpful towards the princes? I for myself believe it is the outer frame tail of the lion and oxen. The interactions between the lion and all of the animals shows that he is indeed a ruler, yet not invincible, and can see when he makes mistakes. Although he still wants to be seen as "the all powerful ruler" of his jungle.
I found these frame tails to be precisely laid out and would have been wonderful, to hear as a young prince who needed a little extra tutoring.

Some Thoughts on Genji

When discussing the Tale of Genji in class, it seemed like a lot of people disliked it. I on the other hand found it more interesting and unique than a lot of other things we’ve been reading recently. Several people found it hard to follow, whereas I found it easier to follow than some previous readings. The fact that we’ve only been given such a small excerpt made me more curious about the rest of the book and want to know more about what happens. I also was completely unfamiliar with any Japanese literature or history, so that made it more intriguing as well.

For those who disliked the reading: were there any aspects about it that you did like or find interesting? Whether having to do with the story itself, use of poetry throughout, or what we learned about Lady Murasaki, for example the fact that she managed to learn to write with Chinese characters in a time when women were forbidden from doing so. Or even some of the art that we were shown in class. I personally found it to be really beautiful.



My second question for everyone is: why do you imagine that this particular chapter about the Evening Faces was the one chosen for our textbook? In what ways do you think the events or descriptions in this chapter might give us a good idea or understanding of the book as a whole?

Lastly, my final question is: since this takes place in a time where heroism was not about skills in battle or any of the other stereotypical “heroic” qualities that we’ve gotten used to, what qualities or actions make or don’t make Genji a hero in this tale, besides just being the son of an emperor? And what evidence points to those things being seen as heroic during this period?

Genji's Male Dominance

            While reading this piece of literature, I become very sickened in the way that Genji used women to satisfy his need for dominance. I spent some time watching the R. Kelly documentary tapes this past summer and Genji’s actions show many similarities to R. Kelly’s actions with women. If R. Kelly’s story is not familiar to you, it is a very long and uncomfortable story. R. Kelly is a famous musical artist that was known for having interest in younger women or underage women. Younger women interested him because of their innocence and his ability to control them easier than a mature adult. R. Kelly would hold these girls in his house, and they would not be allowed to even go to the bathroom without asking him first. Theorists who have been following him believe that he controls these girls until they become almost like a pet to him. The documentary is very interesting and definitely a must watch if you enjoy investigative shows.

If you haven’t caught onto where I’m going with Genji, let me explain. Genji showed interest in more innocent or childlike women. The story validates that when it says, “Something childlike in her fright brought a smile to his lips” (p. 1483). Genji is intrigued in the innocence and we could even say the vulnerability of this woman to be influenced by him. Genji was a married man and so was R. Kelly, but it seems like this infidelity was acceptable for Genji compared to the negative traits it has today. We discussed how common it was for married and powerful men to have affairs with multiple other women. These women threw themselves at Genji because he is who he is. This is a parallel to R. Kelly’s story because the same happened for him. These younger girls or naive young women would throw themselves at him because of his money and fame. A lot of the time R. Kelly would promise musical opportunities to these women and that would make them even more inclined to stick with him. The “player” personality of Genji is something that we often find in wealthy and powerful people today. Although Genji is not at the extreme level as R. Kelly, it is hard not to see the similar tendencies these men had with taking full advantage of who they were.

What were your opinions on Genji and his lovers? Did you think that he was a good lover or a toxic lover?