82 pages • 2 hours read
Murasaki ShikibuA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
How is the reader meant to respond to Genji’s actions toward Murasaki? How does this pivotal section of the plot complicate the reader’s understanding of his character? Consider the following questions as you develop your ideas:
Teaching Suggestion: Genji’s actions toward Murasaki shock the modern conscience. This prompt asks students to step back from their own reactions and consider how various perspectives in the novel reveal the cultural context of Genji’s actions and suggest what his choices regarding Murasaki are meant to contribute to his characterization. Students may find it easier to describe these perspectives than to draw conclusions from any perception gaps they discover. You might remind students that the book’s unnamed narrator is not identical to the book’s author: The narrator is a fictive persona, and the author is making deliberate choices about what and how the narrator communicates, crafting a portrait of the narrator as much as of the characters whose story she tells.