Sexual Consent in Heian Japan

[kate_nepveu]

Okay, I did read chapter 20 last night, but I want to talk about two articles first since my thoughts about the chapter are influenced by them. So we'll see how long this takes and whether I get to chapter 20.

Comments

[hikarugenji]

Another thing to remember in the cultural context is that the sexual encounters in many cases were tantamount to a marriage, and some of the women's reasons for refusal have less to do with the sexual act itself than the consequences of it -- for instance, Akashi's fear that Genji will be recalled to the capital and leave her behind. Utsusemi is another example; at the end of the Hahakigi chapter she thinks to herself that if she were not married already she would gladly accept Genji.

I think it is also very unclear from any of the texts we have exactly how physically violent these encounters were. I don't think we should imagine Genji slamming the women to the ground and pinning their arms, or anything like that. In the cases where the girl's father has ordered her to consent, this is essentially the same as an arranged marriage in any culture except for the rather unusual beginning.

Clearly in modern cultural sensibilities, many of the encounters in the Tale of Genji would qualify as rape, but I find it difficult to enjoy the story if I take that view of it.

[kate_nepveu]

Tyler thinks they weren't violent at all, which I questioned in the margin of my printout and then left aside in my post. Specifically, I wondered how he could be so sure, because so much is elided, but he's the scholar and I'm not.

[hikarugenji]

I think it would be inconsistent with the rest of the picture of Heian court life that we have if they were particularly violent (physically) -- at least the ones in the tale. Obviously nobody can be sure how violent the actual sexual encounters of Heian life were, but in the idealized world of Genji I think it's a safer assumption that they were not.

[slobbit]

Considering the tricky nature of the clothing, I believe the garments could have contributed quite a bit to the restraint. A man could simply kneel on the sleeves, and since everything was open from the bottom,

well.

[kate_nepveu]

well. indeed.

Or, (1) thank you for reminding me about the nature of the clothes and (2) ick.

[slobbit]

You're welcome. I think.

Sometimes being an organic writer and having this stuff assemble itself straight out of the primordial brain soup is a little self-squicking.

[slobbit]

Oh, and did I mention the crotch gussets on most of the men's trousers were open?

I'll leave it at that.