Yes, Genji was da man. His behavior was expected and the norm--well, except for the G=P parts. Of course no one could possibly live up to his standards, but they'd sure be compared to him.
What Genji does that is so laudable, from the Heian point of view, is rescue a great number of women from an uncertain financial future. Sure, his main goal might be sexual availability, but ultimately he doesn't just screw them and dump them.
Thanks - this is just the perspective I was hoping for. It didn't seem possible that a story of such magnitude featuring a real 'antihero' type would have endured so long and had so many advocates as G has had.
I think your observation hits right on one characteristic of Genji's; he really was generous in a material and practical way; and he was seemingly loyal to anybody he had ever loved to any degree.
Also, I think another thing that made him romantically desirable, despite the narrator's occasional digs at him, is his sensitivity. Put crudely, just the fact that he really doesn't ever end up that happy, despite all his G=P, is angstaliciously appealing. And Heian folks may have liked their angst on the quiet, melancholy side, but boy did they like their angst.
Angst! Yes indeed. Quiet melancholy does have its appeal. And it's true - Genji seems slated not to be happy; not to be satisfied no matter whose love he has won; there's always something amiss, something out of reach. Perhaps the early loss of his mother and the added impossibility of a real relationship with Fujitsubo? He's also hemmed in with responsibilities and expectations he might wish to be rid of at times.
A silly slang question: What exactly does the list mean when referring to Genji as a 'skank'. I know some meanings of the word but perhaps not this one? I know what it meant in Jamaican slang awhile back...and what my former lead guitar player meant when he used it - which canNOT be what is intended here!!
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What Genji does that is so laudable, from the Heian point of view, is rescue a great number of women from an uncertain financial future. Sure, his main goal might be sexual availability, but ultimately he doesn't just screw them and dump them.
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I think your observation hits right on one characteristic of Genji's; he really was generous in a material and practical way; and he was seemingly loyal to anybody he had ever loved to any degree.
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Lianne
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A silly slang question: What exactly does the list mean when referring to Genji as a 'skank'. I know some meanings of the word but perhaps not this one? I know what it meant in Jamaican slang awhile back...and what my former lead guitar player meant when he used it - which canNOT be what is intended here!!
Athan (FF67)
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