Fictional Narrator?

[kate_nepveu]

Here's a question: in the "Narration, Courtesy, and Names" section of his Introduction, Tyler asserts that

The narrator of Genji is acutely aware of social rank and assumes the reader is, too. She seems to be a gentlewoman telling a tale to her mistress . . . . The fictional narrator speaks from within this structure, and for her, good manners

Comments

[kate_nepveu]

I had noticed the personal touches, but I'd attributed them to the narrator. *shrug* I don't know.

[kate_nepveu]

Narratology, what a cool sounding class (at least, I hope it was cool). Thanks for the comment--I love the variety of knowledge you get on LJ.

[kate_nepveu]

I shall keep it in mind, thanks.

[kate_nepveu]

Ah, thank you. Is the narrator's social position the same as (what we know of) the author's?

(Also, nice icon. Just watched the first DVD of that last week.)

[kate_nepveu]

Just to make sure I understand you properly, based on the honorifics, there's no way to tell if the author and narrator are the same person? Well, that's a disappointment, but not a big surprise.

I sometimes just stop to be amazed that we're reading something so very old and (mostly) understanding what's going on!

[anonymous]

I'd recommend Richard Bowring's Murasaki Shikibu: The Tale of Genji, chapter 3: Language and Style for an interesting bit of discussion on narratorial presence which you might find helpful.

Also, Lynne Miyake's essay "The Narrative Triad in the Tale of Genji: Narrator, Reader and Text" in Approaches to Teaching Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji. Edward Kamens, ed.

And if anyone's really interested in this sort of thing, Edith Sarra's Fictions of Femininity is one of my personal faves of lit crit. It's not about Genji, but it deals with a whole bunch of women's diaries, which were one of the major forms of literature written by Murasaki Shikibu's contemporaries and share quite a lot of techniques, allusions and themes with Genji.

Okay, done delurking/bibliographying now.
Lianne

[kate_nepveu]

Thanks for the references. If I'm feeling really scholarly I'll see if my husband will check some of those out of the college library where he teaches-.