"Exploring ""The Tale of Genji"": Themes

This seminar offers an in-depth exploration of Murasaki Shikibu’s “The Tale of Genji” (Genji monogatari, c. 1008), one of the most significant works in the Japanese literary canon. Through a close reading and discussion of the primary text, which we will read in its entirety in English translation, the students will gain an appreciation and understanding of its central themes, socio-cultural background, narrative structuring, and various aesthetic considerations. A number of secondary materials and introduction to several works of reception will further help to contextualize its enduring influence to this day.