For blog eight I would like to talk about Genji and what I think of him as a man. In the very beginning of the Tale of Genji my expectations were that he would be aristocratic, refined, and what chivalry means to us in today's culture, just because when you think of stories that is what you want to believe. Aristocratic was correct, but the others not so much. Refined, well, he sleeps with married women, yes in the society at the time this was fine but it is still unnerving to me. Along with chivalry its not the same as I had anticipated, none the less he is supposed to be an elevated individual of his time. He kindof does what is expected of him which is going and sleeping around with married women and partaking in this forbidden romance that everyone seems awestruck by. Genji loved his wife and only her, but as time progressed he became more of a player. I feel like Genji manipulated the system, he had multiple affairs, just jumping around from one woman to the next. I believe that he did experience love, but I think it may have been a warped view of it, because he didn't have the expectation of being with a woman forever, when he was tired of her and things didn't go perfectly their relationship didn't have to continue. Which makes it so there is no accountability on Genji's part and he can do what ever he wants. If the woman wanted to change anything about this they would more than likely be labeled as not having the ideal personality or haveing a giant flaw which would make it so she wouldn't have any suitors.
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