The story of the relationship between Genji and Fujitsubo is mainly narrated in sections 1 and 2 of part 1, and the periods overlap with the stories of Genji’s relationships with Utsusemi and Rokujō. Although the stories of his relationships with them are independently narrated, the female characters’ thoughts and feelings seem to be analogous with each other. This section examines characteristics of the relationship between Genji and Fujitsubo, those between Genji and Utsusemi and those between Genji and Rokujō to grasp clues to the theme of part 1.
5.1.1 Characteristics of the Relationship between Genji and Fujitsubo The Kiritsubo Emperor loves and protects both Genji and Fujitsubo, who is the very image of Kiritsubo no kōi (Genji’s mother) and enters the palace at the Emperor’s
request to console him for the loss of Kiritsubo no kōi. Genji longs for Fujitsubo and their secret meeting occurs. She bears him an illegitimate son. The Kiritsubo Emperor dies without noticing their relationship and the secret about the son. After his father’s death Genji meets with adversity: political pressure, Fujitsubo’s tonsure (becoming a nun) and his exile. His son (the Reizei Emperor) ascends the throne. Genji shines again and gains political power. Fujitsubo dies and then the Reizei Emperor learns the truth about his paternity from a monk who serves the late Fujitsubo. Genji receives the status of Honorary Retired Emperor.
The theme of the story of Genji and Fujitsubo is interpreted in many ways. For example, some scholars derive it from the pattern of the story. Kazamaki Keijirō regards this story as equivalent tothe legend of a swan, and assumes that its theme is eternal longing for Fujitsubo, as if she were a swan flying away;6 Nomura Seiichi 野 村精一 thinks of it as nandaimuko, a story pattern involving a difficult request made of a bridegroom, and points out that the difficult request for Genji is to have a relationship with his father’s wife, and that Fujitsubo continues to refuse his advances;7 and Gotō Shōko remarks that it relates to otokomamako-tan 男継子譚, a story of an ill-treated stepson, even though Genji first makes advances to his stepmother, that is to say Genji experiences the agony.8 The question is whether or not these proposals are sufficient to cover the whole story of Genji and Fujitsubo.
In the Edo period (from 17th century to 19th century), many scholars tried to grasp the author’s intention presented in the story of Genji and Fujitsubo, especially the deep relationship between Genji and Fujitsubo, which they referred to as mono no magire 物 の ま ぎ れ (roughly equivalent in this case to ‘secret meeting’). Anō Tameakira draws a moral, the lesson not to commit adultery, from the story, and declares that Genji’s regretful thoughts in “Wakana ge” (chapter 35), which are seen as evidence that Genji thinks about his act as a crime, is identical with the author’s
6 Kazamaki 1961, pp.197-214. 7 Nomura 1969, pp.173-179. 8 Gotō 1993, pp.52-53.
own.9 The evidence quoted by Andō is Genji’s interior monologue that ‘that was a fearful and a heinous crime’ (T: 661).10 Motoori Norinaga argues against Andō’s position, and confirms that the purpose of the author is to show mono no aware, ‘a sensitivity to things.’11 He affirms that Genji’s affair with Fujitsubo is one incident of the tale and that this story shows sensitivity to things in relation to love in particular.12 He also states that the reason why the son, who is the result of their secret meeting, ascends the throne is to show the zenith of Genji’s prosperity; in other words, Genji is given the name of Honorary Retired Emperor by his secret son.13 It can be thought that Norinaga implies that the author did not think their love was a crime or sin. Hagiwara Hiromichi approves of Motoori’s proposal, and then adds that the story of Genji and Fujitsubo shows not only sensitivity to things but also the relation of cause and effect in Buddhism, an idea which prevailed in the Heian period, because the tale presents the eclipse of Genji after his zenith.14 Hagiwara, however, comments that the intention of the author could not be known, so that theories by Andō, Motoori and even Hagiwara himself were necessarily based on inferences. He recommends that the future reader should be able to decide a theme which he/she thinks reasonable.15 It is not clear to what degree the author intended to convey a moral and the relation of cause and effect in Buddhism, but it is clear she described stories of the male-female relationship over and over again. Therefore, Motoori’s theory that the story shows sensitivity to things is understandable, but it is still too broad and vague.
Takahashi Tōru holds that the plot in which Genji has a relationship with his father’s wife, the Empress, more precisely the plot in which their secret son ascends
9 Andō 1908, pp.13-16.
10思へば、その世の事こそは、いと恐ろしくあるまじき過ちなりけれ (NKBZ 4: 245) (SNKBT 3: 385- 386) (Chapter 35 “Wakana ge”))
11 The term ‘a sensitivity to things’ is translated by Donald Keene. (Keene 1993, p.489.) 12 Motoori 1969, pp.229-230.
13Ibid.
14 Hagiwara 1909, pp.24-35. 15Ibid., 34.
the throne, relates to imperial power; to put this another way, the plot shows that Genji takes back the imperial power which was usurped in his childhood.16 Takahashi’s proposal seems to be a frame for the story based only on the main plot. However, there are many details of characters’ states of mind in the story, and its theme seems to emerge from Genji’s relationship with female characters in the frame of the story rather than from the meaning of the frame itself.
Hence, this subsection explores the characteristics of the relationship between Genji and Fujitsubo to uncover clues to the theme of part 1. It argues not only that Genji loves Fujitsubo but also that she loves him, and examines how Fujitsubo thinks about her relationship with him by way of comparing her interior monologue passages with Utsusemi’s and Rokujō’s. This will be done in sections 5.1.1.1 and 5.1.1.2. Section 5.1.1.3 examines how they change their relationship from that between a man and a woman to that between comrades, and how they think about their relationship.
5.1.1.1 The Beginning of the Relationship
This section aims to examine why Genji longs for Fujitsubo, his father’s wife, how their relationship begins and what they think about their relationship.
The Origin of Genji’s Longing for Fujitsubo and Idealisation of Her
After the death of his mother Genji lives in the palace with his father, the Kiritsubo Emperor. Whenever the Emperor visits the Fujitsubo Empress, his beloved son Genji accompanies him. Genji is deeply moved to see Fujitsubo, for he has heard of Fujitsubo’s resemblance to his deceased mother. His emotions towards her appear in his interior monologue passages, which are underlined in example 1.
1. 「いとよう似たまへり」と典侍の聞こえけるを、若き御心地にいとあはれと思ひき
こえたまひて、常に参らまほしく、なづさひ見たてまつらばや、とおぼえたまふ。
(NKBZ 1: 119-120) (SNKBT 1: 23)
---- but his youthful interest was aroused when the Dame of Palace Staff told him how much
16 Takahashi 1982, pp.155-164.
the Princess resembled her, and he wanted always to be with her so as to contemplate her to his heart’s content. (T: 14) (Chapter 1 “Kiritsubo”)
The word aware in the former interior monologue shadowed in example 1 expresses Genji’s earnest love for Fujitsubo in a way similar to what appears in Kiritsubo no kōi’s interior monologue in example 2.
2. いとにほひやかに、うつくしげなる人の、いたう面痩せて、いとあはれとものを思
ひしみながら、言に出でても聞こえやらず、あるかなきかに消え入りつつ、ものし たまふを、(NKBZ 1: 98) (SNKBT 1: 7)
There she lay, lovely and ever so dear, but terribly thin now and unable to tell him of her deep trouble and sorrow because she lingered in a state of semiconsciousness-- (T: 5) (Chapter 1)
Kiritsubo no kōi recognises her serious love for the Kiritsubo Emperor but she cannot tell him of her emotions even though she is going to die. The interior monologue passage in example 2 shows what Kiritsubo no kōi privately thinks about the Emperor. The word aware expresses her love. The word aware in the interior monologue passages assigned to both Genji and Kiritsubo no kōi does not mean ‘sensitivity to things’ in general but earnest and sincere love in particular. The word aware tends to be used in this special meaning in this type of scene in the tale.17 The word nazusai in the latter interior monologue shadowed in example 1 derives from ‘immerse’ and means to ‘cling to someone’; hence this word conveys his feelings that he wants to be with her like a baby in a mother’s womb. It would seem that the origin of Genji’s longing for Fujitsubo is based not only on features of Fujitsubo’s resemblance to his deceased mother but also his sincere love and a desire for a mother. After Genji’s coming-of-age, the Kiritsubo Emperor marries him to Aoi, a daughter of the Minister of the Left, for the Emperor wants to provide him with strong backing and the Minister of the Left wants to win the Emperor’s favour. Even when comparing Fujitsubo to Aoi, who is beautiful and well brought up, Genji sees Fujitsubo as his ideal woman. Genji’s assessments of Fujitsubo, which are shadowed, appear in his interior monologue passages underlined in examples 3-5.
17 Kashiwagi as well as Kaoru require their lovers, Onna san no miya and Ōi kimi, respectively, to show their earnest and serious loveto him. Here aware is used with the same meaning as in examples 1 and 2.
3. 心のうちには、ただ藤壼の御ありさまを、たぐひなしと思ひきこえて、(NKBZ 1: