Japanese Language & Culture

Suggested Topics and Themes for the Fall Quarter Literary Analysis Paper

Choose one of the following topics from eitherThe Tale of Genji or The Tale of the Heike and develop your discussion with appropriate examples to illustrate your points.  Your paper should be typed, double-spaced, and at least 5 pages long.

Your paper is due onFriday, Nov. 8^th
 
 

Topics fromThe Tale of Genji:

• Genji’’s relationship with Fujitsubo lays the foundation for his pilgrimage to search for the ideal woman. Discuss her role in his life, the sense of guilt developed in their relationship, and the realization of its consequence in the story.
• In The Tale of Genji, some characters are developed with contrasting natures and behaviors. Genji and To-no-Chujo are good examples of this: They are good rivals and demonstrate such different temperaments and charms. Fujitsubo and Murasaki are another good examples. They both represent the image of someone whom Genji keeps looking for throughout the story. Choose some relationship and discuss their similarities and differences in the characters' nature and ways of life in relation to the development of the story.
• Choose your favorite female character/chapter and discuss her nature and the way she relates to Genji. How does she come to terms with the relationship in her particular given circumstances?
• In The Tale of Genji, poems play important roles in developing stories and conveying the emotions of the scenes. Choose some examples of these scenes and discuss the way they contribute, express, or heighten the emotions of the characters in relation to the development of the story.
• The phrase "mono no aware" in many ways embodies the spirit and purpose of The Tale of Genji. Explore the concept of "mono no aware" and draw on a few contrasting examples that will help illustrate the phrase.
• In The Tale of Genji, nowhere is it mentioned that the "manifestation" is that of the Rokujo lady. All we have is an intimation that this may be the case. The "manifestation" appears in Genji’s dream as a vision, or a phantom, as if a creature of Genji’s inner thoughts. Discuss how Genji’s involvement with Yugao affects the quality of the relationship between Genji and Rokujo.

Topics from The Tale of The Heike:

• Discuss the attitude toward death in The Tale of The Heike. On what occasions do the characters prefer death? Is there any difference in their attitude depending on the occasion? Why are they not afraid of death, or do they even welcome death? Is there any relation between their attitude toward death and becoming a monk or a nun?
• Discuss the idea of impermanence reflected in The Tale of The Heike. On what occasions and how is the idea expressed? How does the idea affect the way people live?
• What is the prevailing mood throughout the work of Heike? How does the narrator describe the Heike clan and its rise and fall?
• Although The Tale of The Heike is primarily a war story involving men, there are chapters dealing with women characters. Discuss the significance of the women characters as they relate to the story as a whole.
• Discuss the ways in which a sense of sadness and futility follow scenes of military action and heroism and how this theme provides The Tale of The Heike much of its literary quality.