The Tale of Genji: A Study of Hikaru Genji based on the Kashiwagi Incident

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  • 『源氏物語』柏木事件から見る光源氏

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One of the classics of Japanese literature, Tale of Genji’s protagonist, Hikaru Genji, at the age of 47, learns that his wife’s adultery with a young man named Kashiwagi. The term “Kashiwagi Incident” is used to refer to this instance of adultery. This paper focuses on the repeated mentions of the crime of violating “the wife of an emperor,” and concludes that the story’s author does so for the following purposes: to express Kashiwagi’s way of dealing with his feelings of guilt for betraying Hikaru Genji by assuring himself that adultery was not a major crime because he did not violate the wife of an emperor and to make Hikaru Genji face his own major transgression–his past adultery with Fujitsubo, who was the wife of an emperor. Hikaru Genji takes a cold attitude toward his wife after finding about her adultery, while pretending that nothing is wrong. The paper clarifies the characteristics of the story’s narrative by focusing on the contradiction between his behaviors and emotions, such as his lack of respect toward his wife, jealousy caused by misunderstanding, and envy in old age.

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  • 人間文化創成科学論叢

    人間文化創成科学論叢 25 1-1-1-10, 2023-03-31

    お茶の水女子大学大学院人間文化創成科学研究科

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