The Tale of Genji

by

Shikibu Murasaki

Lady of the Evening Faces Character Analysis

The Lady of the Evening Faces is a mysterious woman whom Genji begins a romance with in the beginning of the novel. She's relatively young, very small, and does her best to obscure her true identity from Genji. Genji likes her because she's yielding and childlike. In the fall, he takes her to an abandoned villa to continue spending time together. The Lady is very afraid. That night, the spirit of the Rokujō Lady kills the Lady of the Evening Faces. Because the Lady has no family that Genji knows of, Koremitsu takes her body to a small temple in the mountains to keep the story from getting out. Later, her maid, Ukon, tells Genji that the Lady of the Evening Faces used to be Tō no Chūjō's lover and even gave birth to his daughter. She had moved to the house where Genji met her to hide from Tō no Chūjō's family and was only nineteen when she died.

Lady of the Evening Faces Quotes in The Tale of Genji

The The Tale of Genji quotes below are all either spoken by Lady of the Evening Faces or refer to Lady of the Evening Faces. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Heian Court Culture Theme Icon
).
Evening Faces Quotes

She was of an extraordinarily gentle and quiet nature. Though there was a certain vagueness about her, and indeed an almost childlike quality, it was clear that she knew something about men. She did not appear to be of very good family. What was there about her, he asked himself over and over again, that so drew him to her?

Related Characters: Genji, Lady of the Evening Faces
Page Number: 41
Explanation and Analysis:

The priests did not know who he was. They sensed something remarkable, however, and felt their eyes mist over.

Related Characters: Genji, Lady of the Evening Faces, Koremitsu
Page Number: 58
Explanation and Analysis:

The weak ones do have a power over us. The clear, forceful ones I can do without. I am weak and indecisive by nature myself, and a woman who is quiet and withdrawn and follows the wishes of a man even to the point of letting herself be used has much the greater appeal. A man can shape and mold her as he wishes, and becomes fonder of her all the while.

Related Characters: Genji (speaker), The Rokujō Lady, Murasaki, Aoi, Lady of the Evening Faces, Ukon
Page Number: 62-63
Explanation and Analysis:
Akashi Quotes

He thought that he could hardly be expected to visit her. She had her own ideas. She knew that rustic maidens should come running at a word from a city gentleman who happened to be briefly in the vicinity. No, she did not belong to his world, and she would only be inviting grief if she pretended that she did.

Related Characters: Genji, Murasaki, Akashi Lady, Lady of the Evening Faces, The Former Governor
Page Number: 299
Explanation and Analysis:
Channel Buoys Quotes

Though she saw little of him, the lady was completely dependent on him; but she was not of the modern sort, given to outpourings of resentment. He knew that she would not make him uncomfortable. Long neglected, her house now wore a weirdly ruinous aspect.

Related Characters: Genji, Murasaki, Lady of the Evening Faces, Lady of the Orange Blossoms
Page Number: 327
Explanation and Analysis:
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Lady of the Evening Faces Quotes in The Tale of Genji

The The Tale of Genji quotes below are all either spoken by Lady of the Evening Faces or refer to Lady of the Evening Faces. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Heian Court Culture Theme Icon
).
Evening Faces Quotes

She was of an extraordinarily gentle and quiet nature. Though there was a certain vagueness about her, and indeed an almost childlike quality, it was clear that she knew something about men. She did not appear to be of very good family. What was there about her, he asked himself over and over again, that so drew him to her?

Related Characters: Genji, Lady of the Evening Faces
Page Number: 41
Explanation and Analysis:

The priests did not know who he was. They sensed something remarkable, however, and felt their eyes mist over.

Related Characters: Genji, Lady of the Evening Faces, Koremitsu
Page Number: 58
Explanation and Analysis:

The weak ones do have a power over us. The clear, forceful ones I can do without. I am weak and indecisive by nature myself, and a woman who is quiet and withdrawn and follows the wishes of a man even to the point of letting herself be used has much the greater appeal. A man can shape and mold her as he wishes, and becomes fonder of her all the while.

Related Characters: Genji (speaker), The Rokujō Lady, Murasaki, Aoi, Lady of the Evening Faces, Ukon
Page Number: 62-63
Explanation and Analysis:
Akashi Quotes

He thought that he could hardly be expected to visit her. She had her own ideas. She knew that rustic maidens should come running at a word from a city gentleman who happened to be briefly in the vicinity. No, she did not belong to his world, and she would only be inviting grief if she pretended that she did.

Related Characters: Genji, Murasaki, Akashi Lady, Lady of the Evening Faces, The Former Governor
Page Number: 299
Explanation and Analysis:
Channel Buoys Quotes

Though she saw little of him, the lady was completely dependent on him; but she was not of the modern sort, given to outpourings of resentment. He knew that she would not make him uncomfortable. Long neglected, her house now wore a weirdly ruinous aspect.

Related Characters: Genji, Murasaki, Lady of the Evening Faces, Lady of the Orange Blossoms
Page Number: 327
Explanation and Analysis: