The Tale of Genji

by

Shikibu Murasaki

Murasaki is Fujitsubo's niece. Because she looks so much like Fujitsubo, Genji falls immediately in love with her when he first meets her at age ten, and he decides he must raise her to be his perfect lover. As a child, Murasaki is described as being very immature for her age; her caregivers, the nun and her nurse, Shōnagon, believe that she's especially vulnerable after losing her mother. Murasaki initially finds Genji handsome and interesting, though she's scared and wary when he kidnaps her and takes her to the palace. She soon adjusts and becomes very close to Genji. He teaches her to write and to play music and spends as much time as he can with her. Before too long, she begins to get jealous when he spends time elsewhere. Several years later when Aoi dies, Genji observes his time of grieving and then “makes Murasaki a wife,” eating the customary wedding sweets with her and raping her. He's perplexed and intrigued when she feels betrayed—she trusted him to act as her father and had no idea that he wanted a sexual relationship with her. Despite this sense of betrayal, Murasaki does seem to recognize that her wellbeing depends on keeping Genji happy. She remains his favorite lover through the end of the novel and she appears to feel genuine affection for him. Her jealous streak does continue, however, especially when she learns of the Akashi Lady and Genji's daughter with her. However, she's most upset that Genji had a lover with whom to amuse himself in exile, while she spent the years he was away in tears.

Murasaki Quotes in The Tale of Genji

The The Tale of Genji quotes below are all either spoken by Murasaki or refer to Murasaki. 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

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 I am weak and indecisive by nature myself, and a woman who is quiet and withdrawn and follows the wishes of a man even to the point of letting herself be used has much the greater appeal.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:
Lavender Quotes

The hand was very immature indeed, and yet it had strength, and character. It was very much like her grandmother's. A touch of the modern and it would not be at all unacceptable.

Related Characters: Genji, Murasaki, The Nun
Page Number: 104
Explanation and Analysis:

Murasaki was the perfect companion, a toy for him to play with. He could not have been so free and uninhibited with a daughter of his own. There are restraints upon paternal intimacy.

Related Characters: Genji, Murasaki, Ukon
Page Number: 106
Explanation and Analysis:
Heartvine Quotes

Genji felt like a child thief. The role amused him and the affection he now felt for the girl seemed to reduce his earlier affection to the tiniest mote. A man's heart is a very strange amalgam indeed!

Related Characters: Genji, Fujitsubo, Murasaki, Aoi
Page Number: 182
Explanation and Analysis:

Though avoiding display, he took great pains with her initiation ceremonies. She found the solicitude, though remarkable, very distasteful. She had trusted him, she had quite entwined herself about him. It had been inexcusably careless of her.

Related Characters: Genji, Murasaki
Page Number: 184
Explanation and Analysis:

Memories had dimmed over the years, but now the astonishing resemblance did a little dispel his gloom. The dignity that quite put one to shame also reminded him of Murasaki. He could hardly think of them as two persons, and yet, perhaps because Fujitsubo had been so much in his thoughts over the years, there did after all seem to be a difference.

Related Characters: Genji, Fujitsubo, Murasaki, The Emperor, Lady of the Paulownia Court
Page Number: 204
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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Murasaki Quotes in The Tale of Genji

The The Tale of Genji quotes below are all either spoken by Murasaki or refer to Murasaki. 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

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:
Lavender Quotes

The hand was very immature indeed, and yet it had strength, and character. It was very much like her grandmother's. A touch of the modern and it would not be at all unacceptable.

Related Characters: Genji, Murasaki, The Nun
Page Number: 104
Explanation and Analysis:

Murasaki was the perfect companion, a toy for him to play with. He could not have been so free and uninhibited with a daughter of his own. There are restraints upon paternal intimacy.

Related Characters: Genji, Murasaki, Ukon
Page Number: 106
Explanation and Analysis:
Heartvine Quotes

Genji felt like a child thief. The role amused him and the affection he now felt for the girl seemed to reduce his earlier affection to the tiniest mote. A man's heart is a very strange amalgam indeed!

Related Characters: Genji, Fujitsubo, Murasaki, Aoi
Page Number: 182
Explanation and Analysis:

Though avoiding display, he took great pains with her initiation ceremonies. She found the solicitude, though remarkable, very distasteful. She had trusted him, she had quite entwined herself about him. It had been inexcusably careless of her.

Related Characters: Genji, Murasaki
Page Number: 184
Explanation and Analysis:

Memories had dimmed over the years, but now the astonishing resemblance did a little dispel his gloom. The dignity that quite put one to shame also reminded him of Murasaki. He could hardly think of them as two persons, and yet, perhaps because Fujitsubo had been so much in his thoughts over the years, there did after all seem to be a difference.

Related Characters: Genji, Fujitsubo, Murasaki, The Emperor, Lady of the Paulownia Court
Page Number: 204
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: