Genji

Genji Genji: The Title Character for a Reason Genji must be recognized as the principal male character in Murasaki Shikibu’s “The Tale of Genji”. In this way, by literary definition, he is the novel’s irreplaceable hero. The more recognized definition of a hero, one seen for his special or bold achievements, could apply to Genji although he didn’t necessarily work hard to achieve anything. He was born beautiful, talented, charming, and simply irresistible and therefore can be called a hero at birth. This is quite an achievement, and the only characters eligible for comparison after Genji’s death are the two princesses, Oigimi and Naka no Kimi. Although Genji’s father removes him from the imperial family, it is only a technicality and Genji spends the majority of his life experiencing luxuries as an Emperor’s son. He is immediately favored by anyone who enters his path and it seems that his entire existence was previously planned out to be naturally perfect; an impeccable being born into a situation in which he can properly be displayed. The fact that Genji doesn’t need to work for any of his accomplishments (this includes his many women) raises the question of whether or not he is in fact genji’s, genji, hero, one, now, naka, kimi, death, two, reader, characters, although, women, time, oigimi, novel, kaoru, even, definition, character, born, after, yet, yearning, work, way, turmoil, thoughts, tale, specifically, son, simply, seems, seem, recognized, principal