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Genji and the Women of His Time: Lust or Pure Love

This contradiction would make readers wonder how Genji developed such a behavior towards women if practices were different during the Heian Period. It may be possible that he did not like this law code and rebelled against it. So instead of obeying the law code of the time, Genji decided to carry on his relationships in a manner that pleased him and this is first shown in an affair he had with his father's consort. .
             Genji began to have several affairs with different women and his first affair began with his father's consort. This affair was cut short when Genji was exiled from his village. Obviously this was one relationship that was not kept secret. Not only was he exiled as a result, he also began to show his womanizing behavior, primarily because the consort belonged to his father. With his good looks he could have had any woman he wanted but instead he chose his father's consort; had he not chosen her, he could have escaped being exiled. This made other men envious of Genji because it was very rare and very brave for a son to betray his father by becoming involved with his consort. This situation shed a bad light on Genji, but another affair he had brought his life style into a different perspective and turned into a special relationship.
             In the story Genji met a woman by the name of the Akashi Lady. His love affair with her evolved into something more than just lust. According to Norma Field, author of The Splendor of Longing in The Tale of Genji, the affair turned relationship with the Akashi Lady is special to Genji because she reminds him of his deceased wife Aoi. Field also stated that this relationship "conformed to the standard type of marriage practiced by the Heian aristocracy- (74). At this point in the story, according to Field, the Akashi Lady is the only woman Genji tried to develop a relationship with. .
             The Akashi Lady may have had his attention but another woman that is also involved with Genji had his heart.


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