Portrait Of Femininity And Womanhood In The Pillow Book

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Portrait of Femininity and Womanhood in the Pillow Book
The cultural history of different regions are determined and made different by various reason, for Japanese cultural history writing by women especially those from the Heian Era makes it different and unique. In the Heian Era Japan was characterized by the creative integration of Chinese flowering and influences of conspicuously native culture and literature. The native literature was to become Japan classical tradition and women made a major contribution to it. High cultural achievement of the Heian woman could perhaps be that of gender balance. In this era women took charge of many aspects for example, they were the leaders of the spiritual realm (shamans). Unlike other cultures, the Japan culture had a female goddess (Amaterasu). The methodology sun exhibited both masculine and feminine characteristics. This power somehow diminished but the woman social status in the society was still high as they were well educated, could inherit property, and could still live with their parents together with their children even after marriage. Their literature impact was however intriguing as they used it to show concern, fight for and give their opinion about, sex, gender, femininity, womanhood, violence, and political power. One of these women was the famous Sei Shonagon. This essay is going to look at the portrait of femininity based on Sei Shnagon piece the pillow book.
Written during the 10th century, Sei observes an intuition of the female attitude especially that which is portrayed towards men who plays lovers in women lives. Pillow book presents a case with diverse segments which aids in analyzing her as a woman. She bases her writings on the grounds that many women in her era were denied rights as men were opposed to the rights of women. She observes it as hostile for a man who is about to make love or has just made love and do not know how to behave for the moment and ends up spoiling the romantic time by talking loudly. She quotes that a man ought to along only those attendants who he knows his characte...