During the Heian period, a patriarchal system exists where women are treated as the inferior species. Women are usually thought as passive beings who lacks the intelligences to master complex language like Chinese or physical talents to be a warrior. Moreover, the main role of women were to write poetry and be a disposal source of entertainment for men. Although these social norms may exists, some women are bold and powerful enough to make men feel inferior, which shows efforts to resists these norms. The women in Tales of Heike, Pillow Book, Bamboo cutter, and Tales of Ise all show attributes of superiority that display resistance to male’s dominance in relationships, aestheticism, and warfare.
In the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, Princess …show more content…
This quote followed up with a list of tasks such as “bring me the stone begging-bowl of buddha, … [a] branch of a tree… [that bears] fruits of white jewels … [a] robe made of Chinese fire rats…” (Kenne 332). All of these tasks are impossible to do, but she says, “ I don’t see what is so difficult about those tasks” (Kenne 333). These quotes demonstrate Kaguya is a demanding, arrogant woman who sets up opportunities to mock men, which is a contrast to the passiveness women exhibits under a patriarchal system. Throughout the story, Kaguya acts as a mastermind in punishing the suitors to a degree of her desire, which shows she is not one of passive women the patriarchal system produces. As seen in Kaguya’s treatment of Prince Kuramochi by telling him, “Hearing it was genuine I examined it, but the jewelled branch was false as your words” (Kenne 338). …show more content…
These women has the same power as Kaguya to use words to make men feel inferior. In Dying for love, a man tells a woman, “I’ ll surely die if you treat me this way” (Kenne 201). The quote shows a hopeless man who puts a woman on a pedestal, which is the reverse of the patriarchal system that produces men who breaks women’s hearts. The woman demonstrate resistance to this norm by saying “If the white dew must vanish, let it vanish” (Kenne 201). This quote clearly shows the woman playing a superior position as the heartbreaker in a relationship. In this case, she also shows her boldness by her comfort with rejecting a men to be either independent. In addition, the woman in “The Rain Test” also portray women with the ability to make men act inferior by placing a woman on a pedestal. The woman does this by telling the man, “How shallow a river of tears that wets only your sleeves: when I hear you are drowning, I’ll trust the depths of your love” (Kenne 202). This quote foreshadows that the woman wants the man to demonstrate his profound love by drenching himself in rain and tears. Overall, women do not always have to be the suffering victims in a relationship that a patriarchal system produces, but they can make men submissive to their
In the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, Princess …show more content…
This quote followed up with a list of tasks such as “bring me the stone begging-bowl of buddha, … [a] branch of a tree… [that bears] fruits of white jewels … [a] robe made of Chinese fire rats…” (Kenne 332). All of these tasks are impossible to do, but she says, “ I don’t see what is so difficult about those tasks” (Kenne 333). These quotes demonstrate Kaguya is a demanding, arrogant woman who sets up opportunities to mock men, which is a contrast to the passiveness women exhibits under a patriarchal system. Throughout the story, Kaguya acts as a mastermind in punishing the suitors to a degree of her desire, which shows she is not one of passive women the patriarchal system produces. As seen in Kaguya’s treatment of Prince Kuramochi by telling him, “Hearing it was genuine I examined it, but the jewelled branch was false as your words” (Kenne 338). …show more content…
These women has the same power as Kaguya to use words to make men feel inferior. In Dying for love, a man tells a woman, “I’ ll surely die if you treat me this way” (Kenne 201). The quote shows a hopeless man who puts a woman on a pedestal, which is the reverse of the patriarchal system that produces men who breaks women’s hearts. The woman demonstrate resistance to this norm by saying “If the white dew must vanish, let it vanish” (Kenne 201). This quote clearly shows the woman playing a superior position as the heartbreaker in a relationship. In this case, she also shows her boldness by her comfort with rejecting a men to be either independent. In addition, the woman in “The Rain Test” also portray women with the ability to make men act inferior by placing a woman on a pedestal. The woman does this by telling the man, “How shallow a river of tears that wets only your sleeves: when I hear you are drowning, I’ll trust the depths of your love” (Kenne 202). This quote foreshadows that the woman wants the man to demonstrate his profound love by drenching himself in rain and tears. Overall, women do not always have to be the suffering victims in a relationship that a patriarchal system produces, but they can make men submissive to their