The symbolism of cherry blossoms in The Tale of Genji
DOI : 10.21049/ccs.2011.25..237
Publisher : Center for Cross Culture Studies
Research Area : Literature
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This thesis is to argue what is the meaning of the expression of cherry blossoms appearing in 『Genjimonogatari(源氏物語)』 in relation with the structure of Monogatari after checking each example. First we reviewed some examples of the works before 『Genjimonogatari』,and clarified that cherry blossoms were used as metaphorical expressions of a beautiful woman in waka(和歌), and that at the same time cherry blossoms functioned as the symbol of futility, anxiety together with beauty. Especially in 『Kokinshu(古今集)』 we identified that there increased the examples where the combination of the expression as falling cherry blossoms, and fog and cherry blossoms was done. In 『Genjimonogatari』 we examined the examples of cherry blossoms of Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and clarified that Murasakinoue(紫の上) was a woman with an ideal character in looks and inner personality through the diverse viewpoints of characters. In Monogatari of Kashiwagi(柏木) of Chapter 2, the scene where he peeped Onnasannomiya(女三宮) was composed by the combination of cherry blossoms and fog, and we pointed out that we could feel the anxiety, ominousness of the love of the couple through this scene. And the composition of these scenes was also repeated in Monogatari of Chapter 3, and we discussed through these examples that the figurative expressions of cherry blossoms were used about the object of the love not to be realized. Next, we checked that Yugiri(夕霧) who had observed Kashiwagi's love toward Onnasannomiya gave a figurative expression of Kashiwagi's wife Ochibanomiya(落葉の宮) as cherry blossoms. Although Genji(源氏) realized Onnasannomiya's immaturity, Kashiwagi compared her to 「cherry blossoms」,and Yoogiri compared the woman whom Kashiwagi recognized as 「Ochiba(落『겐지모노가타리』에 나타난 벚꽃의 상징성 265葉)」 to 「cherry blossoms」, through which we have read the twisted human relation and ironical structure of Chaper 2. Finally, we checked the examples of cherry blossoms in Ooigimi(大君),Nakanokimi(中君), Ukihune(浮舟) who were Ujijujo's heroines. Ooigimi and Nakanokimi were expressed as cherry blossoms by Kaoru(薫) and Nioumiya(匂宮) and were disclosed as their ideal women. In contrast, Ukihune had something to do with two men with no such figurative expression, so it was pointed out that the absence of such metaphorical expression clarified that the meaning of her existence was nothing but the meaning as a mesiudo(召人).
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