The Pillow-Book by Shonagon and Kagero Diary by Michitsunas Mother

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The two materials are worth comparing as they refer to womens lives and the period of Heian in Japan. Pillow Book is a personal journal describing court service and informal aspects of a females existence in this environment (Shonagon, n.d.). Kagero Diary represents a specific style of literature with the implication of poems and prose, which tells about the condition of wives in the era of Heian (Michitsunas Mother, 1997). The matter of gender shown in these journals highlights womens life limitations at that period.

Both works possess similarities and differences that should be emphasized to assess the problematic matter of womens fate in Japan in a given epoch. Sei ShMnagon tells about herself, stating that she is the one who After all, women at Court do not spend their time hiding modestly behind fans and screens, but walk about, looking openly at people they chance to meet, focusing on a females moral reputation and power (Shonagon, n.d., p. 3). Michitsunas Mother, on the contrary, accentuates on weakness that a woman experiences in her life, being shaded when married to a respectable man, stating that the events of the months and years gone by are vague (Michitsunas Mother, 1997, p. 4). These are the main differences that a reader can notice in the diaries.

The key similarities are shown by the expression of thoughts of the authors through the third person, highlighting their viewpoints. Although, the shifts from the third person to the first in Kagero Diary may be noticed. As for her appearance, she can hardly be compared to others&As I worried, things went much as I feared& (Michitsunas Mother, 1997, pp. 224-226). These women write about different subject matters and in different styles because they strive to point out the social problems of females in the same period. I think the reaction of people of Heian times to these daybooks would be ambiguous because wives had to be loyal to their husbands, although the writers expressed their discontent with such a situation. I consider these works revolutionary because the authors raise womens matters in the age of strict cultural rules. I cannot prefer one diary over another because they are different and deserve equal attention from readers.

Conclusively, gender issues have always existed, especially when uncompromising social standards exist. Pillow Book and Kagero Diary clearly describe the aspects of female life and their roles in society. Such main issues as womens position in the family and serving their husbands are highlighted in these works. The authors talk about different subject matters, although they are motivated to express their thoughts and ideas on limitations faced by women of the Heian period.

References

Michitsunas Mother (1997). Kagero Diary. Michigan Monographs. (936 AD).

Shonagon, S. (n.d.). The Pillow-Book (I. Morris, Trans.). Columbia University Press. (990 AD).

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