The Tale of Genji by Murasaki ShikibuThe Tale of Genji is considered the first great novel in the history of world literature. Murasaki Shikibu's real name is unknown, but it was common to name women after the position held by a male relative. Her father admired her academic talent but would have preferred that she be born a man because in Heian society, learning Chinese was only valued for men. Men and women were strictly segregated in Heian Japan. Typically, women married around ten or eleven years old and their role was to have children. The purpose of marriage was to continue the family lineage and create alliances with other families. Heian women's literature thrived in this world of gender asymmetries. As authors, the women expressed how much they suffered from their dependence on their husbands. Murasaki probably began writing her tale shortly after her husband's death. She wrote it over a period of a dozen years, which is why the tale developed in thematic sequences. This shows how Murasaki's protagonists, interests, and narrative techniques evolved over time. Bet on relationships...