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Handsome and talented, Hikaru Genji is in many ways the pinnacle of Heian-era court culture. He is an accomplished poet, an elegant dancer, a skilled painter, and a fine musician. He appreciates beauty, both in nature and in people, and is sensitive to the harmonies that it can engender. Indeed, he is so attached to these qualities that he loses interest in a potential lover when it turns out that she writes poor poetry. No matter how beautiful she might be, he cannot pursue someone with glaring deficiencies in the realm of the arts.
Despite Genji’s many admirable qualities, he is not perfect. Genji often disregards the feelings of others, especially the women he seeks to seduce, as he pursues them regardless of the possible ramifications to their reputations. Indeed, in the case of Yūgao, Genji’s attentions lead to her death, although he does not himself kill her. Similarly, Princess Hitachi waits for his return for so long that he feels guilty. He had lost interest in her but never communicated fully his change in feeling. Several scenes might strike modern readers as problematic, as when he kidnaps young Violet or forces himself on various women. That Genji had great latitude in this culture is undeniable and it is worth noting that he prioritizes his desires over those of others, as when he sleeps with his father’s mistress, Princess Wistaria. He often continues to pursue women even when they and others are resistant to his overtures.
Genji matures a great deal across these seventeen chapters, becoming increasingly aware of how his actions affect others. He is loyal to his romantic partners, agreeing to be responsible for the Lady of Rojukō’s daughter, for example. Along with Violet, Genji is one of the few characters to evolve significantly across the novel. Although most of the other characters simply respond to situations, Genji learns from them, adapting his behavior over time. The reader’s ability to chart his evolution is, in part, the consequence of the novel’s episodic form—many characters only appear in one or two episodes, while the action revolves around Genji, his behavior and feelings. Still, his evolution is noteworthy and suggests that he is a better man at the end of these chapter than he was at their start.
