AWA: Academic Writing at Auckland

The protagonist of the Tales of Ise, Ariwara no Narihira, appears to me a complicated, often conflicting character with plenty of virtues and vices. Before beginning, I should acknowledge that there are inherent difficulties in analyzing a historical literary character in terms of morality. The main problem is that social constructions of righteousness and sin change dramatically over time. I will attempt to take this into account, while also recognizing that the idea of not hurting others is a timeless value that I believe is fair to judge across all time periods. I will argue that Ariwara certainly has undesirable qualities, such as being selfish and manipulative. However, I will also argue that Ariwara does seem to truly care about others, and that he often shows more affection and love than someone in his position would need to. Furthermore, ideals such as fidelity and monogamy are largely social constructs that are to some extent unfair to use as criteria for judging the character of someone in a society where those ideals are not present. Ariwara is neither a saint nor a villain, with both positive and negative examples of his character present in the Tales of Ise.

            The paradox of Ariwara’s deeds can be seen in only the second story in the Tales of Ise. In this story, Ariwara takes an interest in a woman who mysteriously disappears. Devastated, Ariwara weeps and writes an amazingly romantic poem in which he wistfully wishes he were not alone, as he used to be (Shirane 188). Only five stories later, Ariwara is traveling eastward from the capital with friends. He writes a touching poem explaining his sorrow at being away from his familiar wife (Shirane 188). The chronology of the tales is unclear, but it quickly becomes clear that Ariwara is not monogamous. This is not inherently an issue, as polygamy (especially polygyny) was common in the Heian period, but as we shall see shortly Ariwara is not tolerant of his lover’s polygamy (McCullough 112). Ariwara feels free to be polygamous, but apparently does not approve of his lover’s taking similar actions. This makes sense, as Ariwara does not appear to be sensitive to taboos of any sort. For example, he seduces the virgin Ise Priestess and has an affair with her in the sixty-ninth tale (Kato 49). This would surely be taboo based on Shinto beliefs, but this is mentioned by neither the author nor Ariwara. He also has an affair with the Empress in the sixty-fifth tale, but appears unbothered by the implications of this. Social and religious taboo does not constrain Ariwara. Despite the speed with which Ariwara finds new lovers, we should not see his affection as phony. Ariwara does care about his wife, asking a traveling pilgrim to give his wife a letter when the pilgrim reaches the capitol. Furthermore, when the group of men see a “capitol bird,” Ariwara crafts a heartfelt poem inquiring about the fate of his wife, moving the group to tears (Shirane 190).

Ariwara’s selfishness is apparent in the twelfth story, when he is being pursued for taking someone’s daughter in another province. As the pursuing people grow closer, he leaves the woman hiding in the grass. The pursuers begin burning the field, causing the woman to write a poem in panic (Shirane 190). I believe Ariwara’s actions are very often selfish; he seemingly desires every woman he meets, regardless of how his abrupt entrance and departure affect them. Again, I do not believe this is out of malicious intent, for Ariwara does seem to truly care about these women. However, we cannot simply ignore Ariwara’s frivolous attitude towards those who seem to care deeply about him simply because he lacks malevolent intent. Ariwara’s selfishness and double standards are seen in the twenty-third story, where he marries his childhood sweetheart but soon begins seeing another woman in Takayasu (192). When his wife seems to not care, he suspects she is also seeing someone and begins to spy on her. When he sees her sorrowfully reciting a poem with him in mind, he stops seeing the other woman (Shirane 193). This may appear a heartwarming ending, but the implications are telling. When his wife was not worried, why was Ariwara’s first assumption that she was also seeing someone? If she had been seeing someone, what would Ariwara’s reaction have been? It is unlikely that he would have been ok with it, or else he would not have felt the need to spy on her in the first place. Furthermore, the end of the story is not heartwarming and reveals the damage of Ariwara’s constant womanizing. In the end, he rarely visits the other woman and completely stops when he notices that she serves her own rice, rather than have a servant do it. When she realizes he will not return, she recites a melancholy poem about how her love remains even though he will not return (Shirane 193). This story shows how Ariwara hurts many people by pledging his love to them, only to suddenly disappear, often because he has fallen for another woman. Another example of the consequences of Ariwara’s constant withdrawal’s can be seen in the twenty-fourth tale. In this story, Ariwara leaves his home and returns three years later. His wife is tired of waiting for him and is preparing to sleep with another man. However, when Ariwara returns she recites a poem reaffirming her love and dedication to him (Kato 50). Ariwara departs anyway, and the woman follows but cannot catch up. The story ends with the woman dying of fatigue, indirectly caused by Ariwara’s flighty nature (Kato 50). However, Ariwara does have several redeeming qualities.

One virtue Ariwara does possess is that he cares deeply for others, and often does more than someone in his position would be required to do. For example, the sixty-third story tells of an old woman who is searching for a loving man. Her sons ignore her, except for one who knows of Ariwara and tells him of her plight. The son chose Ariwara because he knew he was not “unfeeling” like other men, and would likely empathize with the woman (Shirane 194). Ariwara felt pity for the woman, and slept with her. He later saw her lamenting his absence, and was moved to spending another night with her (Shirane 194). Although Ariwara does abandon her (like every woman in the story), he shows her the affection and love that nobody else would. The son specifically asks Ariwara because he knows of his generous nature. This generous nature was also seen in one hundred and seventh story, where Ariwara helps a girl in his house find a suitor. A man has taken interest in this girl, so Ariwara writes romantic poetry for her and tells her to pretends that it is her own. The poetry is so beautiful that the man ignores the pouring rain, commonly used as an excuse not to visit lovers, and rushes over (Shirane 202). Although this may seem like a relatively small act, it is important because Ariwara did not need to do this. Ariwara was among the most celebrated poets of the time, so this is essentially assuring his love, and is a massive favor. Being more generous than is necessary is a common theme in Ariwara’s actions. While it is true he leaves behind many who care for him, he also genuinely cares for them and generally treats them well. A cynic might say this is purely out of self-interest, especially given his skill as a poet, but I believe it shows Ariwara is a generous person. Furthermore, we must take into account the social norms of Ariwara’s time in judging his character.

According to prominent Japanese scholar Donald Keene, Ariwara was the quintessential courier in Heian times (Keene 453). Ariwara was uncommonly attractive, a distinguished poet, of noble birth, and an unparalleled womanizer (Keene 453). Keene also speculates that he is likely an excellent rider, proficient soldier, and capable bureaucrat (Keene 453). Although some of Ariwara’s traits may be frowned upon by today’s standards, most notably in his treatment of women, it was not viewed the same way during Ariwara’s time. My overall impression of Ariwara is of someone who is often oblivious and irresponsible due to his privilege and many natural gifts. He is immature and capricious by today’s standards because of this, and this is seen in his treatment of others, especially women. The most glaring example of his callous treatment of others is seen when a woman literally dies pursuing him. However, Ariwara is also a considerate person. Ariwara shows genuine compassion and remorse to the people in his life. He weeps, writes sincere poetry, and makes fervent (if futile) promises when he loses love. He helps others when he does not need to, moved by pity or benevolence. By loving many, he shows passion for individuals who may not otherwise receive any. The most notable example of this is when he takes a nearly one hundred year old lover who is ignored by all others. Ariwara is certainly not without faults, but taking into account the different social norms of the time, I believe Ariwara is a generous character who truly cares for those around him and often makes an effort to help others, despite sometimes being oblivious to the consequences of his actions.

Bibliography

Katō, Shūichi, and Sanderson, Don. A History of Japanese Literature : From the Man'yōshū to Modern times. New Abridged Ed. / Translated & Edited by Don Sanderson.. ed. Richmond, Surrey: Japan Library, 1997. Print.

Keene, Donald. Seeds in the Heart : Japanese Literature from Earliest times to the Late Sixteenth Century. 1st ed. New York: Henry Holt &, 1993. Print.

Mccullough, William H. "Japanese Marriage Institutions in The Heian Period." Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 27 (1967): 103-67. Web.

Shirane, Haruo, and Arntzen, Sonja. Traditional Japanese Literature : An Anthology, Beginnings to 1600. New York: Columbia UP, 2007. Print. Translations from the Asian Classics.