The literary masterpiece The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu is a fictional tale that provides a clear insight into the socio-political life of the court of the Heian period in Japan. In the tale, we can see the living standards expected of aristocrats during the Heian period. The social nature of life at the Heian court is represented in the many relationships between characters throughout the various stories presented in The Tale of Genji. The relationships in the tale are primarily romantic relationships that surround the Brilliant Prince Genji, as well as other relationships such as parent and child, master and servant, and relationships between social contemporaries. The romantic relationships in the tale indirectly provide the reader with an understanding of the ideal man or woman in the Heian court. We can infer from various parts of the narrative what social norms were like during the Heian period and what constituted the ideal lady or courtly man. The Heian period was a beloved peaceful time in Japanese history. At this time, Japan was beginning to break away from Chinese influence, thus Japanese culture was transforming into something unique and independent from that of China. An example of a resulting change was Japan's later development of its writing system known as kana, which allowed authors to express their feelings in a more Japanese way. The Japanese court also progressed independently of China and created unique concepts and values ​​such as miyabi "courtesy", makoto "sincerity", and conscious "sadness of impermanence" (Hooker). The expectations placed on the men and women of the court during the Heian period had to be consistent with such values. Courtiers were supposed to show the miyabi in their person...... middle of paper...... too clear. Genji is said to be the absolute perfect man of the Heian period. I don't like it, but I can't impose my modern perspective on that of the Heian period.Works CitedArima, Hiro. “Japanese Court Culture.” East Asian Civilization. Southern Illinois University Carbondale, nd Web. February 28, 2011. .Chiappa, J N. “The Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari).” J. Noel Chiappa. Ed. J N. Chiappa. Np, and Web. February 28, 2011. .Hooker, Richard. “Ancient Japan: Heian period”. Civilizations of the world. Ed. RichardHooker. Washington State University, June 6, 1999. Web. February 28, 2011. Tyler, Royall, ed. The Tale of Genji: Abridged. New York: Penguin Group, 2006. 18, 24,36, 61-63, 179, 180, 316. Print.