The Pillow Book: What is it?
The Pillow Book is described as “genre-bending miscellany of short, largely unrelated pieces” since it consists of numerous essays, anecdotes, lists, descriptions of nature, and poems (McKinney par. 8). However, all notes, represented in The Pillow Book, are united by the fact that they reflect the daily life of the author, her thoughts on contemporary issues. In Japan, such writings are classified as “Zuihitsu genre” (Kasahara par. 12).
Most of all, the collection of personal notes resembles philosophical writings and poems in which Sei Shonagon writes about the peculiarities and the essence of everyday life. The diversity of styles is evident since the author writes about nature, the seasons, the conversations between the Empress and the Emperor, the things that amuse and captivate her (Sei 42, 51, 70).
What does It Say to the Contemporary Audience?
It is necessary to remind that The Pillow Book was not targeted at the audience and was created as a diary and collection of Seis thoughts. At the same time, McKinney admits that Sei “is talking to you, with the full force of her forceful and engaging personality” (par. 9). The most significant point about The Pillow Book is that the author draws the reader’s attention to things that they are used not to notice. For instance, Sei describes the sky, the moon, and the sun in different seasons as well as things that “make your heart beat fast”, “make feel nostalgic”, and “make feel cheerful” (Sei 42-46, 70-71). Since modern-day humans used to live in a hurry, Sei teaches that it is crucial to stop rushing and spend some time contemplating the world.
Expression of human consciousness
The universality of Sei’s book is presented through the illustration of ordinary’s people behavior. For instance, the writer describes what other people wear depending on their social status and gender (Sei 93, 131, 134, 137). This way, the author reflects such aspects of people’s lives as social divisions that have been preserved to this day and remain relevant to modern people’s lives. Apparently, the goal of Sei’s work was not to stress this issue. Nevertheless, for the 21st century’s reader, this theme becomes evident.
Another universal idea of The Pillow Book is the role of nature in the life of people. In the literature of all centuries and epochs, nature has always been an important topic. That is so because this theme is close to every individual and people have always been strongly depended on nature.
Cultural significance
The Pillow Book not only tells a story about amusing nature and behavior of people, but also describes social, political, and cultural peculiarities of the times of Seis life. Sei depicts how people were dressed and what they ate (88, 93, 131, 134, 137). Apart from that, she immortalizes Heian court culture and emphasizes the importance of secular traditions. Besides, Sei pays attention to the description of prominent figures in Japan of 11th century. This way, she mentions the Lord Takashina Akinobu, children and relatives of the Emperor, gentlewomen in the court of Teishi, to name but a few (Sei 82, 94, 99, 123). Therefore, Seis book assists to understand that did the culture of ancient Japan look like and, thus, the work poses immense cultural significance.
Works Cited
Kasahara, Zelda. “The “Pillow Book” — classical literature which will not bore you”. Medium, 2017.
McKinney, Meredith. “The Pillow Book: Translating a Classic”.Kyoto Journal, 2011.
Sei, Shonagon. The Pillow Book. Translated by Meredith Mckinney, Penguin Books, 2006.