HIS 227 / PSC 227, POWER AND AUTHORITY
IN NONWESTERN SOCIETIES

SPRING SEMESTER 2003

ASSIGNMENT SIXTEEN
DUE: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2003

What aspects of the aristocratic lifestyle described in the "Evening Faces" chapter from the Tale of Genji strike you as indicative of already well established aesthetic traditions found in tenth century Japan? Examine particularly the social uses of poetry, the exacting standards of female dress, various religious observances and practices, evidence of the impact of Chinese aesthetic standards and aspects of etiquette.