Chapter 1
Spotlight on Japan

• compare their reactions to everyday life with those of Sei Shonagon, a 10th century Japanese Court woman
• analyze the value of using a personal diary to understand a culture

Materials:
Excerpts from The Pillow Book - Sei Shonagon

Teacher Background
Sel Shonagon was born in 967, the daughter of a descendant of the Emperor Temmu. Married briefly, she and her son lived in the Imperial Palace in the service of Empress Sadako from 993 until Sadako's death in 1000. The name Shonagon refers to the title of Sel's office. Shonagon wrote The Pillow Book (Makura no Soshi) about the year 1002, during the Helan period in Japanese history. The book is part diary and part essay. One of the unusual features of Japanese literature written during this period is that such works as The Pillow Book and The Tales of Genji were written by women. One theory is that Japanese men considered the writing of prose in their native language to be beneath them, and so they concentrated their literary efforts on poetry and Chinese prose.

Though Shonagon did not write down her ideas in The Pillow Book in any kind of connected style, some scholars have attempted to classify its content as follows:

• names of things, such as rivers and mountains;
• thoughts on place life, human affairs and nature;
• diary accounts and narrative sections concerning Shonagon's experiences at the palace. In the diary sections, the author sometimes boasts of her knowledge of Chinese literature and the admiration this evokes from young noblemen. Shonagon is credited with creating expressions, such as the "dawn of spring" and "evening of autumn," that were so widely used by later poets that they became cliches.

Shonagon's prose writing is highly regarded for its witty style and insights. Yet it is the author herself who shines through her works, displaying a keen intelligence and sophisticated style of humor. The noted literary critic Donald Keene, regards The Pillow Book as the closest approach to high comedy in Japanese literature. According to Mr. Keene, "It Is a work without precedent, filled with flashing impressions and delicate touches (even) if lacking in depth. "

Procedures:
Prior to class, teacher duplicates Student Worksheets with excerpts from The Pillow Book. Cut along dotted lines between excerpts and fold each excerpt individually. On the outside, the teacher writes the title of the selection. Place folded excerpts in a box or basket and allow students to select one.

• On entering the room, each student selects a folded paper which contains one excerpt. Caution them not to open paper until directed to do so.
• Students are asked to respond to the title on the outside of the folded paper. Student's should write whatever the title suggests. Allow 8-10 minutes for writing activity.
• When the class has finished writing, call on volunteers to read the title of their selection and their responses.
• After a number of volunteers read their writing, everyone is asked to open the folded papers and read what Sel Shonagon had written on the same topic. The same participants who had read their own work, now read the words from The Pillow Book.
• Ask class:
  • Are there any similarities between your response and the original? Discuss.
  • What differences did you notice?
  • What do these writings reveal about the culture of Japan in the 10th century?
  • To what extent would a contemporary Japanese teenager share some of the same values as this 10th century writer? A contemporary American teenager?

Summary

• When researching a period in history, historians and social scientists frequently search for original diaries.
  • How does a person's diary help us to learn about a culture?
  • What are the dangers of relying on such a document as the only source?