Chapter 38 Summary

Genji continues to visit the Third Princess, but he knows that he cannot have her now that she has become a nun. Instead of being dissuaded by the fact that she is completely inaccessible, Genji wants to be with her all the more. Unfortunately, there is nothing he can do to have her and he cannot bring himself to give her up, so he simply comforts her so that she might be able to accept her lonely life away from the world.

Chapter 38 Analysis

The fact that Genji wants the Third Princess after she has become a nun shows that he is still the same fickle man that he was before. Despite his advancing years, he has not gained wisdom and, despite the fact that many people around him are giving up their ties to this world, he is unwilling to remove himself...