Chapter 41 Summary

Genji knows that he is growing old and, after the death of Murasaki, he spends his autumn years attempting to comfort himself and his shattered emotions. Sadly, memories of Murasaki come to him constantly and everything reminds him of his lost wife. In his grief, Genji has a companion in the 4-year-old Niou, the third son of the current emperor. Aside from his young friend, Genji mostly secludes himself from the world.

Genji occasionally visits some of his former loves, but they only remind him of Murasaki, so he prefers to avoid them. However, he does have a soft spot for Chujo, one of Murasaki's former servants. Chujo is only another link to Murasaki and her presence gives him more reason to miss his true love.

Chapter 41 Analysis

In this chapter, Genji grieves tremendously for the one woman he truly loved but, in...