Becoming Murasaki: Exploring Religious Subtext in the Court Diary of Murasaki Shikibu
By Erick DuPree
Sex. Religion. Power. Possession. Manipulation.
In the dazzling yet dangerous world of mid-Heian court life, women navigated a complex chess game of politics and alliances — where even the color of an autumn kimono or a misplaced line in a poem could spark social ruin.
Becoming Murasaki is a provocative and deeply researched exploration of how women in the Heian era used religion as a subtle but potent tool to secure power, assert sexual autonomy, and navigate the rigid structures of courtly life. Through an in-depth analysis of The Murasaki Shikibu Nikki (The Diary of Murasaki Shikibu) and selected passages from The Tale of Genji, Erick DuPree uncovers the intricate ways women maneuvered within—and sometimes against—the systems that sought to confine them.
Unlike her contemporaries, Murasaki Shikibu's writing bridges the richly observed daily life of the court with the fantastical world of her 'shining prince.' In doing so, her work reveals a shifting landscape where ritual, taboo, status, and sexual dynamics collide, offering readers rare insight into the lived religious experience of women in the 11th century.
In Becoming Murasaki, you'll discover:
How Buddhism empowered women's sexual agency amidst the constraints of imperial expectations.
The double-edged sword of Confucian influence on court language, shaping—and limiting—female expression.
Shintoism’s critical role in reshaping gendered rituals, motherhood, and court alliances.
A deeper, darker portrait of Murasaki Shikibu herself — a woman whose genius challenged, conformed to, and ultimately redefined her world.
Part literary analysis, part cultural study, and part feminist critique, Becoming Murasaki invites you to reconsider one of Japan’s most celebrated writers through a bold new lens.