Pillow Book AssignmentSei Shōnagon, lady of the court of Empress Teishi, was born in 966 CE during the era Heian. Also known as the author of the Pillow Book because of her stories and personal opinions she wrote while serving the Empress. To understand this book, we must understand the culture in which she grew up; which was strongly influenced by Shintoism. Shintoism is a way of life and, arguably, a religion. It has changed slightly over the years, but the fundamental bonds remain the same: Tama and Kami. The Kami, the spirits, are in a sense revered/honored in Shinto practices. Tama is the power of everything in nature, including us, and some people have more tama than others. Pre-Buddhist women were believed to have more Tama than men, due to their ability to give birth; but Buddhism helped promote male dominance in Japan. Therefore, at the time Sei was born, she lived in a culture that favored men slightly more than women. It is in this historical context that we can analyze Sei's writings. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay. We can first look at how she incorporated her love of nature into her writing. Her belief in the tama of nature is extremely evident when she says: “When the sun sets, the heart is moved by the sound of the wind and the buzz of the insects. » Breaking this down, we can first see the power of the wind. She believes that if you listen carefully enough, it has the power to move hearts. Listen closer and you can also hear the buzzing of insects, although tiny, they also have the power to move hearts. She also uses a lot of imagery to express her feelings towards the tama of nature: “The willows are also very charming in this season, with their buds still enclosed like silkworms in their cocoons. » Normally, charming is used to express another human's appearance, but she uses the word to express her feelings towards willows. This helps us understand his view of the power that exists in nature, as well as his respect and love for it. Sei also incorporated Kami into his writings, often referring to people in power. For example, Chief Equerry is a high-ranking official, she regards him with great respect. In the same way, nature may have a spirit in a waterfall, which it will also regard with as much respect, if not more, than the officer. Which was extremely common in Japanese culture, due to their belief that spirits can be inside the forces of nature; and in some cases, they can bring good luck to earth. Although not extremely common during Sei's existence, farmers would sometimes erect temporary shrines to attract spirits who would bless them with good harvests. The belief that spirits bring luck and fortune was common in Asian culture and helped facilitate the growth of more shrines dedicated to Kami objects and people. Sei also talks about things she doesn't like in her writings "Hateful Things", for example: "Envying others and complaining about one's own fate." She believes that we should be content with what we have and not see the other side of the fence as greener, but rather be content with what we currently have. She also talks about hating long stories: "If one can..