Nagiko strings together five lovers of various nationalities and walks of life to serve as living canvasses for each chapter of her book that she then commands to go to the publisher. Nagiko seeks a lover who can match her desire for carnal pleasure with her admiration for poetry and … Nagiko also finds out that she is pregnant with Jerome’s child. Here Sei describes the Festival of Young Herbs, which involved both the ritual eating of certain herbs and the awarding of promotions at court. Her fetish for poetry and calligraphy is born from her father’s practice of writing characters of virtue and good fortune on her face with a brush during her birthday. Nagiko grows up, obsessed with books, papers, and writing on bodies, and her sexual odyssey (and the creation of her own Pillow Book) is a "parfait mélange" of classical Japanese, modern Chinese, and Western film images. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the movie The Pillow Book by director Peter Greenaway. Sections 1–4. Yaji-san is aware of how damaging the information Nagiko holds can be once it becomes public so he surrenders his copy of chapter six, written on Jerome’s skin, then choses to have himself killed rather than be blackmailed. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Nobles and courtiers are distinguishable by the colors of their. | The Pillow Book study guide contains a biography of director Peter Greenaway, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. She discloses the truth to Jerome about her plot to get back at Yaji-san for all the grief he has caused her family. She repentantly pens the 6th chapter on his corpse, but Yaji-san arranges to have the body exhumed and flays the skin with the text to make a macabre “pillow book” for himself. The film's title, "The Pillow Book", refers to an ancient Japanese diary, the book of observations by Sei Shnagon, actual name believed to be Kiyohara Nagiko, from whence the protagonist's name in the film. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!”, “This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Our, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in, Aesthetic Beauty, Delight, and Cultural Tradition, Sei Shōnagon opens her diary with the first of many lists—lists of things that bring her delight. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our. Hoki tries to keep her interested in him by suggesting she write a book instead, offering to take it to a famed publisher he does work for occasionally. "The Pillow Book (Film) Summary". The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Struggling with distance learning? Outraged, she writes Yaji-san anonymously demanding that he surrender his pillow book to her and in return she will give the remaining chapters of her book. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class.”, LitCharts uses cookies to personalize our services. One of her lovers, Hoki, a Japanese photographer and student activist hopelessly smitten with Nagiko, begs her to take him as a lover. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. Hong Kong is a turbulent place and Nagiko is finds herself witnessing student protests frequently. This “pillow book” is a blend of short narratives, personal musings, and many lists of observations and … A woman with a body writing fetish seeks to find a combined lover and calligrapher. Aesthetic Beauty, Delight, and Cultural Tradition. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." She is shocked to discover that the mysterious publisher is none other than Yaji-san, her father’s predatory old publisher. The Pillow Book. ), imperial court life revolved around seasonal festivals. Jerome however dallies with the old publisher not returning to Nagiko prompting her to search for him. Nagiko enthusiastically agrees to write the book and Hoki promptly takes it to the publisher. Livid, he burns the diary and this spurs Nagiko to leave him permanently. Storyline. Sei Shōnagon, a gentlewoman serving in the imperial court of Empress Teishi in Japan in the 990s C.E., keeps a diary. She strings together seven more individuals and sends the chapters piecemeal like the first five, each individual bearing a clever twist on the location of the text based on the subtitle of chapter. She is repulsed by his handwriting however and she proceeds to dismiss him when he turns the table on Nagiko offering his body as a blank canvass to write on.