DescriptionThis thesis presents the argument that Genji, the seeming rake at the heart of Murasaki Shikibu’s Tale of Genji, is, in fact, a transgendered subject. As such, as a consequence of his failure to acculturate into Heian femininity, he is a dangerously immature and phallic woman whose amorous pursuits are, in fact, irresponsible and damaging doll play. Genji, provided the chance to achieve feminine maturity by a series of potentially nurturing stepmothers, fails to do so. Instead, he wreaks havoc on the series of women whose misfortune it is to fall under his immature and increasingly deranged female gaze.