Similar to today's male visions of the perfect woman, the ideals of the Heian period varied among men. However, that being said, there are still common characteristics that every man's "perfect woman" shares. In The Tale of Genji, author Murasaki Shikibu devotes almost an entire chapter to a conversation between four men, including the famous Genji, about their ideal woman. Tō no Chūjō, a captain of the guards in the tale describes that even a seemingly perfect woman could be a disappointment. This so-called promising woman would be able “to write with a fluid hand, to return a perfectly acceptable poem to you, and in all, to do sufficient honor to the rank she must defend” (p. 20). The disappointment would be that even if she could meet all the socially expected standards of a real woman, she is often "too satisfied with her own accomplishments, denigrates others, and so on" (p. 20). Therefore, his physical abilities and attributes are attractive, but his personality is not, thus tainting his perfection. In the Heian era, it wasn't just about appearance, in fact, it was more about a woman's skills and personality that determined whether she was ideal or not. He then explains that a girl loved and protected by her parents must, in a way, be sold by her parents to other men by boasting about their daughters' good qualities. She often does as she is told and learns “a hobby she has seen others enjoy” (p. 20). In other words, she is not herself and is just a mere copy of an acceptable woman. Overall, Tō no Chūjō stated that "when a girl is of high birth, everyone pampers her and many things about her remain hidden, so she naturally seems a model." Those of middle birth are those among the...... middle of paper ......s to serve one's husband as the head squire prefers, or the middle-class wife, easily understandable as Tō no Chūjō prefers, or the well-educated, creative and wealthy woman as the majority of the Heian period preferred. On the other hand, the perfect Heian man, gifted in various arts such as poetry, painting, playing musical instruments, is not always considered the "ideal man" in this society. In fact , most artists of late, unfortunately, don't have much success unless they really stand out among the crowd. If Genji had lived in the 21st century, it would be surprising if he made it very far. as it would no longer be considered an ideal and would simply disappear into the massive crowds of today's society, Shikibu and Royall Tyler The Tale of Genji: Penguin Group., 2001.