Hateful Things in “The Pillow Book” by Sei Shonagon

Sei Shonagon’s “The Pillow Book” is part of the important literary tradition of the Heian period. Analyze this work.

Read the list “Hateful Things” from “The Pillow Book.” Select one of the items on Sei Shonagon’s list that you identify with or agree with and explain why. Be sure to summarize the “hateful thing” you identify/agree with, and include the page number where you find it in the reading. What does this genre of literature reveal to historians about elite culture in the Heian period? Be specific and provide at least one example from the primary source to support your assertion. What are the limitations of this type of document as a source of history?