Shonagon’s position in court earns her some privileges in 11th-century Japanese society. How does she appreciate, leverage, and value her own social class? How does this appreciation shape her view of those in other social classes?

Consider Shonagon’s relationship to the Empress. By modern day terms, would you classify the two as friends? What enables their friendship, and what limits it?

Men and women often seem distinctly separated in The Pillow Book. What connects them, in Shonagon’s eyes? Does she see utility in separating the sexes?