This paper examines the Akutagawa Prize-winning novel of 2019, The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura. The novel, like many of Imamura’s works, depicts a system of violence and exclusion; the characters are marginalized in their environments and, despite their efforts, constantly find themselves caught up in a cycle of violence against them. As in author’s debut work This is Amiko, here as well, the pair of opposite colors, yellow and purple, is found, and the two heroines appear as doubles. While paying attention to the process of switching the observer and the observed, our analysis will focus on the breakdown of relationship caused by misunderstanding and miscommunication and also examine symbolism related to these two characters. The protagonist of The Woman in the Purple Skirt speaks little of herself, is treated as invisible, and neglected by others around her. The most obvious representation of this structure of exclusion can be observed in the game played by children. Therefore, this paper considers the image of the protagonist and the system of exclusion, focusing on these scenes.