Memoirs Of A Geisha Essay

Memoirs of a Geisha Essay
In the best–selling novel entitled Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, Golden examines the
secret world of the geisha. Contrary of what is often believed, geisha are far from being prostitutes;
they are more accurately High–class Japanese entertainers. Arthur Golden shows the reader a
completely different look on life in looking into the lives of geisha in mid–twentieth century Gion
and sends a very strong message distinguishing the geisha and the prostitutes. Arthur Golden,
throughout Memoirs of a Geisha, creates a perfect image of the city of Gion, the last Japanese city
to still have Geisha the followed the old traditions. Golden describes the world of the Geisha through
the experiences of a fictional Geisha named Nitta Sayuri....show more content...
While the geisha in the larger cities such as Tokyo dressed more modernly by the mid–twentieth
century, the Gion geisha retained their traditional lifestyles. "Mameha had warned me that
everyone would be fascinated with my appearance; because there's nothing quite like an
apprentice geisha from Gion. It is true that in the better geisha districts of Tokyo, such as
Shimbashi and Akasaka, a girl must master the arts if she expects to make her debut. But many of
the Tokyo geisha at that time were very modern in their sensibilities, which is why some were
walking around the Baron's estate in Western style clothing." Every future geisha is taught various
forms of entertainment, including singing, playing the shamisen, dancing and so on. "As I
learned from Pumpkin, beginning me training meant going to a school in another section of Gion
to take lessons in things such as music, dance, and tea ceremony. All the girls studying to be
geisha took classes at this same school." Every geisha specializes in one of the many areas of
entertainment for the men that call upon them. However, a geisha's talent and the form that a
geisha specializes in also indicate her class and subsequently her price per hour. Dancing, for
geisha, was considered the highest form of art. "" Dance has everything to do with it," she told me.
"If you look around at the most successful geisha in Gion, everyone one of them is a dancer."" All
apprentice geisha
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Sayuri's Memoirs Of A Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha is the story of a young girl named Chiyo sold into the life of a Geisha. Her
tragedies overwhelm her until she decides to transform herself into the woman she needs to be in
order to survive. Once she breaks free from the grueling life of a maid and is able to start her
studies to be a Geisha again, things begin to change for the better. That is, until her life is again
caught in the midst of destiny. She begins to realize that if she does what she must do, become
Nobu's mistress, she will lose the chance of ever having true love and happiness with the Chairman.
In these two characters, two very separate worlds collide and cause Chiyo, now Sayuri, to make a
choice between what is right and what is desired. In the end, after...show more content...
She talks about the American people's misconceptions about what a 'geisha' is and their
derogatory view of the concept. She explains the type of surprised and unsettled look that she is
given by the American women when they realize that she was once a geisha. Although she
expresses her sympathetic understanding of these misconceptions, she makes this comparison to
show her thoughts on the matter: "A moment later she is rescued by her escort, a wealthy man a
good thirty or forty years older than she is. Well, I often find myself wondering why she can't
sense how much we really have in common. She is a well kept woman, you see, and in my day, so
was I." (Golden 291) Golden included this detail as a direct connection to his life and the questions
that he would often get asked when writing this novel. ("Arthur Golden – An Interview with
Author"). It is difficult for Westerners to understand what being a geisha means since there is
nothing in Western culture that corresponds to it. He includes this detail as an anecdote and also to
ensure that his readers are aware of this cultural

Memoirs Of A Geisha
In the novel Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden displays the mobility of a geisha between classes
through Sayuri Nitta, who is transformed from a poor orphan to one of the most famous geishas in
Japan, and into a different, stronger woman. The class system in Japan was divided into four castes
from the 12th to the 19th century, and one of the few exceptions to the caste rule were the geisha.
Merchants were the bottom tier, followed by artisans, then farmers, and finally, samurai. People such
as actors, minorities, and criminals were not bound by the system, but were often below the lowest
level, living off of what they could find, and were in a constant state of desperation. The unique
quality of the geisha in this situation is that they were

Memoirs of a Geisha Essay example
We follow the life of Sayuri, who begins as a peasant in a fishing village, as she becomes a geisha.
The real interest of this book is in the first half – her training and schooling. After that, the book
devolves into a rather standard romance–novel–type plot concerning Sayuri's love for the Chairman,
an important figure in her life.
Ivy, Resident Scholar
The story of a Japanese girl with unusual grey eyes that is taken away from her poor fishing village at
the age of nine to be taken into slavery and be trained to become a geisha. Nitta Sayuri faces the
many hardships of the art of becoming a geisha and her rival who adds to her burden. The arts of
wearing a kimono, putting on makeup, pouring sake, having her virginity auctioned to...show more
content...
Rivalry with an older geisha almost destroys her career. Sayuri is tormented and inspired by love
for a man who she believes she cannot have. The story covers the period of the second world war –
the end of an era for Japan.
Bryn Colvin, Resident Scholar
Chiyo, a small town girl in Japan, is sent to become a geisha in the big town of Gion. Things take a
bad turn, however, when she runs afowl of the okiya's chief geisha. Now, Chiyo must face
Hatsumomo's wrath, and the busy world of Gion, to become a geisha.
LyonSabre, Resident Scholar
Sayuri is taken to become a geisha while her mother is dying. She is separated from her sister and
has to struggle against Mother and Auntie as well as her the woman teaching her the ways of the
geisha. She also has to come to terms with the fact that she cannot be with the man she loves.
Jen, Resident Scholar
Sayuri is just a normal little girl in a fishing town in Japan. With a sick mother, and a quickly aging
father, it seems as thought Sayuri and her sister, Satsu, may soon be alone in this world. However, a
man soon visits their village and takes the sisters away––for a price––and soon they are introduced to
a whole new world.
Sayuri and Satsu are separated not long after being removed from their hometown. Sayuri does not
know what happens to her sister, but what happens to Sayuri

Memoirs Of A Geisha Women
Whether or not they were formally recognized or praised, women have always played an integral
role in society. During the early twentieth century, the work of women gradually became more
prominent and previous beliefs on what was appropriate for women were challenged as more
women began to work for their own individual profit and prestige. This is seen in the 2005 film,
Memoirs of a Geisha. Directed by Rob Marshall, Memoirs is the story of how a young peasant girl,
named Chiyo, rose up through the ranks and earned profit and prestige as the geisha, Sayuri. As East
Asian countries began to interact and form relationships with European nations, they were exposed
and sometimes adopted to the new depictions of women that have emerged in the West....show more
content...
Schoppa states, "From roughly 1917–1921, the emphasis on individualism and achieving individual
goals was greater than in any time in modern China's history." In a field that had been predominantly
male, Yuliang, as a female artist, challenged the norms that had characterized previous Chinese
gender roles. In her article, Jane Zheng asserts, "in the new era, women were expected to use their
artistic talents in certain public roles rather than merely as entertainment for their husbands or for
their own amusement." In the film, Yuliang becomes a well–respected painter during her time in
Paris and, when she returns to Shanghai, she is offered a job as an art professor. The achievement
of being offered this position as a woman shows not only her own personal social and economic
success, but also how Chinese women overall, during this time, became more involved in the public
sphere and more independent. Both Memoirs of a Geisha and A Soul Haunted by Painting
demonstrate how women at this time used both their bodies and their work to become successful in
their respective societies. Whether it was through the more traditional occupation of being a geisha
or becoming an innovative, provocative painter, they paved the way for women in the public

Analysis Of The Book ' Memoirs Of A Geisha '
Memoirs of a Geisha is a beautiful work of meta–fiction; where the author implements an
autobiographical approach and fabricates a fictional translator who is supposedly a friend of the
protagonist in the book; Nitta Sayuri a geisha or Geiko of Kyoto, Japan. Here Golden gives an
unusual frame to the storytelling through the voice of the translator Jacob and how Jacob
documents Sayuri's oral narration about the fascinating life she has had as a Kyoto Geisha. This
biographical approach gives the story yet more believable and also can leave the readers confused
between fantasy and reality. The story is set in a period in Japan; which is almost forgotten today.
It's a chronicle about the life of a Geisha; which in Japanese stands for person of...show more
content...
Chiyo was scared as well as fascinated by the prospect of becoming a Geisha, with the wit of a 9
year old girl. There, she meets a man who was addressed as 'the chairman', who she immediately
starts to admire and since then she becomes devoted to that man. Later on, after many ups and
downs, she masters the art of becoming an astounding geisha; capable of making men fall in love
with just a single look, which makes her 'mizuage' or virginity most expansive in Gion and finally
a high paying patron buys this privilege when she was 15 years old. After a few escapades in the
company of some most undesirable patrons, she finally becomes the mistress of the man she had
set her heart on all along, the benevolent chairman. In her life as a geisha and before that; with her
little expectation for happiness; this makes her as happy as she could be. This is the man who
stayed with her till his death in Manhattan, U.S, where he helps her set up her own tea house who
became a hub for the intellectuals, artists and businessman all over from Japan and also U.S till
her demise. FROM THE READER'S PERSPECTIVE Beneath the layer of a romantic memoire, this
book actually unveils the history of a patriarchal time period and its impact throughout the life of a
little girl. The author carefully wraps the truth about why Mr Tanaka could only choose being Geisha
or a prostitute as only suitable employment for Chiyo and her sister, rather than some other helper
job at his company. Ultimately, a

Memoirs Of A Geisha Essay
Throughout out our lives, we all find books that stick with us in certain ways, changing our
minds and habits by what they impart to us. For me, Memoirs of a Geisha was not such. While,
superficially, it stands it 's ground as a decent piece of literature, the rhetoric and other such
devices well utilized. Once one takes a closer look, though, at the characters, plot, and more,
mistakes, flaws, and inaccuracies become extremely apparent, degrading the integrity of the work
as a whole. In a casual setting, Memoirs of a Geisha would be a satisfying read for most audiences,
but, under deep scrutiny, falls apart into a poorly written Simonides imitation. Memoirs of a Geisha
is a story about a young girl, Sakamoto Chiyo, who is sold, along...show more content...
The two of them, along with Mameha's danna, or wealthy patron, the Baron, help the mizuage
bidding reach extreme heights, with Dr. Crab winning with one of the highest prices ever paid.
Sayuri, as a result of her high priced mizuage, is adopted by the okiya much to the resentment of
Hatsumomo and Pumpkin, and becomes a full fledged geisha. Soon after this success, however,
the entire geisha district is affected by World War II. Nobu, in love with Sayuri, ships her to a
safe house, allowing her to escape most of the war, and later enlists her help in wooing a potential
client of his, where she is again reunited with her love, the Chairmen. Sayuri pushes away Nobu's
advances to become her danna, going so far to seduce his horrible client, and confesses her
feelings to the Chairmen who happily reciprocates, ending with her becoming his permanent
mistress and eventually leaving to New York. This story is full of hardship, human nature, and
Japanese culture, following the development of Nitta Sayuri from innocent Chiyo to a jaded
Sayuri. The characters of a book are the most important components, creating the story and
supporting it. Many individuals portrayed in this book mainly showcase darker traits, plotting and
scheming for personal gain over all, even with a friendly facade. One of the main offenders of this is
Sayuri 's mentor, or big sister, Mameha. Everything she does for Sayuri is in her own self interests,
in order to make a profit and

Who Is Sayuri In The Memoirs Of A Geisha
Sayuri is in a different position from Offred as she is sold off by her family to a wealthy
household to live as a servant. Sayuri from Memoirs of a Geisha had "[her] family [sell] [her]
[off] to this house... If [she] impresses mother, and does exactly as she says, [mother] [would] send
[Sayuri] to school become a geisha" (Golden). This is Sayuri's first step to becoming a geisha, she
had no other option but to live in the Okiya house. With the turn of events that happened in her life
Sayuri goes from a fisherman's daughter to a servant to a beautiful, successful geisha. She had no
family left, her only option was to become a geisha or live her life as a servant under the Okiya
house or become a prostitute. Not only does she change her appearance

Memoir Of A Geisha Essay
The film that I watched is гЂЉThe Memoir of a GeishaгЂ‹, and it was released in the United States
on December 9, 2005. The director of this film is Rob Marshall, and 2 main characters in the
movie are Sayuri (starring by Ziyi Zhang) and Hatsumomo (Gong Li). Although this film is
produced by American directors, the origin of the story is in Japan. By the year when Chiyo is
nine, her father reluctantly sold her and her sister to a geisha house because of poverty. In that
geisha house, she is forced to do the cleaning every day with no return, until one day she achieves
higher hierarchy and is able to serve the customers. This story happened during the World War II. At
first, the victory of German army brings hope to its allies Japan, so...show more content...
They are the ritualization in Japanese culture, women's implicit expression of love, women's
hierarchy in 18th Japan, and how the landscape of Japan influences the prosperity of Geisha
culture. Unlike the enthusiastic Western women, women grew up in oriental culture often have
more restrained and gentle attitude, and this is one of the most symbolic cultural landscapes in
Japan. In the movie, Sayuri chases for love and all she wants to do is to get closer to the
Chairman. In fact, before the end of the story, she only sees chairman a few times in all, but she
has strong faith to be with him. It could even be said that her whole life started from the few
minutes of their encounters on the bridge. This is the typical oriental love, implicit but deeply
passionate. Another cultural issue that is mentioned in the film is ritualization. In the film, the
Colonel is impressed by the importance of rituals in Japan. This ritualization is shown completely
in this film. For example, In the other places, it is rare to see clients and geisha bowing to each
other before the intercourse, but this is a norm in Japan. So it could be said one significant factor
in Japanese culture is idealization, and Geisha is a component of this fantasy. They are pulled out
from themselves as women and then become an illusory form. When Sayuri wears the twelve layers
of elegant kimonos with exquisite makeup, stepped on those expensive black wooden clogs,

Memoirs Of A Geisha Sparknotes
Introduction: The novel Memoirs of a Geisha is a historic fiction story in which the hardships and
blunders of the Japanese during both world wars and after are seen through the eyes of the
protagonist. In other words, this is the life story of the narrator. As evident by the title, the story is
of the narrator's transition and life as a geisha, which roughly means 'traditional Japanese prostitute'.
The lives of geisha are very difficult, facing discrimination from the changing world and oppression
by their owners and bosses. Throughout the story, the author uses many literary elements to
emphasize the hardships and the oppression geisha face. In what ways does the author use
metaphors to explore the theme of Fate versus Free Will? This...show more content...
On the way, he picked up two books with settings based in japan. He gave me my first copy of
Memoirs of a Geisha. As I read the story, I was very confused with some of the words used and
concepts, which intrigued me since that had never happened to me before. I did not know where
I put the book after that. Now, when I had to choose a book to write about, I saw the same novel
in my IB1 Literature classroom. At once, I remembered how the story had intrigued me and how
the meaning had been lost to me. I chose this book because it is challenging and intriguing. My
favorite source for this essay is the book itself, with the articles coming at a close second. Summary
of Story: A young girl with beautiful eyes named Chiyo lives in Yoroido, a little fishing village, in a
little house with her little family–mom, dying of bone cancer; sister, who is older but not attractive;
and dad, who is unable to support the family. Because the dad can 't raise two girls alone, he sells
them to a local businessman, Mr. Tanaka. Chiyo thinks she is being adopted, but she ends up with
a family she never expected; a family of geisha in Kyoto, a long way from Yoroido. Chiyo lives in
an okiya, which is a fancy word for a geisha boarding house. The okiya is run by Mother, a stern,
often cruel, businesswoman. Chiyo starts as an indentured servant, doing housework and following
the orders of the house geisha, Hatsumomo. When she isn 't cleaning toilets or

Memoirs Of A Geisha Analytical Essay
Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden, and foreign film Water, by Deepa Mehta, include themes
on social influences which can determine a person's final destiny. The female protagonists Sayuri,
aged nine, and Chuyia, aged eight, are both sold into slavery for financial reasons and their lives are
greatly influenced by acts of betrayal through family, friends and individuals of high status. Both the
book and the film depict the terrible damages that can be done to the human soul when religious
rules and texts are treated as sacrosanct. The inhumane treatments of widows in India by Hindu
fundamentalists are similar to the subjugation of women by Japanese fundamentalists. Arthur
Golden and Deepa Mehta have done all women an immense service by shedding light on the
liberation...show more content...
Both works of art place an emphasis on finding beauty in the soul of its' characters and their
misfortunes do not make them unattractive. If anything, it makes them even more endearing. In
their time periods, it is not startling for the characters to be poor but to see it come from its'
2,000 year old customs is another matter. Since Memoirs of a Geisha is set before, during and
after World War II, the civilians are no strangers to poverty; everyone in Japan, both the poor and
rich alike, struggled to get by. It was common for many geishas to ask their male friends for help
but Sayuri did not in order to keep her independence –instead she worked as a farmer during the war
and only returned to help her sister, Mameha. If anything, it is the life Sayuri would have
preferred to have but as the book quotes, "We don't become Geishas because we want our lives to be
happy; we become Geishas because we have no choice" (Golden 310) The poverty line strikes at
bay for widows as well; Chuyia refuses to beg on the streets for the ashram because she believes she
can amount to being more than just a

Deception In Memoirs Of A Geisha By Arthur Golden
Thesis:
In the novel, Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden the theme of deception is prominent. Through
the deception experienced by Sayuri, golden teaches his readers that deception can hurt but it can
lead to something better.
Methods of development:
Deception from Mr. Tanaka
" I couldn't stop thinking about Mr.Tanaka. He had taken me away from my mother and father,
sold me into slavery, sold my sister into something even worse. I had taken him as a kind man. I
thought he was so refined, so worldly. What a stupid child I had been." I would never go back to
Yoroido, I decided. Or if I did , it would only be to tell Mr. Tanaka how much I hated him."(Golden
pg.82)
"But the truth is that the afternoon when I met Mr. Tanaka Ichiro really was the best and worst of
my life."(Golden pg.7)
Sayuri admired Mr. Tanaka and wanted to become his adopted daughter, after being taken away
from her home she was extremely hurt and felt stupid for believing in him.
She felt as though her life would never be the same again, and even tried to run away risking her
chances of becoming a Geisha.
Sayuri eventually benefited from this as she herself noticed that living in Gion allowed her to
become much more successful allowing her to take care of herself. She recognized that if she had
remained in Yoroido she would have never been able to achieve success and that she would still be
living in her little tipsy house with little to support herself.
Coming to Gion is also the reason she meet the

Symbolism In Arthur Golden's Memoirs Of A Geisha
From 1920 to present times, geisha numbers in Japan have dwindled from 80,000 to 150. In the
words of Memoirs of a Geisha's film adaptation, "[Geisha] sell [their] skills, not [their]
bodies...The very word "geisha" means artist and to be a geisha is to be judged as a moving work
of art." The variances and similarities between Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha and its movie
adaptation certainly raise the book in preference over the movie. Chiyo/Sayuri's childhood
background, Chiyo's encounters with the Chairman, and the symbolism of water are all significant
details in the story of Sayuri Nitta.
Chiyo Sakamoto is born in Yoroido, Japan. With her mother sick and her father growing older every
day, she believes Mr. Tanaka is her liberator. Little
...show more content...
Mameha, Sayuri's big sister, says "Waiting patiently doesn't suit you. I can see you have a great
deal of water in your personality. Water never waits. It changes shape and flows around things, and
finds the secret paths no one else has thought about" (movie). The water in Chiyo/Sayuri's
personality made her a threat to Hatsumomo, the head geisha in the Nitta okiya before Chiyo
arrived. When Hatsumomo and Sayuri have their final quarrel, Hatsumomo sets the okiya ablaze,
enforcing the impression that Hatsumomo's personality is linked to fire, making her and Chiyo
/Sayuri natural enemies. Mameha describes water as one of the most versatile elements, "Water is
powerful. It can wash away earth, put out fire, and even destroy iron" (movie). Without the water
element "showing" itself in her eyes, it is probable that she would not have become a geisha or
survived very long in

Analysis Of The Movie ' Memoirs Of A Geisha '
Both Rob Marshall and Warwick Thornton have very distinctive and different directory movie
styles. However, In memoirs of a Geisha (Directed by Rob Marshall) and Samson & Delilah
(Directed by Warwick Thornton) Both Warwick and Marshall are able to communicate their ideas of
exploitation similarly through a variety of shots and film techniques. These techniques are used in
great succession and are able to capture the audience to sympathize with these characters at their
lowest points.
A scene in Samson & Delilah that truly captured the essence of exploitation in modern day
Australia was a scene where Delilah tries to sell her artwork to an Aboriginal art gallery. The
character Delilah as previously mentioned is a fourteen year old...show more content...
The audience is then promptly shifted behind delilah with an over the shoulder shot and is
quickly glanced at by the art exhibitionist. We then hear "I'm not interested" as we watch his
attention drift back to his computer. As the viewer we are all promptly taken back by this and
can't help but sympathize with Delilah. My immediate thought after this occurred was "Why was
Delilah dismissed so quickly? This isn't fair!" which I believe Warwick Thornton wanted his
audiences to think. Warwick managed to subtly instill discomfort into his viewers by putting us
in a situation we can't help but feel uncomfortable and sympathetic in which was used in great
succession. We then switch back to where the art exhibtionist is standing and watch as Delilah
walks off emcombringly out of the shot as there is a sharp focus on her while exiting. Once
delilah has vanished out of the shot we are quickly transitioned to the next scene as we see Delilah
sitting on a hill looking off into the distance. We then transition and see two school girls sitting on
a bench. One with on her phone and the other eating ice cream. The camera than shifts focus from
these two unknown school girls to Delilah who's watching in the background. This shot stays on
Delilah for 7 seconds and I believe that this is very significant. As previously mentioned Delilah
does not look like she fits in, in fact based on her

Memoirs Of A Geisha By Arthur Golden
In the best–selling novel entitled Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, Golden examines the
secret world of the geisha. Contrary of what is often believed, geisha are far from being prostitutes;
they are more accurately High–class Japanese entertainers. Arthur Golden shows the reader a
completely different look on life in looking into the lives of geisha in mid–twentieth century Gion
and sends a very strong message distinguishing the geisha and the prostitutes.
Arthur Golden, throughout Memoirs of a Geisha, creates a perfect image of the city of Gion, the last
Japanese city to still have Geisha the followed the old traditions. Golden describes the world of the
Geisha through the experiences of a fictional Geisha named Nitta Sayuri. This...show more content...
I asked him to meet me in that very teahouse at midnight..."
Golden also distinguishes the Geisha of Kyoto (a district of Gion) from all other Japanese geisha.
While the geisha in the larger cities such as Tokyo dressed more modernly by the mid–twentieth
century, the Gion geisha retained their traditional lifestyles. "Mameha had warned me that everyone
would be fascinated with my appearance; because there's nothing quite like an apprentice geisha
from Gion. It is true that in the better geisha districts of Tokyo, such as Shimbashi and Akasaka, a
girl must master the arts if she expects to make her debut. But many of the Tokyo geisha at that time
were very modern in their sensibilities, which is why some were walking around the Baron's estate
in Western style clothing."
Every future geisha is taught various forms of entertainment, including singing, playing the
shamisen, dancing and so on. "As I learned from Pumpkin, beginning me training meant going to a
school in another section of Gion to take lessons in things such as music, dance, and tea ceremony.
All the girls studying to be geisha took classes at

Memoirs Of A Geisha By Arthur Golden
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "The only person you are destined to become is the person you
decide to be". The concept behind Emerson's words are evident in the novel Memoirs of a Geisha by
Arthur Golden. The main protagonist, Sayuri, demonstrates the way in which her life drastically
changed through self–determination rather than assume the path of destiny. Destiny is simply a
guideline in which one follows throughout their life however, the concept of self–determination is
the detailed description of which way life will go based on one's individual actions. Sayuri's
determination in pursuance of the love of her life led to a better lifestyle, better sentiment of
self–worth and self–esteem and an overall sense of happiness.
In Golden's novel...show more content...
Alder, a famous author once said "Every woman that finally figured out her worth, has picked up
her suitcases of pride and boarded a flight to freedom, which landed in the valley of change". In
regards to the novel surrounding the life of Chiyo who became the famous geisha, Sayuri, the
self–determination of creating a better life for herself and pursuing her love interest ultimately added
the confidence and self–worth that she had once lacked to ever recognize as a young girl. She
describes her upcoming in the world of geisha as, "...I became aware of all the magnificent silk
wrapped about my body, and had the feeling I might drown in beauty..."(Golden, 187). In her journey
of becoming a famous geisha, Chiyo blossomed from the innocent child who knew nothing of the
world to Sayuri, the woman with fair skin and stunning grey–blue eyes. Her self–determination led
to her appearance becoming an essential part of her goals and ultimately led to a better
understanding and appreciation for her gifts of beauty which also attributed to a better life.
However, in the case of the betterment of self–esteem and self–worth through self–determination,
students with disabilities are excellent example of people who have thrived in gaining self–esteem.
Through many research projects and analytical summaries of a school's population based on the
disabled and their overall self–esteem rating, the more self–determination a student has, the more
self–esteem they are more likely to exude. "...When acting on the basis of these skills and attitudes,
individuals have greater ability to take control of their lives and assume the role of successful
adults..."( Field, S., Martin, J., Miller, R., Ward, M., & Wehmeyer, M., Self
–determination for
persons with disabilities: A position statement of the division on career development and transition,"
Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 21(2), 113–128). Students with disabilities who
have enacted the game plan of self–determination

Ekubo In Iwasaki's Memoirs Of A Geisha
Misinterpreted Terms
Some terms Golden uses are misleading and divert from the original meaning of the terms used in
geisha culture. Golden misuses the cultural context of water. In Iwasaki's autobiography, she
mentions the term ochobo, which is "a small rounded confection with a red tip on the top" (123).
Ochobo symbolizes the breast and is given to people in Gion to "pay respects and say
congratulations" (Iwasaki 123). This term is also mentioned in Golden's work; however, he also
uses another term: ekubo (Golden 238). Ekubo, according to Sayuri, is a "sweet–rice cake," which is
given to a man to show that the "apprentice geisha becomes available for mizuage" (Golden 238).
According to the novel, a geisha can give the box of ekubo to as...show more content...
Golden changes his view and romanticises a fictional account while portraying Sayuri as a
prostitute. He distorts the image of a highly recognized profession in Japan aligning it to American
conceptions of prostitutes. After examining bias through Said's definition of orientalism, it is clear
that Golden portrays a particular bias towards the geisha culture. Even after WWII, the
understanding of the geisha culture is incomplete and mysterious, as only very few people pursue
this profession. Therefore, the geisha's life is depicted differently from what Japanese people
would believe geishas are. Through his portrayal of geishas as sex objects rather than entertainers,
and the sexualization of the blood and water motifs, Golden misuses terms to bring out his beliefs
of the Japanese culture. Since Memoirs of a Geisha is a fictional novel, he uses the opportunity to
manipulate how Westerners view the geisha culture. In the end, Golden's bias towards the geisha
culture is prominent throughout the novel in his portrayal of Sayuri. Arthur Golden's portrayal of
Sayuri's life as a geisha in the 1930–1940s, is an inaccurate account as he westernizes the meaning
of the word

Self-Determination in Memoirs of a Geisha Essay
Self–Determination in The Memoirs of a Geisha Memoirs of a Geisha tells the story of a young girl,
Chiyo, who transcends her fishing–village roots to become one of Japan's most appreciated geishas.
It's a story which brings much life into the characters of the book, using many different climaxes as
well as conflicts to show the many different relationship of the characters. Chiyo goes through many
hardships throughout the reading, but once finally accepting her fate, she is finally determined to
become the successful geisha she was brought the okiya to be. In the beginning of the story
Memoirs of a Geisha, Chiyo does not consider that her new future is a much greater future than her
old future would have been if she had not been...show more content...
And she does just this. She tries to meet up with her sister and fails (Luu). Her attempt to run
away really opened her eyes to see how naive and hardheaded she had been, She had realized that
the okiya was her home and that she was foolish for trying to leave. She was convinced that now
she must remain a maid for the rest of her life. But one day, she has an encounter with a man that
changes her life forever. After being acquainted with the Chairman and his geisha, she comes to a
realization that maybe she could succeed as a geisha. She states: "I'd never imaged myself
envying a geisha. I'd been brought to Kyoto for the purpose of becoming one, of course; but up
until now I'd have run away in an instant if I could have. Now I understand the thing I'd
overlooked; the point wasn't to become a geisha, but to be one. To become a geisha... well, that
was hardly a purpose in life. But to be a geisha... I could see it now a stepping stone to something
else." (Golden 114) This is the time that Chiyo finally accepts her fate. She is determined to become
a geisha so that she may be worthy enough of spending time with the Chairman. She envies the
Chairman's kindness and doesn't quite understand why a man like him would waste time
acknowledging a young maid

Memoirs of a Geisha
Historical Novel: Memoirs of a Geisha Memoirs of a Geisha is a compelling novel that is
centered on a young girl's journey of maturing and becoming a prominent and successful geisha.
The book was written by Author Golden and published in 1997. The story was based on the life of
geisha in Japan during the 1930s and 1940s. Geisha literally translates into "art person." Geisha are
Japanese women that are trained to entertain men with singing, dancing, and conversation. The book
itself was very accurate in a historical perspective and quite frankly, a very good read. The book
opens in the first–person voice of Sayuri, the main character, and stays the same throughout the novel
. Sayuri tells about her childhood growing up in Yoroido....show more content...
He needs her to entertain a man called the Minister. Mameha, Pumpkin, and Sayuri entertain the
minister. The company gets back on its feet and Nobu wants to become Sayuri's danna. Sayuri
still didn't want Nobu to be her danna, and wanted the Chairman to instead. So she set up a plan
that was supposed to kill Nobu's affection for her. Sayuri asked Pumpkin to bring Nobu, so that he
can catch the Minister and Sayuri having sexual relations "by mistake." Pumpkin, still bitter from
the loss of being the daughter of the okiya, brings the Chairman instead because she knows that
Sayuri is in love with him. Back in Gion, which reopened, Sayuri reluctantly waited for Nobu to
come and perform the ceremony that made Nobu her danna. The Chairman showed up instead.
He explained that he had feelings for her, but hid them because of Nobu. He had told Nobu what
had happened and Nobu was unable to forgive her. Since Nobu would not forgive her, he wasn't
meant to be Sayuri's destiny, the Chairman explained. Now the Chairman can be Sayuri's danna.
She loves being the Chairman's danna. He takes her on several trips to the United States. She
wants to live in New York and open a tea house. The Chairman agreed and she stayed in the
Wardolf Towers. The Chairman dies, but Sayuri is still happy because of the life they spent together.
Since then her life has been all–embracing and still filled with joy.
Memoirs of A Geisha was spot on in a historical aspect. The reason behind

A geisha is truly a unique and fascinating individual in the within the Japanese culture. Often times,
many individuals do not take the time which is necessary to learn about another person's culture to
understand what incidents occur to shape them into who they are. Americans are primarily guilty of
putting the geisha in the same box as prostitutes and placing an identical label on them, when in fact,
a geisha isn't a prostitute at all. However, there are facts about them both that certainly remain true.
Geishas and prostitutes are both women who often entertain men; nonetheless, there are undoubtedly
unique differences with regard to the style and delivery of their entertainment. The woman who
becomes a geisha "don't become geisha...show more content...
All the girls studying to be geisha took classes at this same school" (Golden 45). "Dance is the
most revered of the geisha's arts. Only the most promising and beautiful geisha are encouraged to
specialize in it, and nothing except perhaps tea ceremony can compare to the richness of its
tradition" (Golden 150). It can certainly be understood why dance is considered to be the art that
is considered highest. Regardless of an individual's culture and background, it could definitely be
agreed that dancing is quite personal and can evoke a multitude of emotions all at once. Geisha
are also "taught how to behave toward people. They learn when it is appropriate to smile and say
something kind" to another individual" (Golden 158). The magnificent style of dress that a
geisha wears is an important tool within her practice of art. The geisha wears a robe called a
kimono. It is not simply any kind of kimono. The kimono is a piece of artwork itself. It is usually
a kimono that is designed by the best of the best in the most elegant silk fabrics with vast
combinations of vibrant colors, threads and textures. Chiyo describes a kimono that belongs to
Mameha, "It was a work of art. Weaving its way from the hem up to the waist was a beautiful vine
made heavily lacquered threads bunched together like a tiny cable and sewn into place. It was a
part of the fabric, yet it seemed so much like an

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