Saida Campus

School of Education/ English Department

Course Title: Modern fiction

Course Code:

Course Instructor: Ibtissam Zaatari

Student Name: Karina, Reem, Zeinab, Malak

ID: 31130276

Topic: “Memoirs Of A Geisha” novel analysis

Fall 2013
Memoirs of a Geisha is a historical novel by American author Arthur Golden, published in
1997. The novel, told in first person perspective, tells the fictional story of a geisha working
in Kyoto, Japan, before and after World War II.

Arthur Golden: Arthur attended Harvard, receiving a degree in art history, specializing in
Japanese art. He traveled to live in Japan and learned about their culture, and was inspired by
the secret life of geisha. The novel Memoirs of a Geisha was written over a 6-year period during
which Golden rewrote the entire novel three times, changing the point of view before finally
settling on the first person viewpoint of Sayuri. Interviews with a number of geisha provided
background information about the world of the geisha.

Summary of the plot:

At the age of nine, Chiyo Sakamoto is taken from her poverty-stricken fishing village of Yoroido
on the coast of the Sea of Japan with her older sister Satsu and sold to an okiya (geisha
boarding house) in Gion, the most prominent geisha district in Kyoto. Seeming as less attractive
in looks and behavior, Satsu is not sold into the okiya and is instead forced into becoming a
prostitute in Kyoto's pleasure district. Chiyo lives in the okiya alongside another young girl
named Pumpkin, the elderly and grumbling Granny, money-obsessed Mother, and Auntie, a
failed geisha. Also living in the okiya is the famous and ill-mannered geisha, Hatsumomo. She
dislikes Chiyo right from the start, who she sees as a potential future rival who may threaten her
place in the okiya and Gion, as well as Mother's financial dependence upon her earnings.
Hatsumomo tries her very best to get rid of Chiyo.
One rainy night after returning to the okiya, Chiyo notices Hatsumomo engaged in intimate
relations with her working-class boyfriend, a livelihood-threatening and crucial situation for a
geisha, who should be un-attainable to be charming. The furious Hatsumomo twists the
situation to place blame on Chiyo. Eventually, Mother learns the truth from Chiyo and though
she is punished, Hatsumomo is also banned from seeing her boyfriend again, increasing her
hatred for Chiyo. Despite Pumpkin and Auntie's warning not to run away, Chiyo plans to leave
the okiya and escape the city with Satsu, but is caught when she falls off the roof and breaks
her arm. Enraged at her for dishonoring the okiya and brought upon herself further medical
costs, Mother stops investing in Chiyo and makes her pay off her increasing debts as a slave,
rather than a geisha in training.
Several years later, broken Chiyo is given money and a handkerchief in the street by a strange
but kind man known at this point only as the Chairman. She donates the money to the Gods in
Gion, praying to become a geisha in the hopes of entering an exclusive social sphere where she
may have a chance of seeing him again, keeping the handkerchief as a souvenir. Chiyo is
somewhat envious of Pumpkin, who is on her way to becoming a geisha under Hatsumomo's
guidance, while Chiyo still remains a maid under Mother. Pumpkin advances and is given her
geisha name as Hatsumiyo but much to Hatsumomo's disappointment, everyone still refers to
her as Pumpkin.
In a startling turn of events for Chiyo, not long after visiting the Gods and during Granny's
funeral, she is taken in as a responsibility by Mameha, a rival of Hatsumomo and the owner of
a kimono Hatsumomo previously forced Chiyo to ruin. Mameha persuades Mother to reinvest
into Chiyo's training. Chiyo adopts the name of Sayuri for her geisha name, with Mameha acting
as her "older sister" and mentor. Mameha mentions that despite Hatsumomo's popularity, she
was in fact a failure due to once angering the mistress of her principal tea house. As a result,
she could never obtain a danna to sponsor her independence and she has stayed in the okiya
under Mother. It was also revealed that despite her financial contributions, Mother had refused
to name Hatsumomo as the heiress of the okiya because she was afraid of the trouble she
would bring if named. Everyone believes Hatsumomo would likely throw Mother out, sell off the
okiya's kimono collection, retire and live on the money.
Hatsumomo continues to ruin Sayuri by corrupting her reputation in Gion, forcing Mameha and
Sayuri to devise a plan to push Hatsumomo out of the Nitta okiya for fear that Sayuri's career
will ultimately die. They arrange for Sayuri's mizuage (represented as a taking away the virginity
of a woman "ceremony" as a step to becoming full-fledged geisha) to be bidden upon by several
influential men, namely mentor Toshikazu Nobu, the president of Iwamura Electric as well as a
close friend Ken Iwamura, who is revealed to be the Chairman; and reputed mizuage specialist
"Dr. Crab", named so by Sayuri due to his appearance. Unfortunately, Hatsumomo learns of the
plan and tells Dr. Crab that Sayuri is not a virgin. However, after gaining back the respect of Dr.
Crab by convincing him that Hatsumomo is a known liar, he ultimately wins the bid for
Sayuri's mizuage and she uses his record-breaking payment to cover all of her fees. This leads
Mother, who had been poised to adopt Pumpkin as her heiress, to choose Sayuri instead,
ultimately destroying the two girls' friendship. This turn of events enrages both Pumpkin and
Hatsumomo for different reasons: Pumpkin was looking forward to the adoption so that she
could have some form of security in her old age. Hatsumomo was eagerly anticipating to
Pumpkin's adoption so she could secure her own position as head geisha and drive Sayuri out
of Gion. Hatsumomo's behavior begins to worsen past all excuse and she is eventually thrown
out of the okiya, with Pumpkin leaving soon after.
Eventually it is revealed Dr. Crab was actually bidding against the Baron, Mameha's danna, for
Sayuri's mizuage. The Baron had previously tried to sexually assault Sayuri, undressing her
against her will at a party, which Mameha had warned against. Nobu instead bids to become
Sayuri's danna, but loses out to General Tottori. At this time, Japan is on the verge of
entering World War IIand many Geisha are evacuated to other cities to work in factories, which
require hard labor and are primary bomb targets. The General is demoted and is unable to use
any influence to send Sayuri somewhere safer but Nobu, despite losing respect for Sayuri, is
able to send her far north to live with Arashino, a kimono maker. At the end of the war, Nobu
visits Sayuri and asks that she return to Gion to help entertain the new Deputy Minister Sato,
whose aid can be instrumental in rebuilding Iwamura Electric, the company which the Chairman
and Nobu run. Once returning to Gion, Sayuri helps Mother and Auntie clean up the okiya and
shows kindness to the new girl they taken in to train under her. She also seeks the help of a
homeless Pumpkin who is unhappy to see her again, but eventually agrees to help her entertain
the Minister.
Sayuri, Mameha and Pumpkin entertain the Minister together regularly and within time, Nobu
formally begins proposals to become Sayuri's danna. Sayuri still maintains strong feelings for
the Chairman and doesn't want Nobu to become her danna, so on a weekend trip to the Amami
Islands with Iwamura Electric, she plans to seduce the Minister and be caught in humiliation by
Nobu. Mameha warns against her plans because it would disrespect him and tells her to accept
him as her danna. Sayuri refuses and asks Pumpkin for one last favor to bring Nobu to a theater
while she is with the Minister. Pumpkin agrees, but she still has resentment towards Sayuri for
being adopted by Mother. Upon noticing her feelings towards the Chairman, Pumpkin purposely
brings him to the theater instead. Sayuri is upset with her for betraying her because she wanted
Nobu there to catch her with the Minister and confronts her for it. Pumpkin coldly tells Sayuri
that she got what she deserved because she stole away her chances to be adopted by Mother,
forcing her to be a prostitute in order to survive. She even mentions that she went out of her
own way to help Sayuri in the past by making herself look bad in order to embarrass
Hatsumomo. Pumpkin revealed that she intentionally brought the Chairman to catch Sayuri
seducing the Minister so he will be disgusted by her behavior and she will be forced to accept
Nobu as her danna.
Sayuri eventually meets the Chairman again and reveals that her acts in Amami were for
personal reasons. He reveals to Sayuri that he had always had feelings towards her, despite her
thinking he didn't, but explains that he felt it disrespectful to take away the woman his friend had
showed so much interest in, especially considering Nobu had once saved the Chairman's
company. He also reveals that he found out the truth after confronting Pumpkin and told Nobu
afterwards, causing Nobu to cease becoming Sayuri's danna. Sayuri and the Chairman kiss,
which she feels is her first kiss expressing true love. Sayuri eventually retires from being a
geisha and the Chairman becomes her danna. It is revealed that they have an illegitimate son
together. Foreseeing the consequences this could have regarding the inheritance of Iwamura
Electric, she relocates to New York City in later life. Here she opens her own small tea house for
entertaining Japanese men on business in the United States, in which Mother takes a financial
interest, but Sayuri cut her links to the Nitta okiya and in effect, Japan. The Chairman remains
her danna until his death and the story concludes with a reflection on Sayuri/Chiyo and her life.

Analysis of each chapter:

Karina: Analysis of chapters (1-9):
Speaking to us with the wisdom of age and in a voice at once haunting and startlingly
immediate, Nitta Sayuri (the major character-protagonist, as well as the narrator) tells the story
of her life as a geisha. The story starts with the voice of the geisha telling the reader that she
once told a man whom she was entertaining that she was from the village of Yoroido, and it
made him laugh so much that he thought I was a joke. The makeup that covered her face
making her ware a white mask, uncovering her true identity. An important theme is derived from
this “Things aren’t always what they seem”, which would be seen in some other coming
chapters. a flash back, as the geisha narrates her story. The importance of the first chapter is
that it describes the setting of the beginning of the life of the geisha. Her name was Chiyou chan
when she was living in the sea village in Yoroido. “My name back then was Chiyo. I wouldn’t be
known by my geisha name, Sayuri, until years later. “Yoroido was a tiny town, just at the
opening of an inlet.” “This town only had one road leading right to the front door of Japan
Coastal Seafood Company”. In this chapter the narrator, describes not only the place she used
to live in as a child (geographical place) but also the atmosphere and the socio economic
characteristics of that place. “I lived in what I called a tipsy house”, “probably it would have been
collapsed if my father hadn’t cut a timber from a wrecked fishing boat to prop up the eaves,
which made the house look like a tipsy old man leaning on his crutch.” indicating that the house
was barely standing, due to the wind and due to the financial circumstances she was living in.
She also goes on describing her parents and talks about her sister too. Stating how she
resembled her mother and her sister resembled her father. The first conflict happened as she
learns that her mother got very ill all of a sudden. “So she’s going to die soon?” “A few more
weeks perhaps.” She’s in terrible pain and death will release her.” The death of her mother
foreshadows the change in her life circumstances that we will find out in the next chapters.

The second chapter has even more clues that Chiyo’s life was going to change. Chiyo goes
swimming to the pond and when goes back to the house, on her way she meets Mr. Tanaka
who gives her pain-relieving herbs for her mother, and tells her about how he was adopted ,
which makes her think that she will get adopted by him too. “I know a certain man. He’s older
now, but when he was a boy about your age, his father died. The very next year his mother
died, and then his brother ran away to Osaka and left him alone. Well, that man’s name is
Tanaka Ichiro. I was taken by the Tanaka family at the age of twelve. After I got a bit older, I
was married to the daughter and adopted. Now I help run the family’s seafood company. So
things turned out all right for me in the end, you see. Perhaps something like that might happen
to you too.” “From that very moment on, I began to have fantasies that Mr. Tanaka would adopt
me.” And to make matters even trikier, we discover that the next day Mr. Tanaka is at Chiyo’s
house proposing something to her father. The next day the girls dress up to go with Mr. Tanaka
to his house, but before they go to a fortune teller who examines every inch of their face and
their bodies in an underground office in the Japan costal seafood company. “The girls are
healthy.” Is what she said after examining them, but they were very confused of what was
happening. After returning to Mr. Tanaka’s home Chiyo becomes friends with his daughter, and
follow Mr. Tanaka together to spy on him as he was enjoying the company of geisha in a tea
party. Another foreshadowing event about what would become to little Chiyo’s life. In the third
chapter, the revelation of the chapters before was unraveled and revealed. “Mr. Tanaka wants
you and your sister to come down to the village as soon as you can.” “Today was the day.”
After going to see Mr. Tanaka, he wasn’t very sweet to her, but had a cold look instead. He
introduced the girls to a man called Bekku, who took them away. “I asked where we were going,
but no one seemed to hear me, so I came up with an answer for myself.” They arrived to the city
of Kyoto, to an alley of wooden houses. Chiyo was separated from her sister Satsu, and taken
to her “new home”. When she arrived there a fancy looking woman was awaiting her outside. It
was Hatsumomo, her bitter rival soon to come (antagonist). It appeared that she was in a district
called Gion and would be soon living in the Okiya. “It’s an Okiya , she said. It’s where Geisha
live. If you work very hard you’ll grow up to be a geisha yourself.”

The fourth chapter sheds light on the way Chiyo was living when she first arrived to the Okiya,
who did she make friends with and who really hated her. “During those first few days in that
strange place, I don’t think I could have felt worse if I’d lost my arms and legs, rather than my
family and my home.” Chiyo was told that if she works very hard, she will begin her schooling
soon, and that’s what the girl does for she believes she will meet her sister in that school as
well, so that they can run away together. “Mother has told me I could begin my training within a
few months if I worked hard and behaved myself.” The only Geisha living with Chiyo in the
same Okiya was Hatsomomo, and she was always very mean to her. “But if you touch them,
they will start to smell like you.” The way Hatsomomo treated little Chiyo wasn’t approved and
understood at first, but later it would be as clear as the sun why she was so mean to her. After
Chiyo had started school, she understood that her sister wasn’t there and that disappointed her.
In this chapter, the narrator described the traditional school she attended all the things she was
supposed to learn during her “training journey”. “Halfway down the hall we went into a spacious
classroom in the traditional Japanese style. Along one wall hung a large broad with pegs
holding many tiny wooden plaques….”. “She was to have four classes that morning-shamisen,
dance, tea, ceremony, and a form of sinning we call nagauta. The next chapter (5) narrates
further about Chiyo’s adaptation process in the Okiya with the wickedness of Hatsomomo and
the endless chores and school.“That afternoon Hatsomomo took me to the Gion registry office.”
where she meets Awajiumi and who informs her that Satsu is probably not in Gion at all, which
makes Hatsumomo smile for she is the one who knows where Satsu is. In this chapter little
Chiyo is taken to Hatsumomo’s room to watch how she puts her make-up on, how is being
dressed, how is her kimono tied by Mr. Bekku, who is actually a dresser. “She was kneeling on
a cushion, wearing a cotton robe that clung to her shoulders, and gathering in her hands a half
dozen makeup brushes in various shapes. Some of them were broad like fans, while others
looked like a chopstick with a dot of soft hair at the end.” “I must tell you something about necks
in Japan that Japanese men feel about a woman’s neck and throat the same way that men in
the West might feel about a woman’s legs.” Chapter 6 includes sad events that little Chiyo goes
through because of Hatsomomo, and the lessons that she learns and the debts that she would
have to pay for her mistake. We learn in this chapter that Geisha are not supposed to have
affairs with men and love has always been an illusion. As for chapter 6, the most important
events that occurred in that chapter were: Chiyo caught Hatsomomo in a sexual affair with a
peasant man, “Once a week or so, Hatsomomo and her boyfriend_who turned out to be a chef
in a nearby noodle restaurant-came to the okiya and shut themselves in the maid’s room.” Also,
Hatsomomo made Chiyo draw on someone’s kimono (Mameha’s kimono, a geisha she hates)
with ink and then bring it to that person’s home, in exchange for information about where
Chiyo’s sister is.”Practice your calligraphy little chiyo.” “you hate anyone more successful than
you.” Chiyo was accused of damaging the kimono, and was to pay for it and get beaten. “You
owe the okiya even for the money it cost to acquire you.” After her punishment, Hatsumomo told
Chiyo the address where Satsu lives. Chapter 7 reveals the incident of when Chiyo goes and
visits her sister, on the night she was supposed to give Hatsomomo the musical instrument she
forgot. When she finally sees Satsu – Chiyo realizes that her sister is very thin from all the hard
work (who worked as a prostitute). They decide to meet up in the morning in two days from this
night and run away. After going back home and seeing Hatsomomo’s boyfriend, who left
instantly saying that chiyo was spying on them, Hatsomomo got enraged with her and makes a
scene blaming chiyo for stealing jewelry from her, that she will later on pay for. In chapter 8,
chiyo’s life was turned upside down with so many drastically dramatic events. Chiyo made up a
plan of how to escape okiya and run away with her sister, but failed to complete it. She broke
her arm, got a beating from Auntie and was no longer permitted to continue schooling. A few
months later, she got a package from Mr. Tanaka, with a letter that informed Chiyo of her
parents’ death, as well as her sister’s successful escape from Gion, and later from Yoroido, with
her boyfriend. "But to learn in a single moment that both my mother and my father had died and
left me, and that my sister too was lost to me forever...at once my mind felt like a broken vase
that would not stand. I was lost even within the room around me." In chapter 9, Chiyo’s plan
about running away was changed by a small act of kindness from a stranger. After a few more
months, Chiyo was sent to meet Hatsumomo in school and give her back things she was to
return to another geisha. On her way back, Chiyo meets Chairman, who gives her a coin to buy
herself shaved ice, and also gave her his handkerchief. From that moment, the girl decided to
become a geisha.
"In that brief encounter with the Chairman, I had changed from a lost girl facing a lifetime of
emptiness to a girl with purpose in her life."

Zeinab: Analysis of Chapters 10-25

Chapter 10 :

Chiyo was preparing the robes for September, while she was walking in the entryway she
smelled a very bad odor and realized it came from Granny’s room, which made her drop the
robes and rush to auntie’s room, and together they entered her room to discover her death
because of electric shot. Two weeks after her death they got busy in cleaning the house and
preparing it with stuff for people to tramp through their Okiyo to pay respect to Granny. Chiyo’s
job was to show the visitors into the reception room and take their shoes to the maid room,
which was difficult at first for her to realize faces of people and relate to what shoes they own.
Once came a kimono which Chiyo was impressed by, it seemed to be Mameha, the geisha
whose kimono Hatsumomo had made her ruin. When she wanted to leave, Chiyo tried to hide
her face but Mameha told her to raise her face, and got impressed by Chiyo’s beautiful eyes,
then left. After that, two maids were brought to the house. Once one of the maids came to Chiyo
and told her that she had a visitor, it seemed to be the maid of Mameha who made a deal with
her to meet her in a certain place at 3 o’clock. And that’s what Chiyo made with the help of
Pumpkin. The maid took her to Mameha’s apartment where she met her. They talked about
Hutsumomo who seemed to work in the past to Mameha. Then Mameha told Chiyo how
Hutsumomo drove young Hatsuoki out of Gion. Chiyo told Mameha that it seems that she knew
that Hutsumomo is the one who ruined her dress from the first time, but still Chiyo showed
apology to Mameha. And the continued talking about how Chiyo should grab the right chance to
return her training for becoming a Geisha, and Mameha, through fortune telling, showed Chiyo
why wasn’t the day she decided to run away the right day. At last, Chiyo realized how she must
know how to deal with things and time, and after they finished she left home.

Analysis of chapter 10 :

This chapter reflects and important theme, which is fear. It occurred in several situations. First
when Chiyo smelled the bad odor from granny’s room and discovered later that she is dead,
and the other situation when Mameha visited them and she didn’t want her to recognize her
face. Also we can realize how discrimination occurs. This is shown when Chiyo bows to
Mameha since she is considered superior to her because she is a popular, successful geisha.
Chapter 11 :

Mameha mentioned once in front of Chiyo the phrase “ older sister “, which she meant by that
for a girl to become a Geisha she needs to develop a relationship with a more experienced
Geisha who will train her. The older sister must do her job properly because she is the most
important figure to the younger sister. Hutsumomo once was an older sister of two well known
Geishas and she used to behave properly just to gain money. One day, auntie entered to
mother San Kayoko, telling her there was a visitor, who seemed to be Mameha. Chiyo felt
worried and tried to hear what Mameha and mother were talking about. Mameha tried to trick
Mother in her words and talking about Chiyo to let her return to training, and that’s what
happened. Mother thought about getting Chiyo back to learning and making her the younger
sister of Mameha. And they had their talk about debts. After Mameha left, Mother had a
conversation with Hutsumomo about Chiyo becoming Mameha’s younger sister, but
Hutsumomo told her that she’s only doing so to get rid of Hutsumomo because she is more
beautiful than her.

Analysis of chapter 11 :

This chapter remarks the first tries of Mameha in helping Chiyo become a geisha, this was
shown through her visit to Mother and tricking her with words in a way to make her think about
letting Chiyo return to training, especially when she mentioned she was thinking to take Chiyo
as her young sister. Also this chapter reflects envy, which was shown through Hutsumomo not
believing that Mameha wants to train Chiyo because of her talent. On the other hand in her own
depth, Hutsumomo knew the real reason behind Mameha training Chiyo, but she never
mentioned it in front of Mother.

Chapter 12 :

the next day, Chiyo went one more time to Mameha’s house who told her how hard she must
work to become a Geisha, and she warned her from Hutsumomo and imitated her to see how
will Chiyo react. The next day, Chiyo started her lessons at school, where she learned playing
drums, flute, shamisen, tea ceremony and singing which is the most important thing for a geisha
to know . also she learned proper comportment and behavior of geishas. Chiyo used to finish
her lessons at school but then do chores at the okiya. One day pumpkin was helping her, when
suddenly entered Hutsumomo and forbidden her from helping her again or being her friend.

Chiyo told Mameha about what happened and Mameha warned her from trusting Pumpkin ever
again. Also she taught her how she can become successful geisha. She told her she should
work hard and have a danna but not affairs that ruin her reputation. And she told her about her
danna and how he spent money on her. In the days later, in her practice, Chiyo used to have
certain signs to remind her of the music sounds, but she found difficulty when she wanted to
practice dancing, until one day when she dropped tea on Auntie’s newspaper, this made her get
mad on Chiyo. At this moment Chiyo felt her body heavy and started remembering her sister
and other things, each time she remembered something she made a movement from the dance.

Analysis of chapter 12 :

This chapter reflects stress Chiyo suffered from in the days of training, and how she had to train
for different arts all the day, and return back to the Okiya to do house chores. In addition to that,
Hutsumomo’s reaction toward Pumpkin and Chiyo made things more harder. Another thing that
this chapter emphasizes is caution. It is reflected through Mameha’s warning for Chiyo from
Hutsumomo, especially when she says : “ Hutsumomo is quite clever, If you give her the
slightest hint, you’ll be surprised how much she’ll figure out on her own”. An important thing is
also reflected through this chapter, which is Chiyo’s smartness , especially in remembering
music signs, also her sad memories represent geisha’s hard life, especially that they come from
a background of poverty.

Chapter 13 :

during the spring of 1934, mother and Hustumomo decided that it is time for Pumpkin to make
her debut as an apprentice geisha. Chiyo was surprised because she didn’t know about it, and
got jealous when she saw Pumpkin being elegant. At the end of the day Pumpkin became
officially a geisha but feeling sorry for what have happened between her and Chiyo. Chiyo
hadn’t seen Mameha for a long time, when she did Mameha and Tatsumi , the maid realized
how much Chiyo has changed. After that, Mameha started for time to time dress Chiyo a
kimono from hers and take her out where she goes. They used to go from shop to another and
taught her how to bow properly to people they meet in the street. At first Chiyo thought Mameha
was doing so to teach her how geishas should behave in such places, but then she realized that
what Mameha was trying to do is letting people realize Chiyo before she starts her
apprenticeship . after that Mameha started teaching Chiyo how to make expressions in her eyes
to impress men. Chiyo made some tries until she made a young boy stumble and fall because
of her looks. Then Mameha took her to the fortune teller Mameha usually goes for and checked
some dates for other things to do that will lead to her debut.

Analysis of chapter 13 :

in this chapter, we recognize several important things. First of all, pumpkin becoming a geisha
sums up the whole training life that the apprentices live and work to reach their goal, becoming
a geisha. But at the same time, we can realize that even though they reach what they want, this
sometimes happen on the account of other things, and this was reflected when Pumpkin, even
becoming a geisha, felt sorry because of what happened between her and Chiyo. When
Pumpkin symbolizes the geisha, Chiyo symbolizes the life the apprentice pass through to
become a geisha. This is reflected through Chiyo being trained by Mameha on how to act as a
geisha, and how she has high expectations in her, especially when she says : “ Think how much
more you can say with yours. It wouldn’t surprise me if you were able to make a man faint right
here on the street”.
Chapter 14 :

Chiyo was very excited about becoming a geisha. It is considered a big change for a girl. She
went to a hairdresser to clean her hair and fix it in the form of split peach, and she had to learn a
new way of sleeping not to ruin her hair style, and she passed ad ordeal as Pumpkin in learning
how not to ruin it. Also she got trained to walk and dress like the geishas should. The day of
binding Chiyo and Mameha as sisters came. So she prepared herself, and with Mother and
Mameha she went to the Gion Shrine to announce their sisterhood. Now Chiyo became a
novice geisha called Sayuri. At the ceremony, Mameha taught her how to pour tea for men and
how to do it for women. After that Mameha took her to a banquet where she performed a dance
with other geisha. After the banquet she took Chiyo with her to Komorya teahouse to see an
informal party. There, some men and geishas were sitting together and they talked about a
certain accident that happened with Mameha. A man insisted on Sayuri to have a drink but
Mameha rescued her. Then he wanted to go to the bathroom, and because a geisha must go
with him he stared at Chiyo in a mean of letting her know that he wants her to go with him. She
went with him, but when they returned she got shocked because she saw Hutsumomo and
Pumpkin have joined the others.

Analysis of chapter 14:

in this chapter, we can see how Chiyo’s life, after becoming officially Mameha’s sister, is turning
and becoming more complicated since she is getting into more activities that geishas do, and
she has to be more responsible about her behavior. Chiyo now became Sayuri, which means
having a new character with new outfit and new life. On the other hand, we can see that with
Sayuri becoming closer to her goal, difficulties start to get closer to her, this is shown through
the appearance of Hutsumomo suddenly at a certain party Sayuri was attending with Mameha.

Chapter 15 :

After Sayuri and Mameha saw Hutsumomo and Pumpkin they sat down. Hutsumomo started to
tell a story trying to humiliate Sayuri, but Sayuri embarrassed her with her reply to a question
Hutsumomo has asked her. When Sayuri returned , Hutsumomo slapped her because of this
embarrassment. Sayuri told Mameha about what happened, and they planned to leave every
time Hutsumomo would appear in a certain party to avoid this situation. But every time Mameha
and Sayuri went to a party Hutsumomo showed up, until Mameha discovered that Hutsumomo
has gave money to at least one maid in each gion to call her whenever Mameha and Sayuri
appeared. Mameha discovered that when they were leaving a party after Hutsumomo has
appeared. While they were leaving they heard Hutsumomo creating a story about Sayuri about
a certain disease she has. But then they continued walking and didn’t hear the rest of the story.
In the other days, Mameha started to go to parties but without taking Sayuri with her to avoid
her embarrassment from Hutsumomo. She took her to engagements from time to time because
they were safe places not for Hutsumomo to go for. One day Sayuri found a note from Mameha
asking her to come quickly to her apartment. And that’s what Sayuri did. It seemed that
Mameha’s Danna was coming to visit. Sayuri wore a kimono Mameha had asked her to wear.
And waited in the room. Mameha’s Danna arrived and Sayuri tried to listen to what they were
talking about, she felt he was angry with Mameha but then realized he was only angry of a man
who he met a day before and asked him personal questions. After lunch, when it was time for
tea. Mameha called for Sayuri to introduce her to her Danna who gave little interest about her,
until he was asking about a certain scroll, which Sayuri brought, and while he was checking it he
kept his eyes on Sayuri.

Analysis of chapter 15 :

This chapter starts to represent Hutsumomo as the problem that will chase Sayuri in her life as
becoming a geisha. This appears in Hutsumomo trying to embarrass Sayuri and making stories
about her having a certain disease, even though Sayuri and Mameha were trying to avoid her,
but this still didn’t work. Which made it difficult to Sayuri to attend all parties, and led her to go to
specific ones where Hutsumomo can’t reach her. Mameha’s Danna reflects the advanced point
in a geisha’s life, because a geisha’s success reflects how successful she can be in getting a
Danna.

Chapter 16 :

Mameha told Sayuri that Pumpkin got apprentice’s award, which made Sayuri feel worried that
Pumpkin is getting popular faster than her. But she discovered that she is getting popular but
putting her reputation into risk. Mameha and Sayuri decided that they will find a way later to deal
with this thing. Then Mameha told Sayuri that they will go to an important ceremony in the next
two weeks, but she must keep it very secret. One day a man came delivering some things to the
Okiyo when he gave Sayuri a piece of paper pretending that he wanted her to throw it for him.
This paper was from Mameha who told Sayuri to come quickly to her house and to only let
Auntie know that she is going to Mameha’s house. And that’s what happened. Their she
dressed one of beautiful Mameha’s kimonos and wore her make up . and they went to an
exhibition where Mameha told Sayuri she must impress Bonu , the owner of the exhibition by
her good manners and not to pay attention to his appearance, which she realized later that he
got burns in his face. While they were there, Sayuri recognized a man sitting beside Bonu,
which she thought he was Mr., Tanaka, who she hated. But when they approached him she
discovered he was the chairman.

Analysis of chapter 16 :

Fear and competitive spirit is reflected in this chapter through Sayuri’s feel of worry about
Pumpkin getting popular faster than her, and which made her want to find a solution for this
problem, but this happens later. On the other hand, an opposite feeling Sayuri feels, which is
happiness and comfort when she sees the chairman at the exhibition she went to with Mameha.

Chapter 17 :

After sitting with the chairman and Mr. Bonu, Sayuri was charmed with the chairman, when she
was pouring the tea for him, he didn’t remove his eyes from her hand. Then they talked a little,
when suddenly they heard the sound of the giant door closed, it seemed that there is going to
be a wrestling play between sumos. The chairman has previously asked Sayuri whether it was
the first time she encounters sumo, and she said yes. Then Bonu started talking to Sayuri about
wrestling. While they were talking, a girl entered. At first, Sayuri thought she was Korin wearing
a new kimono, but for her sudden she realized the girl was Hutsumomo, it seemed that Rokin,
Hutsumomo’s friend, has told her that they were there. Mameha and Sayuri left to another room,
and Mameha told Sayuri that she should show how much close she is to Mr. Bonu in front of
Hutsumomo since this will go for her own benefit. Even Sayuri didn’t understand well what
Mameha meant but when they returned back to sit she continued to talk to Mr. Bonu and
laughing with him, and she only could do that by pretending him as if he was the chairman,
making sure that Hutsumomo is seeing them. Then after Mameha and Sayuri left, Mameha told
Sayuri that she has a plan and Mr. Bonu is going to be her rescuer, but she didn’t tell Sayuri
about the plan at that moment.

Analysis of chapter 17 :

Impression is expressed in this chapter through Sayuri being charmed with the chairman. But
Nubo’s interference and getting into long conversation with Sayuri distracted her from the
chairman. Nubo symbolizes the realistic thought, this was reflected in his comment on Mameha
going to a fortune teller when he said : “ ..but who needs to go to a fortune teller to find it
( destiny ) ? do I go to a chef to find out if I am hungry ”?

In addition to that, Hutsumomo’s appearance at the exhibition emphasizes that she is willing to
do anything to prevent Sayuri from becoming a geisha, and this shows that Sayuri will not reach
her goal that easy, at the same time, she has to take a stand and make a plan to face and end
this problem or else Hutsumomo will defeat her. We can see that Mameha, in this chapter,
considered a plan to face Hutsumomo but still didn’t tell Sayuri about it. And as a first step to
face her, Sayuri was supposed to show how much close to Mr. Nubo she was.

Chapter 18 :

After Sayuri has known the identity of the chairman, she started searching about information
related to him, she looked in old magazines to find out more info about him, and she discovered
that he run a very famous and successful company. He started as a worker and then owned a
company of his own, after that he offered a job for Bonu who was at first in the military but got
injured , and soon they became close friends. As Sayuri read about them in the magazines she
discovered how much they were close to each other. Few days later, Sayuri went to Mameha
and wore a torn kimono not knowing why. Mameha told her that it is a part of the plan, and there
are two men that will save her, Mr. Bonu and other man she will meet later. Sayuri asked
Mameha whether Mr. Bonu is going to be her Danna later on, and Mameha told her that she
should be flattered if he proposed to be her Danna. Then Mameha took Sayuri to a place where
she used to live before she became independent. There the maid told her that the doctor
haven’t come yet to heal the bleeding girl, Sayuri got shocked and asked about who is bleeding,
but the maid didn’t reply. They entered a room where other girls where in and a cook having a
knife in her hand. Sayuri then discovered that she’s the one that will be injured so she got
scared. But that what happened, the cook made a scar on her leg and they took her to the
hospital. Mameha told Sayuri that in her case, her life depends on two men, Bonu and the man
she will meet now, who is the doctor, she must pretend she is helpless and childish, and if she’s
asked how she injured herself, she must say that she tried to enter the bathroom wearing a
kimono which got her slip and fell on a sharp thing that she don’t know what. After the doctor
had healed her, they left, and Mameha was satisfied about how Sayuri acted well. Then
suddenly she told the driver to stop, which made him close the traffic, but she didn’t care, and
she get out of the car with Sayuri, then she told the driver they want to go to a certain studio.
When they arrived, Uchido , the owner of the studio and a friend of Mameha. Was up stairs, he
was angry because a cat has ruined his paint, Mameha and Sayuri made him more angry so he
would calm at last. Before they leave, Mameha asked Uchido to look at Sayuri because she is
beautiful, but he didn’t do that until they were out, and Sayuri was looking at her hands and the
sunset.

Analysis of chapter 18 :

This chapter shows how the high interest of Sayuri in the chairman made her make full research
about him , and she discovered how close he was to Mr. Nubo. And this close friendship
between the chairman and Mr. Nubo will cause more problems in later chapters. Another thing
to consider, is Sayuri’s injure. This reflects the hardship of the geisha’s life, and how sometimes
they have to sacrifice in order to face their problems and reach their goal. Also this shows how
much threat did Hutsumomo presented to Sayuri, because , as mentioned previously,
Hutsumomo symbolized the hardest problem Sayuri will face in her way for becoming a geisha,
since Hutsumomo was not an easy girl. In addition to that, this chapter remarks being tricky and
sly as a behavior that Sayuri had to act to let the doctor who healed her fall into her. Which also
reflects what ways geishas used to depend on to get what they want, especially in attracting a
man. Moving to Uchido, Mameha’s friend who works in a studio. We can realize from his
character that he reflects anger and impatience. This was shown when they reached his studio
and he didn’t bare Mameha joking with him.

Malak : Analysis of Chapters 19-26

Hatsumomo an envious geisha sets out to ruin Sayuri’s life who has nothing nor anyone in this
world, she tells people lies about Sayuri so she can ruin her career because she is jealous, “I
shouldn’t talk abour Sayuri because.. spend time together alone in her own room.’ Says
Hatsumomo (p.237). Mameha, on the other hand, is Hatsumomo’s enemy so she introduces
Sayuri to popular men so she can wins their hearts and attention. This is the next time Sayuri
meets the Chairman but now she’s all grown up; she doesn’t know if he remembers her. The
Chairman’s partner, Nobu likes Sayuri and he wants to become her danna – having Sayuri as
his mistress. Years after years of struggling to be with Sayuri, he never succeeds.

In this novel, Sayuri proves to be the toughest one out of Hatsumomo and many other geisha
because she works herself up respectively and wins the admiration’s of so many people. After
all, the one who deserved all the kindness and respect received it although it took many years
and a great deal of sufferings.

As an apprentice, Sayuri got made up extravagantly and entertained men in teahouses with
Mameha, until Hatsumomo got in the middle of it. She followed the two around to different
parties and embarrassed Sayuri either directly or behind her back, so that she would lose
business with her customers. " 'Hatsumomo's behaviour only shows us how desperate she is,' "
says Mameha (p. 191 Golden). Sayuri could not do anything about it but avoid Hatsumomo at
all times and try going to secret parties and ones she wouldn't be invited to.

Bidding for a geisha's "mizuage" is a very important part of her life; she'll typically make a large
amount of money for being "deflowered" by a man, possibly even a stranger. Hatsumomo
spread rumours to Sayuri's mizuage bidders that she had already been deflowered so they
would no longer compete, but when everything got straightened out, the price for Sayuri's
mizuage was sold for 15,000 yen; this was the highest price of a mizuage in history. After two
more years, Sayuri finally went from apprentice to geisha at the age of 18. In few weeks Mother
informed Sayuri that she will have a ‘danna’ next month, who, as it turns out, is Nobu. Sayuri
told Mameha that Nobu isn’t the one she wants to be with.

Never giving up hope and always looking for a brighter day will eventually lead you to what
you’re out there searching for. In Sayuri’s case, she was a slave who won the heart of a man
and worked herself up to become one of the most successful geishas in all of Japan and to be
united with the man she loved who motivated her all her life, “If life would be nothing more than
Nobu, and dance recitals, and evening after evening in Gion, I couldn’t think why I had struggled
so.” (p.293)

To get back at Hatsumomo, Mameha had to do very little except tell money-savvy Mother and
Auntie that Sayuri's mizuage had been sold for the highest price ever. The climax of the story
was when mother decided to fully adopt Sayuri instead of Pumpkin, and this drove Hatsumomo
insane. Her behaviour was irrational and she got even meaner, making her close to blowing up.
Sayuri and Mameha drove her to this point, and she furiously attacked a famous customer,
ultimately destroying her reputation. Hatsumomo was thrown out of the Nitta okiya and Sayuri
became the primary geisha of the house.

This character versus character conflict was a major part of the story and Sayuri overcame it
with help from Mameha. Hatsumomo certainly got what she deserved!

It is expected to dig inspiration and motivation for the general society that hard work, high
motivation, responsibility, alertness, loyalty, discipline, dedication, and dignity and the other
spiritual senses as represented by Sayuri, the main character are required factors to gain
success in life.

Sayuri has performed a ceremony of tying bonds with General Tottori, so now he became her
official ‘danna’, and she was to please him in intimate ways. Also, Sayuri tells how she slept with
a man that really liked her, and that way discovered that sex can actually be pleasurable, not
like with Dr. Crab or General Tottori, and that way got new hopes for Chairman as well.

Few weeks later, Sayuri met Chairman at the party, and discovered that Nobu was going to
another tea-house to avoid her; Sayuri was determined to find him, and found out that he was
mad because she didn’t take his offer of becoming her ‘danna’.

Reem: Analysis of chapters (27-35)

Chapter 27:
This chapter remarks the end of the devilish Hatsumomo who used to hurt Sayuri since her childhood.
On the other hand, it remarks the massive success of Sayuri’s career, the reason Mother provided her
with the Okiya’s priorities. Sayuri’s diary is a symbol of all the secrets, feelings, and thoughts that a
Geisha shouldn’t publically reveal since she has no right to choose her beloved. She said: “I wrote only
about my thoughts and feelings. When I had something to say about a particular man, I gave him a code
name.” Chairman was referred to as “Mr. Haa” and Nubo was referred to as “Mr. Tsu”.

Mameha’s wisdom and intelligence is reflected in this quote: When you want to break a board, cracking
it in the middle is only the first step. Success comes when you bounce up and down with all your weight
until the board snaps in half.” Here Mameha refers to the act if destroying Hatsumomo which she
accomplished.

Chapter 28: This chapter entails the struck of a horrible war, World War Two. Despite the suffering and
depression of most Japanese people and Geishas, Sayuri’s okiya gets supported by General Tottori, a
symbol of how successful and desired Sayuri is. “We were the fish swimming in the very warmest water
of all.”
However, these good conditions did not last for too long when the general was taken into custody and
was no longer able to help anyone even Sayuri. After several attempts of seeking support especially that
the geishas’ districts were closed, Nubo appears to Sayuri and sends her to a perfect safe spot to live in
so that she wouldn’t have to work in factories (the worst job ever). The chapter also reveals Nubo’s
desire to become Sayuri’s danna after his company would get back on its feet.

Chapter 29: In this chapter, Sayuri talks about the horrible conditions of the war which caused so many
people to suffer and sometimes die. Sayuri shows how she survived in the Arashino family who lived
from sewing parachutes or selling kimonos once in a while.
The chapter shows the hard life some other geishas witnessed especially those who worked in factories
of harsh conditions. The “onion life” is what Japanese people use to describe tough life conditions.
Because of working very hard and of thinking about the chairman, Sayuri looked very thin. The war
ended in 1945. Nubo returns and asks Sayuri to go back to Gion, As a symbol of becoming her danna,
Nubo gives Sayuri a piece of concrete so that when he asks back for it, he would replace it with a real
jewel, then it would be the time for him to be her danna.

Chapter 30: this chapter marks the return of Sayuri to Gion and the flourish of her career as a geisha
once again. People were healing from the destructive consequences if the harsh war. The chapter
marks the reunion of Sayuri with Pumpkin who asks her to join her and Mameha in the task of
entertaining Nubo and Minister of finance.
“She changed a great deal in the years since.” This quote is a clue of how Pumpkin really changed into
someone that Sayuri didn’t know.

Chapter 31: This chapter entails the return of fun and pure entertainment just like old days before the
war. The party held seemed to be a lot of fun for everyone where they played the game of “Big Liar”.
The name of the game is a symbol of how geishas lie and burry there real personality for the sake of
entertaining others. Just like Sayuri hid so much about herself most importantly, she hid her deep
passionate love for the chairman. In fact many characters hid things as we will notice later in the
chapters.

Chapter 32: This chapter reveals something deep hidden within the chairman’s feeling after he got teary
eyes when Sayuri danced. Feelings of bitter jealousy and disappointment strike Sayuri when she thought
the chairman liked Pumpkin. The chapter also talks about how upset Nubo got after the Minister fell for
Sayuri and wanted to become her danna yet he didn’t because Nubo asked back for the rock that same
night which meant it was time to become Sayuri’s danna. This made Sayuri feel very upset since all she
 wanted was for the chairman to become her danna. Sayuri also gave Nubo the promise of never giving
herself to the Minister.

Chapter 33: This chapter is the turning point of so many situations in the novel. Sayuri decides up a plan
that would save her from having a danna whom she didn’t desire. The chapter shows how courageous
and self sacrificing Sayuri is when she decided to sleep with the Minister as her way out of being with
Nubo. Although her plan didn’t work out right, promising things were about to happen. The significance
of this chapter is that Pupkin’s real intentions toward Sayuri were finally clear. She was the one to
destroy Sayuri’s plan when she brought the chairman instead of Nubo to see her with the Minister. An
important quote is: “we had fought a brutal war as enemies; and now what? We had given up our past;
this was something I understood fully, for I had done it myself once. If only I could find a way of giving
up my future…” This quote shows how the Japanese people forgot all about the Americans being there
enemies once that they are now on board of American planes. It is the same as what Sayuri did once of
giving up her past (chairman)… HOW ???

Chapter 34:
As Sayuri was shocked at the sight of the chairman, Pumpkin reveals that she wanted to get revenge of
Sayuri for destroying her opportunity of being the Okiya’s geisha long ago. Pumpkin did not show her
hatred towards Sayuri until the right time came. However, this chapter reveals almost all the realities
and shed the light on the truth. The chairman finally confessed his deep love toward Sayuri. He
confessed that he made Mameha watch out for Sayuri since he first saw her and that his feelings toward
her were hidden because he didn’t want to take Sayuri from his close friend Nubo who left Sayuri after
knowing about what she did on the island. He also reveals that he knew how desperate she was on that
island and intended to save her by telling Nubo (p: 417). Sayuri as well confessed what she had buried
inside herself for so many years and they finally made their first kiss.

Chapter 35:
After 40 years, Sayuri talks about the chairman finally becoming her danna. They lived together happily
and peacefully loving each other so passionately until the chairman died. It is revealed that the chairman
had an illegitimate son from Sayuri. Sayuri made a teahouse in New York City where she decided to live
for the rest of her life. That teahouse was reminding her of the lovely days of fun and entertainment she
used to have with other Japanese people. At the end, Sayuri the old lady now describes life as
something you cannot predict. And that all the downs and falls of life will finally go to an end since one’s
life can never last forever.

Setting:

 Time Period :

“Memoirs of a Geisha” is set during the early 20th century. It takes place in 1929, which is after
the Japanese war. The story continues until after World War II where Sayuri ends with a
reflection on her life as she lives in New York.

 Geographic Location
 “Memoirs of a Geisha” begins in a poor fishing village in Yoroido, Japan. This was where the
protagonist, Chiyo grew up until she was sold to an okiya. The next part of her life takes place in
Gion, which is a suburb of Kyoto, Japan. The novel ends with Sayuri living in New York City,
United States of America where she ends her life story as a geisha.

 Mood:

The mood of the novel is melancholic and romantic. The novel is written in the first person view.

 Social Conditions:

From the novel, we can see that the story takes place after the Japanese war. This was a period
where the poor were really poor and struggle throughout their daily lives whereas the rich were
really rich and was able to enjoy the luxuries of life. The story extends until World War II which
was a period of crisis. Everyone in Japan struggled in their lives in aspects such as food,
money, jobs and such. Many lives were sacrificed due to the war and after the war, Japan was
in dire need of redevelopment.

 Emotional Conditions:

In Memoirs of a Geisha, the story is told from a first person view. The narrator of the story is
Nitta Sayuri formerly known as Chiyo Sakomoto. Her voice in the story expresses a sense of
wisdom and quiet emotion. Her life experiences have taught her many things and now she
reflects upon them with an understanding that has grown throughout the years. She does not
have a full understanding of the other characters’ emotions as the focus is on hers. However,
from her narration, we can see that the people of Japan during that period are working hard to
rise and develop themselves. The poor people are sad and struggle to try their best through
their hardships. The rich people are enjoying the luxuries of life and are filled with happiness.
However, as World War II starts, everyone no matter poor or rich, are thrown into a state of
crisis. The whole situation was bleak and everyone was in a state of depression. In the end of
the novel, as Sayuri makes her final words, we see that she has an understanding of the events
in her life and ends with a message of hope.

Character analysis:
Main characters:

1. Nitta Sayuri/Sakamoto Chiyo:

Sayuri is the one who tells about her life in the book (narrator and protagonist). She is
born in Yoroido to Sakamoto family, taken away from her family and sold into slavery to
become a geisha. She is Chiyo until she gets an older sister – Mameha who changes
her name to Sayuri. Nitta is the name of the Okiya she lives in and she takes it on when
 Mother adopts her. Sayuri is a main character; she is a very strong and poetic person,
kind and gentle, smart and loving. She is born in the year of Monkey, which means that
she is smart. Her unusual gray eyes distinguish her from other girls, and this feature
plays a significant role in her success later as a geisha. Having blue eyes in cultures
such as in Japan is a signal to being a water sign. She is clever, energetic, and
imaginative.
During childhood, her imagination shows her innocence as she dreams up fantasies
about being adopted by Tanaka. As a woman, however, her imagination shows her
maturity, as she is able to live the complicated social and interpersonal workings of
being a geisha. She values friendship; this makes it harder when she must find a way to
avoid having Nobu as her danna. Sayuri is driven by feelings for the Chairman that she
has been harboring since she was a young girl. This is what inspires her to be a great
geisha, and it is what compels her to hurt Nobu. In the end, however, her years of
longing are rewarded when the Chairman becomes her danna until his death. Sayuri's
voice is one that expresses quiet emotion and wisdom, understanding more now than
she did then.
Chiyo/Sayuri is a round character, since when she was a child she was reckless clumsy
and carefree, but when she came to the Okiya she has to take so many responsibilities
that she changes completely throughout the novel. She understands that she should
sacrifice her old life, in order to be successful. She is insistent in her pursuit to be a
geisha and she conquers the arts she was required to study. Sayuri soon adopts the
traits as her own and it becomes ever so natural to act these ways. Representing herself
as dainty, glamorous, humorous, lively, and mysterious, she attracts her customers and
keeps them coming. At the beginning of "Memoirs of a Geisha," Chiyo is a young and
inexperienced girl, but by the end she changes in a multitude of ways and transforms
into a beautiful and successful woman.

2. The Chairman Iwamura:

Chairman is the person who sees Chiyo and who impresses her with his kindness.
Strong and smart, he manages to open his own company and to always be successful.
He is a very noble friend, who never betrays his friend Nobu. He doesn’t take Sayuri as
his beloved since he knows that his friend loves her. He suffers all that time until he
knows that Sayuri isn’t Nobu’s destiny, but his. The Chairman takes the chance right
away and is rewarded with Sayuri’s love that gives birth to his own son.

3. Mameha:
Mameha, a geisha in Gion, is a very good friend to Chairman and Nobu. She takes care
of Sayuri as her “little sister” because the Chairman asks her to do so. Mameha is one of
the most successful geisha in Gion and is known for being very beautiful and smart. She
knows the craft of geisha very well and she is perfect at it. She has a wealthy danna
which made her more successful than Hatsumomo, her rival. She is a geisha respected
in Gion by everyone, she has lots of friends, and she is the one who drives Hatsumomo
out of Gion with the help of Sayuri after they plan to destroy her career.
4. Hatsumomo: 
When Sayuri arrives at the Okiya, Hatsumomo is the only working geisha in the house.
She is very successful and her great success brings in all the money for the house to
function and support her profession. She is devastatingly beautiful but equally cruel. She
can put on a charming disposition while entertaining, but in reality she is scheming,
manipulative, and cold. Sayuri describes her this way: "She may have been as cruel as a
spider, but she was lovelier chewing on her fingernail than most geisha looked posing for
a photograph."
She sets her mind on destroying Sayuri's future as a geisha, and she begins early.
Before Sayuri even enrolls in geisha school, Hatsumomo ridicules her and lies about her
to Mother. When Sayuri becomes Mameha's apprentice, Hatsumomo takes on Pumpkin
as hers. Hatsumomo thinks of nothing but of spreading lies about Sayuri in the
teahouses to ruin her chances of achieving success. Her ambition is blinding, and she
cannot tolerate competition or the thought of future competition. Ultimately, her
selfishness and hatred lead to her downfall, and she is removed from the Okiya. She
ends working in prostitution. Sayuri imagines that she may have eventually drunk herself
to death.

Minor Characters:

Nobu Toshikazu:
Nobu is the Chairman's business partner and friend. As president of Iwamura Electric,
he proves himself a perceptive and loyal businessman. Nobu's face and body have
terrible burn scars from a bomb explosion during a military maneuver. His heroics also
cost him his arm. For this reason, many people are afraid to get close to him, and his
harsh behavior does not make him any easier to approach. Those who know him well,
however, find that he is a man of great character and loyalty and has very human
feelings hidden beneath his rough exterior. He becomes friends with Sayuri, and he
shows unusual affection in his treatment towards her. Her ultimate rejection of him is
deeply hurtful for him at the end.

Mother:
Mother is the head of the Okiya, and her primary concern is money. Although she is
younger than Auntie is, she is in charge at the Okiya. She is strikingly ugly, described by
Sayuri as a bulldog-looking woman with discolored features. Mother tries to be fair, as
she knows that Hatsumomo is manipulative and devious, but her main goal is to keep
the finances in order. When Sayuri attempts to run away from the Okiya, Mother stops
paying for her geisha lessons until Mameha makes her see that there is serious money
to be made. Later, when she adopts Sayuri as the daughter of the Okiya, she continues
to capitalize on any opportunity to make money from her.

Auntie  Nitta:
Aunty is a failed former geisha. She was beaten up by Granny for not being successful
enough, and had a broken hip which caused her trouble walking and which made her
career end right away. Auntie is kind and nice to people, even to Granny. She helps
Sayuri study Japanese and practice dance after lessons, yet she still is harsh when she
believes it is necessary.

Granny  Nitta:
Granny is the adoptive mother of Mother and Auntie. She is a sour, mean-spirited old
woman who complains constantly. In her younger years, she was a geisha, but she used
a common face cream containing lead, and her skin is now horrible as a result. Granny
dies when a space heater in her room electrocutes her.

Pumpkin:
She is a girl about the same age as Sayuri. She gets her nickname from Chiyo because
of her habit of staking out her tongue while doing something and because of having a
very round face. She always has to be around Hatsumomo and to listen to her because
she is her "older sister", meaning she is her teacher. She is a good girl in nature and she
is always happy to be friends with Chiyo, but after spending so much time with
Hatsumomo, she becomes cruel and evil as well. When becoming an apprentice to
Hatsumomo, she changes her name to Hatsumiyo. 

Sakamoto Satsu:
Satsu is Sayuri's sister. Although she is six years older than Sayuri (fifteen at the time
she leaves home), she is brokered to a brothel to work as a prostitute because of her
plain features and chubby physique. At home, Satsu is a hard and reliable worker who
lacks the imagination of her younger sister. Later, in Kyoto, she cannot bear to live as a
prostitute and plans to escape, taking Sayuri with her. Sayuri does not make it to their
meeting place, but Satsu manages to escape successfully. She returns to Yoroido and
runs away with Tanaka's assistant's son. She never reconnects with Chiyo again.

Chiyo’s mother:
She has the exactly same eye color as her daughter Chiyo. She dies soon after Chiyo is
taken away from home, probably of bone cancer. 

Chiyo’s father, Sakamoto Minoru: 

He is a very old man who was married once before. His whole family dies including his
wife and his two sons. He dies a few months later after the death of Chiyo’s mother. 

Mr. Bekku:
A dresser for Nitta Okiya, who is the one who supervised Chiyo and Satsu during their
way to Gion. 

Mr. Itchido:
He is Mameha’s dresser. 
Mr. Arashino: 
A kimono maker, a good friend to Nobu and a kind man who keeps Sayuri safe at his
house during World War Two.

The Baron:
He is Mameha’s danna and he becomes once interested in Sayuri. He is very spoiled
and rich. In World War Two, he drowns himself after his title when his precious things
are taken away due to war reasons.

Dr. Crab: 
Dr. Crab is a physician in the Gion district. He is called "Dr. Crab" for the way he
hunches his shoulders and sticks out his elbows. He is methodical in his practice and in
his personal life. He has a particular interest in winning novice geishas' mizuage, or
virginity. This arrangement is made with a geisha's Okiya when both parties agree upon
a sum of money. Mameha uses Dr. Crab's reputation as a "mizuage specialist" to drive
up the price of Sayuri's mizuage to a record fee.

Uchida Kosaburo: 
He is an artist, and a friend of Mameha’s who paints Sayuri a lot of times. 

Mr. Tanaka:
He is a person who plays the most important role in Chiyo’s future, for if Chiyo hadn’t
met him, she would never become a geisha. Tanaka Ichiro is the wealthy owner of the
Japan Coastal Seafood Company in Yoroido. He arranges the deal with Sayuri's father
to bring her and her sister to businesses in Kyoto. Sayuri initially finds him very strong
and kind, but she grows to hate him for orchestrating her fate. When Sayuri's parents
die, Tanaka sends religious objects from their home to Sayuri, along with a letter meant
to encourage the girl.

The Minister:
He is the minister of finance. Nobu is the one who asks Sayuri to entertain him, but she
ends up sleeping with him which helps her get the Chairman. The Minister is described
as fat and ugly who eats out of boredom, and he has interest in Sayuri and wants to
become her danna.

General Tottori:
A man in the army who becomes Sayuri's "danna" (husband like figure) for a certain
period of time before he becomes jobless during World War Two.

Conflicts:

Individual vs. Individual 

The conflict between an individual and another individual can be seen in the novel. This
conflict can be seen between Sayuri and Hatsumomo. When Sayuri first arrives at the
okiya, Hatsumomo knew that Sayuri would be her competition. This is because Sayuri
has grayish-blue eyes which are every unusual and make her unique and pretty.
Hatsumomo feels jealous and sets out to destroy Sayuri’s life. Sayuri is constantly
bullied in the okiya. Hatsumomo will always frame her for actions she has not done as
well as calling her ‘Little Miss Stupid’. Hatsumomo will do whatever it takes so that
Sayuri’s career as a geisha is destroyed. When Sayuri is adopted as the daughter of the
okiya, she finally holds power over Hatsumomo. She is able to stand up to Hatsumomo
and is no longer fearful of her. 
Individual vs. Self
The conflict between an individual and oneself can also be seen in this novel. This
conflict would be between Sayuri and herself. In her early years, she met a man who she
refers to as the Chairman. Ever since that meeting with him, she has developed feelings
for him that drives her to become a geisha. That man is Iwamura Ken, the chairman of
Iwamura Electric. After meeting him again, she wants to be with him. However, when
Nobu would most likely be her danna, she contemplates to betray his trust and
friendship to be with the Chairman. She went back and forth between decisions to betray
Nobu. In the end, she did and that is why Nobu throws her out from his life. With this, the
Chairman seizes the oppurtunity to be Sayuri’s danna and be with her.

Themes:

Slavery 

The theme of slavery can be seen in this novel. Little children are bought and sold to
different people. In Memoirs of a Geisha, it is evident that the main character of the
novel, Sayuri or known back then as Chiyo was sold off together with her elder sister,
Satsu. This is because they were from a poverty-stricken family. Their father is unable
support them anymore whereas their ailing mother is going to die soon. Therefore, the
elder sister was sold off to a brothel to become a prostitute whereas Chiyo was sold off
to an okiya, which is the house of a geisha. Chiyo worked as a maid in the okiya but
soon began her training to become a geisha. Chiyo was treated as a slave as she had
no voice but to only listen to people’s orders. She also has to pay her dues and debt in
order to obtain her freedom. Unfortunately, the reality is that many of these women who
become geishas will never be free again as their debt is too high of a price. Geishas
become slaves as they would most probably never have the ability to earn freedom in
their lives as they continue to serve as artists. They are bound to restrictions and they
will never have the ability to truly experience freedom. In their respective okiyas, they
basically live as slaves. If the geishas are bought as mistresses to men who are known
to be their danna, they will continue serving the men. They are not free to find true love
and immerse themselves in the world of romance. Some may fall in love with their
dannas but many do not. Like Sayuri, she was not in love with her first danna, General
Tottori. She was in love with the Chairman, Iwamura Ken. She was never truly happy as
her feelings for the Chairman lingered on and she would always find a way to be closer
with him. 

Exploitation of the female gender

In this novel, we can see the clear description of exploitation of the female gender.
Geishas are always associated with sexual favours. This is not true but it is not entirely
false as well. Geishas are not allowed to perform sexual favours but unfortunately, some
do as they are promised more money by their clients, the men. The virginity of a geisha
apprentice (Maiko) is also put up for sale. The ceremony where a man takes the
apprentice’s virginity is known as mizuage. It is believed that the mizuage is a coming-of-
age ceremony for the apprentice. Wealthy men who are interested in the apprentice
would bid on her virginity so that the apprentice can ‘grow up’ to become a woman and
in turn, a full- fledged geisha. This shows how men exploit women with their mentality
that a woman can be bought with money. On the other hand, women are exploited again
as they become prostitutes. Prostitutes are paid handsomely compared to other jobs and
this creates a notion that women can only earn well through sex. They have been
exploited by the dominant male gender. They have no say or voice as the men are the
people who have control over them. In conclusion, women in that era were easily
exploited by members of the community especially men. Their needs were not catered
and they were not given whatever support they needed or deserved. 

Classes within society

There is also the theme of classes within society which can be seen through this novel.
The different classes within society are portrayed very vividly. In a fishing village such as
Yoroido in Japan, the people are suffering from poverty and struggle on a daily basis. On
the other hand, the people in Kyoto live a much better life. People are able to enjoy the
luxuries of life. For example, men are able to pay huge sums of money just to be
entertained by geishas. They are able to pay for sexual services as well as enjoy
watching plays. This shows a clear divide between the lifestyles of different classes
within society. Furthermore, it can be seen that there are different classes within the
same community. For example, geishas who are more successful will frown upon
geishas who are less successful. They would discriminate against less successful
geishas as treat them as they are a class lower and undeserving of respect. For
example, Hatsumomo, a successful geisha, would always look down on other geishas.
When she feels threatened by a geisha that could be more successful than her, she
plots a scheme against that geisha. Hatsumomo would always bully Chiyo/Sayuri
because she feels threatened by her. She was not fond of Mameha as well because
Mameha was a more successful geisha. When Sayuri was adopted by Mother, her rank
became higher than Hatsumomo. She had the power over Hatsumomo and Hatsumomo
would not be able to bully her anymore. This clearly shows that there are classes within
society. The lower ranked society were exploited whereas the higher ranked society
exploited. 
 Appearances vs reality:

There's a lot of focus on the geisha under the makeup - how geishas are entertainers,
not an actual representation of the person underneath. The main character (Chiyo) was
a poor girl from a fishing village, and became one of the most popular geishas... nobody
would believe where she came from based on how she looks and acts. Nobu, has
disfiguring burns all over his face, and yet he is a loyal and kind man underneath. And
Hatsomomo, one of the most beautiful geisha, is also one of the most rotten people
underneath.

Motifs:

The motif of “water” is shown repeatedly throughout the novel:

 Sayuri's blue-gray eyes that showed the water in her personality. “I can see you have a
great deal of water in your personality. “
 One example of a symbol found in the story is when Chiyo, which was Sayuri's
childhood name, was thinking of running away from the okiya she was living in. The
symbol in this segment of the novel was the thoughts Chiyo was having of water running
which inspired her to think about the idea of running away.
 Whenever Sayuri hit obstacles in her life, she would find a way around it. The
symbolization of this was how water would hit rocks, but water can find its way around
anything. Symbolization such as this was used from Sayuri's personality to her life that
has a lot of water in it to the experiences in her life. “Water never waits. It changes
shape and flows around things, and finds the secret paths no one else has thought
about -- the tiny hole through the roof or the bottom of the box. There's no doubt it's the
most versatile of the five elements. It can wash away earth; it can put out fire; it can wear
a piece of metal down and sweep it away. Even wood, which is its natural complement,
can't survive without being nurtured by water.”

 Sayuri herself was symbolized through water. A strong force water is, yet its soothing
and beautiful. Sayuri is seen to be a powerful and beautiful woman in this story. “We
lead our lives like water flowing down a hill, going more or less in one direction until we
splash into something that forces us to find a new course.”