Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden -- Essay/Discussion Ideas

Published: 1997
Publisher: Vintage Books USA
Author's Facebook
Goodreads Page

Introduction

Sayuri was brought from a small fishing village to become a geisha--an artist who entertains men. Early on, he falls in love with the Chairman. Part of being a geisha is not loving at all, but Sayuri is determined to have something with him. As her position in Gion rises with her perseverance, WWII is approaching, threatening everything she has worked for.

Authenticity 

There was much discussion regarding whether or not the book is historically accurate or a truthful description of geisha life. The following post is not going to focus on the truthfulness of this historical fiction/fictional memoir but as a launching point for essay/assignment ideas. When I was in high school taking an AP literature class, a student was tasked with comparing it with another book, and I believe it was Three Cups of Tea, which also has a scandal regarding its authenticity (see Three Cups of Deceit).

Essay Idea: Sexualized Orientalism/Women as Sexual Objects

"Golden treated Japanese culture and geisha as an object to be sexualized, exoticized, and romanticized." Orientalism and the Binary of Fact and Fiction in Memoirs of a Geisha, Kimiko Akita.

Despite trying to pound into the reader that geisha are not prostitutes, the sexualization and exchange of money are hard to ignore. They are educated young women, and still, their bodies are treated as marketable. Portions of the book are focused on how much flesh can be displayed to whom, and when. The end game of some geisha is to become a wealthy man's mistress (which can be seen as a prostitute attached to only one man). Hatsumomo's downfall accumulated with her probably becoming a prostitute, which is portrayed as negative. The conflicting ideology is tough to swallow. The label of prostitute is the absolute worst, yet the height of their careers is when they can exchange sex for money. A geisha's sale of her virginity is probably the highlight of her career, and people remember the sums they bring in.

The book depicts children/women as a burden. They are sold and whisked away to the city, where they become geisha or prostitutes (in the book, there's no mention of other possibilities, such as factory work, maids, etc.). When they do not earn as much as they used to, they are no longer valued and are seen as another mouth to feed (Hatsumomo). Hatsumomo and Pumpkin can be viewed as the outcome of such a life of exploitation. 

See more here.

http://www.worldhistoria.com/oiran-vs-geisha_topic124658.html

Essay Idea: Book VS Film

The film, in my opinion, focused too much on the scenery than on being a good film (but it was a gorgeous film!). Characters aren't introduced properly, and I'd wouldn't be surprised if viewers were confused. In the book, Sayuri pursues men of her own choosing (aside from the constant pursuit of the Chairman). In the film, she does not pursue men other than the Chairman (which can be read as predatory, as he was a married adult when he met her, and she was 12). There are a plethora of differences that can be discussed.

Essay Idea: Truth of the Geisha, Golden VS Iwasaki

This book was written by an American. He does have some impressive credentials, including a degree in art history (specializing in Japanese art) from Harvard, and a M.A. from Columbia University in Japanese history. He had to ask some geisha to break their secrecy for this novel, and apparently, Mineko Iwasaki asked to not be named...which he did. In the back of the book, he thanked her, which cause a scandal in the current geisha world. She has since released her own memoir (Geisha, a Life), as it is contested by many that Memoirs of a Geisha has a lot of misinformation. A compare and contrast of the books' geisha would be interesting (as of writing, I have not read Iwasaki's book, I am waiting for it to arrive).

It has been purposed that perhaps he conflated oiran with geisha. They were in the pleasure districts and it seems that Golden's geisha are a mixture of oiran and geisha.

http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Hatsumomo

Essay Idea: Changing Japan

The book gives some details about how Japan was changing before, during, and after WWII. If you like history, you can write about the Great Depression and the American Occupation. How were they affected in Gion, or were they sheltered? What about the traditions they held on to, or tried to hold on to?

Essay Idea: Female Characters & Identity

This book is full of women, both good and bad. Ultimately, they all seem to scheme, one way or another, to survive in their world. Who survives by being strong and independent, and who submits to the oppressive system to get by? Why doesn't Hatsumomo make it?

(In the reverse, it seems that all men are creeps, even, IMO, the Chairman. What does that say in the narrative, as it relates to the women?)

Also, the concept of identity is interesting in this book. The female geisha characters are born with one name (Chiyo), and when they become geisha, they get a name that usually connects them with their mentor (Sayuri). If they are adopted by their okiya, they get the family name (Nitta) as well. Sayuri narrates her life, and her older persona seems to have a new identity as well, detached from her former selves. Geisha have elaborate hair and makeup, masking them, shielding them, making them a fantasy. Their kimono give them an unnatural cylinder shape that is difficult to walk in. The obi of their kimono have to be tied by men. With the help of men, and for men, they have to shift their identities. (Unless men are adopted for business reasons, they never change their name.)

Perhaps shifting identities is the only way for these women to survive their society. Perhaps they needed it because just being a regular woman in society was a dangerous feat.   

 

Essay Idea: The Translator's Note?

The beginning of the novel starts with a translator's note, which is just Golden framing the narrative. What does this add? Authenticity, especially when the book's truthfulness is questioned? A buffer for misconceptions? The book isn't really a memoir either.

And this is all I have come up with. Please let me know if any of this was helpful! This blog gets hits but I rarely get comments anymore, so I feel like I am screaming into the void here.  

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

The Chemical Garden Reviews
Wither, Fever, and Sever

Published: February 21 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Website: Author’s Website 
Author's Youtube

*Fair Warning: I try to keep this as spoiler free as possible but it is difficult!

Introduction

Gabrielle and Rhine have escaped the gilded cage mansion and have washed ashore. They are promptly hit with the realization that they are in their cruel dystopian world that is unkind to people without a home. This installment is about them trying to make it back home to Manhattan, to Rhine’s brother, Rowan. They pick up another character, a girl without security in the world concerned with perfecting and correcting genes. Together they travel to Rhine’s former home, until the fever hits. What is it?   

The Scarlet Carnival

The first place to take advantage of them is Madame’s cruel carnival-a scarlet district prostitution ring. The girls are haggard with teeth rotten and wearing dirty exotic dresses. Madame takes a liking to Rhine and she falls into a dilemma: Vaughan cannot find her in the circus, but she is being used by a woman who is a predator in the business of selling pretty flesh until it is ruined.

Sound intriguing? I was bored. Like the first book, Wither, the circus is a confined space with a set domestic space and rules, like the mansion. I was craving for them to just LEAVE and explore and have more agency. I am supposed to be creeped out by the way Madame collects girls to sell their flesh until they die. In reality, this happens in real life. It is scary, though it is nothing new. 

Perhaps I am what you consider well-read, but I get the whole sexual enslavement issue. The whole scenario about how she’s there but not as a full prostitute made me stick out my tongue and go “PFFFT.” Yeah, right. As if she’d be kept there without having the dirty experience. It’s just because DeStefano wanted to give us the nitty-gritty inside of the sexual enslavement of the world AND keep her character extremely pure. This world doesn’t keep anyone pure, by the way, so this whole virginal main character concept is ridiculously unbelievable. If you read Oryx and Crake or The Year of the Flood , both by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, you’ll get a more realistic sense of what happens to women in a dystopian society that is driven by gratification.     

Ermahgerd guys, prostitution!  

Characters

I found this installment lacked the vibrant and complete cast of characters that its predecessor has. There are a lot of fleeting characters because the duo are on the move. There’s Lilac, the intelligent and beautiful prostitute, and her daughter, Maddie, a “malformed” child who does not speak. Madame, the ring-master of the carnival of tattered silk prostitutes.  The rest of the characters, to me, are replicas in different areas that serve the same roles. Ally, enemy, abuser. I understand that it is difficult to give depth to characters when you don’t spend much time with them because the characters are going elsewhere.

Cover

I like this cover as a cover much better Wither’s cover. The model still has the ring, she holds the card (part of a lame attempt at dramatic symbolism by the author), and she looks unwell. The title is Fever, and (surprise) everybody at some point feels unwell, but the model looks…not attractively unwell. You might say, well, duh, she’s supposed to be sick. But when you’re talking about modeling something artistically, there are ways to convey the idea right…and better. This girl looks…bored (oh hey it’s me when I was reading the circus passages!), or like she’s high, or like (as pointed out on Goodreads) she has some bodily functions to take care of. I think it would have been more effective to make her pale or flushed, sweaty, and give her dishevelled hair. In the first book, the rat’s nest was uncalled for. Here, it’s alright because she’s ill and has nowhere to go and no brush to untangle her hair.

Story Progression

The story of Fever is both linear and knotted. They are en route to Rowan. They get stuck in the carnival. The go on their way, towards Rowan. Little blips happen, and they get untangled and keep going towards their destination. It is not until the end when “stuff” happens and the linear, planned plot goes away. I like the ending much more than the whole first half of the book. It was hard to care too much when everything is so planned. Yes, “stuff” happens and it is interesting. Yet I found myself craving for when they are forced into something more unexpected. I wanted desperately for the plan to unravel and throw something at me that would make me squirm to read and turn the page. It does happen, but not until later. When it happened, putting the book down was impossible.     

Writing

Even when the plot isn’t terribly engaging…the writing is always well-crafted. Now, what does that mean?

The writing brings the world into reality: eerily dystopian and disgustingly beautiful.

Everything seems right in her writing this time. I wish I can one day write something that conveys the world to be so multifaceted like DeStefano does. There’s mansions, malls, pretty dresses, slavery, forced marriage, candy, kidnapping, family, prostitution, murders, sister wives, drugs, love…all these textures are weaved in the pages of the book. 

Next Book: Sever

Yes please! I am reading Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch (I ordered it in November from my library and it came in on July 30!) and then it’s off to finish The Chemical Garden Trilogy with Sever! I can’t wait! This trilogy is honestly the hottest thing on my mind (book-wise) and in my mind, the highest anticipated book in a series that I have encountered in a while.

Verdict

            An excellent sequel to the first book. It doesn’t quite deliver on the expectations that you might hope for from the first book. Instead of an adventure it is more like a boring road trip where you keep asking “Are we there yet?”. This book also lacks profound moments because the author places her character in a world of prostitution and squeezes her into an unrealistic role of purity there. Fever is excellently written, though the book doesn’t take us very far story wise. There is advancement between Gabrielle and Rhine, and some more characters that won’t mention to spoil it. The first half was dead-boring to me, but the last 50 or so pages keep me reading and excited for the next book.