A Study of Memoirs of a Geisha as an American Story

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(1)A Study. of Memoirs. of a Geisha. as an American. 教科・領域教育学専攻言語系コース MO7144J 伊藤. 操. Story.

(2) A Study. of Memoirs. of a Geisha. as an American. A Thesis. Presented The Faculty Hyogo. of the Graduate. University. of Teacher. In Partial of the. to. for the. of School. Education. Degree. Education. by. Misao Ito (Student. at. Fulfillment. Requirements Master. Course. Number:. December. M07144J). 2008. of. Story.

(3) Contents. Acknowledgements.................................................... Abstract............................................................iii. Introduction.......................................................... Chapter. 1. 1. Innocence. 1.1. Innocence. in American. 1.2. Sayuri.......................................................11. 1.3. Hatsumomo..................................................16. Chapter. 2. 2.1. What. 2.2. The American. 2.3. Elevation. 2.4. Industriousness. Chapter. 3. The American is the American Dream. Literature...............................8. Dream Dream? .................................19 in Memoirs. of a Geisha....................21. in Status............................................23 and Hard. Work................................24. Exodus. 3.1. Exodus. 3.2. Memoirs. in the Bible...........................................27 of a Geisha. as a Story. Conclusion..........................................................35. of Exodus.......................29.

(4) Notes. 37. Bibliography. 39.

(5) i. Acknowledgements. I. wish. to. contributed. to the. First. and. seminar. my. foremost,. and. completed. this. to Professor. Assistant. Professor. grateful. for Associate. information. gratitude. Matsusaka,. for. support,. without. which. is extended. to the. teaching. at Hyogo University. Oshima,. Assistant. Tani for their. Professor. Nobuyuki. at. University. Kobe. University. indebted. to Mr.. me by reading. me to improve. of North. it.. Ms.. Joseph. through. However,. My wholehearted seminar,. who. has. his. to my valuable. I could. never. of Teacher. Professor. valuable. Mariko. Carolina. for. Udo and I am also. Associate. Associate. of the. Education;. comments.. Yamamoto, and. staff. Professor. Professor. giving. me. Jan. precious. and advice.. I am supported. Hiroshi. Akinobu. the. to offer my sincerest. generous. Language. Ishikawa at. everyone. thesis.. Hitoshi. appreciation. especially. Bardsley. like. to. thesis.. of English. Shinichiro. I would. constant,. appreciation. of this. Professor. My sincere Department. hearty. accomplishment. supervisor,. suggestions have. express. Yasumasa. and. encouragements.. department. have. always. will remain. strong like. been. single. I am responsible. suggestions. I would. every. appreciation. Katsue. Bruscato. and page. Ms. My. supportive. Alison. of this. Miller,. thesis. who. and helped. for any mistakes.. is offered and. Ms.. to my fellow. Noriko fellow. Nishio students. and the friendship. members for. their. in. the. in the helpful graduate. I acquired. here. and solid. to express. my gratitude. to the Hyogo. Prefectural. Board. of.

(6) 11. Education precious. and. Miki-kita. opportunity. to study. Last but not least, Nozomi,. for their. environment. Senior. High. at Hyogo. School. University. I would like to thank. generous. support. for allowing. me to have. of Teacher. Education.. my family, Shoji, Natsuki. by providing. so that I could devote myself to studying. me with. this. and. a comfortable. these past two years.. Misao Ito Kato,. Hypgo. December. 2008.

(7) 111. Abstract. Memoirs quickly was. of a Geisha. became. directed. life story. a sensational. United. States. society. in a Far. before. World. Some. researchers. others. say that. love the story. born. even. War. the. II, whom say that. most. innocence,. about. which. of the. Japanese. have. that. attracts. Dream,. fascinates. writers. have dealt with it such as Hawthorne, In Memoirs. Sayuri.. Sayuri. Though. she stays geisha translated. innocent. name,. Sayuri,. as "small. of a Geisha,. lily," which. to be successful. develops. underhanded. of the except born. Americans, they. while. know. elements. and. certainly. but. in American. in American. there. are. literature:. her innocence represents. as a geisha. strategies.. while. Henry. and. James,. in the protagonist,. to be trained what. because. the sinless. as a geisha,. happens. Sayuri. Virgin. her mentor. She seems. literature. Melville,. to her love no matter. symbolizes. struggles. figure. to do with?. States,. it is embodied. is sold into near-slavery. and honest. in the. and Exodus.. has been one of the major themes. and Fitzgerald.. those. the. read. little. them:. treated. Innocence many. tells. life of a geisha. book in the United been. which. and. which. underestimated the. that. 1997. a film. so widely. describe. have. into. a marginal. been. not deny. in. tale. male. plot that. of this. made. it been. not Japan. I would. story. the American. has. it is its orientalism. of Cinderella.. published. it was. talks. Has. was. is a fictional. Why. novel. it is its fairy-tale. in this. story. does a white. to the popularity. themes. In 2005. The. country?. Why. Golden. in 1920.. though. East. for its economy?. other. hit.. by Rob Marshall.. of a geisha. contribute. by Arthur. to fill the. geisha,. could. Mary.. Her be She. Mameha,. role of keeping.

(8) iv. Sayuri. pure. described and. and. innocent.. as a serpent. Sayuri. further. and. and. becoming immigrating York.. to the United. Although. Dream". geisha;. States. is to be realized. Luther. King. making. realizes. freedom, prosperity. talked. material. Franklin,. about. Sayuri's prosperity. by. and equality. by. her own business. a poor fishing. like Benjamin. character.. speech.. freedom. and managing. she was born into. material. her to achieve. she then. is. Hatsumomo. prosperity,. emphasizes. history. and hard work enable. a successful. material. Martin. his. between. in the life of the main. tradition. in. Hatsumomo,. of the heroine.. things;. diligence.. equality. industriousness. three. geisha. in character. is also portrayed. and. the. the innocence. Puritan. work. antagonist,. the contrast. mainly. The. hard. freedom. Dream. to represent. equality.. through. and. emphasizes. The American It is deemed. The. family,. in New. her "American. one of the ideal figures. for. Americans.. Exodus is quite specific to the American tradition, compared themselves Canaan.. to the Israelites,. The protagonist. experiences. hometown and immigrating moving. who were led to the Promised Land, two exoduses;. moving out of her. to the United States of America.. out of her hometown,. protagonist.. since their ancestors. also means. the. The first one,. fortunate. fall for the. The author clearly implies this at the beginning. and provides the savior, the Chairman. Iwamura,. of the story. who would save her from. the fallen world. With two. the themes. structures:. structure. is the. the story. that deep. I mentioned structure. of a geisha. and living. above, the. the story surface. in Japan. but. could. structure. the deep. be said to have The structure. surface is a.

(9) V. narrative which America.. of a typical could. be the. American secret. heroine.. of this. novel's. The. story. success. is full in. the. of Americanisms, United. States. of.

(10) 1. Introduction. Memoirs. of a. Geisha,. a novel. by. Arthur. Golden,. was. published. in. October 1997 and soared in popularity to become an international. bestseller.. Memoirs. list for 58. straight. of a Geisha was on The New York Times bestseller weeks and sold more than three million copies.. translated state. into more than thirty-six. dinner. Japanese. at the White House hosted. prime minister.'. from Newsweek universities studies. Golden was invited to a. by President. Clinton. for the. The novel has been talked about in magazines. to People. Considering. recommend. students. the novel to be authentic,. to read it for international. as well as for feminism.. Hollywood.. languages.. The book has been. some. or cultural. This story has even made its way to. Director Steven Spielberg. first received permission. to make. the film but he passed the job of directing to Rob Marshall with Chinese and Malaysian. actresses. acting the main roles.. film in 2005 and has grossed more than. Columbia Pictures released the 57 million dollars in the United. States. Surprisingly,. this. with. education.. male. a high. Tennessee,. into. Chattanooga emeritus. specialty. a family. at in. Japanese. University, art.. Arthur. passed. earning He then. Golden,. parents. published. Ochs Sulzberger, parents. a degree. in art. on to study. The. is chairman. were divorced. away five years. moved. a Caucasian. in 1957 in Chattanooga,. His. Golden's. old and his father. Harvard. was born. of journalists.. Times, and his cousin,. years. novel of Arthur. Golden. of The New York Times.. was eight studied. is the debut. later.. when he Golden. history. with. at. Columbia. a.

(11) 2. University. graduate. school, completing. history and Mandarin After. spending. Chinese.. a summer. English-language. degree in Japanese. His interest focused on the Muromachi Era. at. magazine. his master's. Beijing. University,. he worked. for an. in Tokyo from 1980 to 1982. Returning. to the. United States, he entered Boston University, where he completed a master's degree in English in 1988.. He lives in Massachusetts. with his wife and two. children. This geisha. American who. male. was. born. escapades. in the. interview. that. American. to Japanese,. writing. this. first-person geisha. closed. novel,. have tourism.. Introduced. Geisha. learned. Currently, associate. peculiar. Note". three. them. them,. through. people.. which. taken. himself. admitted. divides—man. He spent. drafts. before. has. the outline. more. known outside. in. stories. Western. of posters. these. existed introduce. than. to adopt. of the geisha society,. and. far. away. the preface. most. brochures Only. are required. Golden. writes from. a. successful. of society.. men. in an. ten years. a formerly. and inside. and. to woman,. he decided. Iwasaki,. customers.. I will first. and then. Golden cultural. and even. of a charming hardships. live at the margins. regular. world,. have been. widely. life story through. to past. two. the. went. to Mineko. geisha. with. and. of the details. with. Japanese. "Translator's. away. no contact. introduction. ordinary. to cross. are. a proper. 1920s. about. of geisha.. geisha. men. reader. and present. Golden. affluent. and. the. throwing. Although. Japanese. the. world. narration.. world.. unique. in. he needed. in Gion,. Kyoto. tells. for a few. to have about. the. this. lives. of the story,. of the. of the novel .. up as a subject. in some works. of American.

(12) 3. literature,. but these are still peripheral. prurience.. In order to cast away those images. Golden. provides. actual. story.. Haarhuis, having. and often reek of lasciviousness. some hints Here,. claims spent. introduces. in her elegant. New York. country.. freedom. geisha,. Towers.. Nitta. suite. that. This fictious. she came. and success promised there.. indicate. Sayuri. States. the Jacob. history, character. a luxurious. life. floor of New York. her financial. immigrated. to the United. precedes. in Japanese. who is now leading. might. the reader,. professor,. on the thirty-second. Her residence. suggests. University. and an expert. Sayuri,. Also, like many Americans, This. York. Note, which. of his boyhood in Japan.. Japanese-style. City's Waldorf. New. he is a historian. some years. a former. in the Translator's. a fictious. that. and to interest. and. status. in. from her native in pursuit. When she was in Japan,. of the. a code of. silence would not allow her to reveal knowledge of the geisha profession. she were to violate this code, she would be put into an untenable. If. position.. Golden secures her position in the United States, and suggests that she could confess her life-story only after leaving Japan:. "Sayuri's circumstances. in. telling her story were unusual, in that no one in Japan had power over her any longer.. Her ties with her native country had already been severed." (3)2. Anne Allison reports that "the effect (of the ploy) seems particularly potent and readers become particularly Golden wants. susceptible to believing the fiction."3. It is true. that. authority.. However, his intention would also imply that this is a story of the. escape of a Japanese. From. Chapter. to furnish. his story with credibility. and. woman from the Old World.. 1, Golden. hides. himself. behind. Sayuri,. making. the story.

(13) 4. a first-person called. Chiyo. mother and. narrative.. the house include. beauty. Ichiro,. will eventually. with. house,. her beauty. to Kyoto to. only Chiyo is welcomed,. living at. Pumpkin,. maids, and Hatsumomo, realizes. For example,. Satsu. and she forces Chiyo to ruin the kimono of her rival, Mameha. to see Satsu working. her one night. and is caught, have. which makes. died and Deep. gentleman. her sister. in despair,. Mother. Chiyo. that. again.. decide. has run off with cries. called "the Chairman,". to pray. Chairman. to stop Chiyo's. Chiyo. at the. Ichiro that. foot of a bridge,. and to. both of her. when. she meets. a. who kindly cheers her and buys her a. With some money he gave her, Chiyo goes to the she will someday. become a geisha. and meet the. When Granny dies, Mameha visits the okiya to pay her. (a mentor. resume her training. training. her boyfriend.. respects and asks Chiyo to meet confidentially. older-sister. of. in Kyoto and plans to escape with. Chiyo finds out from Tanaka. shaved ice with syrup. temple. as to the whereabouts. On her way out of the okiya, Chiyo slips down from the roof. her as a maid.. parents. the information. in a brothel. Chiyo's. in the okiya and tries to abuse. her.. manages. and. The characters. her position. she withholds. her. and makes. Satsu,. On seeing Chiyo, Hatsumomo. threaten. and. location.. Mother, Aunty, Granny,. but mean geisha.. and. to meet a rich businessman. to send her and her sister,. away to an unknown. family. is an old fisherman. who is impressed. At the okiya, or geisha. is taken. a beautiful. Her father. One day, Chiyo happens. with her father. geisha.. her sister. ill.. Tanaka. arrangements become. is born into an impoverished. in her childhood.. is critically. broker,. Sayuri. for an apprentice). Mameha offers to be Chiyo's. and asks Mother. to let Chiyo. as a geisha on one condition; Mameha will cover all the.

(14) 5. expenses. for Chiyo if Chiyo fails to repay all of her debts by the age of twenty.. Chiyo makes. her debut as an apprentice. Sayuri. meets the Chairman. apprentice.. Mameha. with the geisha name,. and his business. "Sayuri.". partner. Nobu as an. devises a plan to auction Sayuri's mizuage off to the. highest bidder, making wealthy men get involved as bidders.. Recording the. highest. price for mizuage,. Sayuri pays off her debts and Mother. Sayuri. as. of the. the. daughter. okiya. (an. heiress),. which. adopts outrages. Hatsumomo. An ailing as her. economy. danna,. room. a patron.. where. behaves. the. Nobu. helps After. Finance. When. Hatsumomo. scandalously. leaving. and the Pacific. used toward. As the. Sayuri. to evacuate. war,. Minister. Nobu. contract.. Sayuri,. Mameha,. company. recovers.. Having. danna that. since she. the. will for. Minister,. whom. brings her. the danna. affection. General. have. affection. her,. she. Nobu. the. decides. to live,. Hatsumomo. Iwamura and. passed ties. with. strongly. the. dislikes.. to see the meeting. Chairman. for her, explaining. that. Nobu. appears. witness. However, Sayuri and. his friendship. down. Minister. Nobu's. and. Nobu. and. the. as her. mistress. means. To alienate. Nobu's. Pumpkin thinks. the. himself. a rendezvous. confesses with. in her. a reconstruction. offers. Chairman.. him. results. and. in entertaining. the. Becoming. temper. the war.. achieve. entertain. away.. her. to be closed. for help. on Sayuri,. a General. use the largest. which. during. will. Pumpkin. to have. loses. has. her. Electric. his eye. plans. Gion. to ask. to have. to let Sayuri. to the countryside her. Sayuri. at a party,. proceeds,. visits. to sever. Chairman but. war. so that. Mother. a customer. okiya.. the. War forces. betrays. with. the. her and. that. Nobu. his. long-standing. has prevented. is to be. him.

(15) 6. from showing. it.. Nobu rejects. lives. Having. to New. what happened. her and the Chairman. Sayuri son.. Knowing. York. a comfortable. States. so that. she will. not make. the. business. owner. in New York.. A wealth. the. Chairman's. of book. of a Geisha. and. There. state. idea that recognizes the Orient. she. more. been. will. decides for his. written. briefly. to move. life. about. publications:. now. to his. family. a self-sufficient. in these. I. gives birth. Sayuri trouble. lives. have. points. and. times,. any. fairytale.. that. Memoirs. as an exotic other.. different 'them'. "reinforces. undesirable. Anne Allison. in the Saidean. from. differentiate. Middleton. of a Geisha. the Orient as the antithesis. her, "as orientalist. innately. Kim. a. and Sayuri,. in as a. Memoirs. orientalism summarize. the. orientalism:. the. studies.. Some articles. struck. several. and articles. are reoccurring of. the Chairman. death,. reviews. construction. preceding. life with. the United. After. the Minister. is now free to take her as his mistress.. visited. Japan.. between. the. from. West. `us."'4 Kimiko. stereotypes. Meyer. writes. to the West, and stereotypes says that. sense. whose. Memoirs. of treating. culture. Akita. of the. shows. in "Multicultural. the `Orient'. homogenizes. comments. Japanese. of a Geisha. people Anxiety. that. as the. as we. story. and. culture. and. the. ."5. New. Orientalism":. The fictional. memoirs. reenact. fundamentals. Japanese. the. customs. that. make. in intimate. up the body. of the and. New. of Memoirs. Orientalism:. incredible. detail;. of a Geisha they. they. provide associate.

(16) 7. the possession culturally. information. knowledgeable. depend. Others. of this. Westerner;. on this Westerner. categorize. with. a "smarter" and best. or at least. of all, they. riches tale.... suggestions. appear. to. as an audience.6. the novel as a typical. fairytale.. Anne. mentions that it is, "the familiar (though Western) Cinderella and the Chairman."7. more. Allison. story of Sayuri. Jan Bardsley points out that the story is "the rags to. you gotta have so believe in your American dream with all its of upward mobility.. But to put it in these geisha robes makes it. new."8. A different. view. twentieth. century. Americans. held. cyclical. return. is taken. downturn toward. by. Narrelle. in Japan's. the Japanese,. of Western. Morris,. economy adding. interest. in. that. the. more. saying. that. the. changed. the. this. is the apparent. book. harsh. late view. gentle,. exoticised. side. affected. by orientalism. of. Japan.9 I would that. not. the author. deny. that. the story. takes. up a woman. structure. of the. society.. The. However,. I agree. American. in nature.. There. treated. in American. literature:. I would. like to deepen. most. with. belonging. plot. Jan. is somewhat. is quite. Bardsley,. are three innocence,. and elaborate. to a marginal similar who sees. themes. to the this. in this. the American. this point. group. of Japanese. fairy. novel. story. of view in this. tale. model.. as essentially. which. Dream. in. have. been. and Exodus. thesis..

(17) 8. Chapter. 1. Innocence. 1.1 Innocence in American Literature Traditionally, literature.. Why. cultural. has. identity. sailed. from. an ideal. values. of the. The. the future. who. their. the. beliefs.. Americans figure. with. the past. His moral position. Europe.. People. they. would. They. had. but. to deny. own values. had. the. notion. the. that. innocence. with. to. According. The early. rather. in a Bible-reading. and. the vast. Americans. the present. and. To assure image Fall.. their. identity. of themselves Saburo. generation,. with. Adam was the first, the archetypal,. man.. was prior to experience,. and secure as new. Kawamoto. that the new. was most easily identified. newness he was fundamentally. the. from. be able. a. only.. Adam before the Fall.. before. as. of heroic. hero (in praise or disapproval). the. their. established. of a new history."10. It was not surprising,. have. been. where. to define. "a. at the start. themselves. country. early be. has. emigrated. religious. needed. should. poised. associate. but. Adam,. American. Innocence. for a new. with. Old World,. potentialities, did not. society. so?. Americans. seeking. American. authentic. it been. for the. Europe. realize. to. innocence has been one of the major themes of American. and in his very. innocent."(Italics. their men,. writes. existence, who about. are. added) 11. Americans symbolized. obsession. need. to. by Adam. for innocence.

(18) 9. with. the. Americans,. No matter hundred. how. most. American. writers.. against. the. to the. self.. the. identity. Many. Herman. Fitzgerald. among. great. Melville. warship.. His position. in the new warship. dames. beauty. character,. on board.. the. European have. writers. for. concept. to establish. Adam. literature. is their. have. Henry. and. character. struggled. the innocent. Hawthorne,. people. a national. have. of American. as the main. is a handsome. is "something. from the provinces. the highborn. a riot. theme. it is a relative. dealt. James,. true with. F. Scott. theme. in his work,. sailor impressed. into service. Billy is a fine figure resembling. transplanted. Claggart. `the Old World',. to be an eternal. should. used innocence. on a British. depraved. as long. others.. Billy Bud, whose main character. and. they. Nathaniel. it is two. of the Old World. 12. whether. writers. against. is because. American. Melville,. For example,. beauty. World'. between. felt that. whether. years after its foundation,. New. That. examined. passed,. continues. difference. World. and. of the. innocence:. have. and `maturity'. Americans New. the. probably. `tradition'. Recognizing. American. remains. innocence. themselves,. years. years or three hundred. as America. unique. many. of the court."13 except. Adam before the Fall.. analogous. and brought. Master. struck. by Billy, Claggart. with. on board loves his. at Arms.. leads Billy into a trap: he falsely accuses Being. of a rustic. into competition. Every crewmember. Claggart,. to that. The evil. and. Billy of starting. is killed. on the. spot..

(19) 10. Though Billy. the. is found. innocence are. crew. and. guilty. the captain of homicide. main. themes.. The. innocent. man. in this. corrupt. innocence. itself. Hawthorne. story,. happening kinsman,. Major. fails. innocence. Daisy attractive. in this. In this. affair,. story,. the Fall and his tragic. have. of human. describes. known, beings. however,. the. death that. is helpless. but in vein.. the fate of an innocent. Major. Molineux.". hometown. seeking. Being. innocent. he asks. an. although. various. young. The hero,. the assistance and. people. not. for the. man in. Robin,. visits. of his wealthy. knowing. what. whereabouts. At last, he finds out that Major Molineux. uncle looking utterly. to grow into adulthood. and his initiation. Miller. written. In this. miserable,. story,. is. of his. is no longer. figure to whom people in the region pay their respect.. seeing his highly regarded and. to death.. before. might. world. Molineux.. in town,. an authoritative. Adam. author. "My Kinsman,. from his provincial. kinsman,. to be innocent. is a lofty ideal.. Nathaniel his short. Billy. and sentenced. of Billy Bud, resembling. the. Boston. believe. On. Robin is shocked. the themes. are. Robin's. into the dark and chaotic world of the town.. by Henry. James. depicts. the. tragedy. of an. American girl visiting Europe, whose tragic death is caused by her. innocence.. Her American behavior. is not accepted. Europe or even in the societies of the Americans innocent and ignorant the Old World.. She is so. why she is rejected in. between the values of the New World and. those of the Old World are illustrated Winterbourne,. living in Europe.. that she does not understand. Confrontations. in the old societies of. in the relationship. between Daisy and. who has been in Europe since his boyhood.. They seem to. love each other but their love does not end in a happy marriage. because of.

(20) 11. the. difference. symbolic,. in. for. daisy. Winterbourne because. the. people:. extramarital The. connection. Scott. genuine. love. for Daisy,. innocent. in love.. spell. for him.. The literary and corrupted. herself. Gatsby. depicted. Here,. wealthy. no. he. characters:. he is not. His. innocence. and. works. mentioned. above. themes. betrayal. same. recur. again. novel. is a and. having. seems. to. Because. time,. which. innocent. by Daisy. delineate. discussing. an. obsessed. Wolfsheim.. other. These. whereas. is corrupted. utterly. exception;. Meyer. in this. husband. at the. world.. highly. be inevitable. when. the world. is innocent. from. are. might. as a woman. figure,. Gatsby. springtime,. death. world. enormously. underworld. he is different. ruin. of ashes.. is. the. The Great. by a valley. Gatsby. names. is not approved.. Fitzgerald's. Daisy. Their in. tragic. innocence. The. and. an. bloom. literature.. protagonist,. with. full Daisy's. where. Daisy's. affair,. money.. that. exclude. one exemplified. in. winter.. in American. are. backgrounds.. is a flower. she is in Europe,. innocence. so. cultural. represents. We cannot. fallen. their. with have. of his implies. in money. would. innocence. a. but. eventually. from the fallen. in Memoirs. of a Geisha.. 1.2 Sayuri. In Memoirs Sayuri. is a geisha. customers. she wishes. whose. to be so.. which. As mentioned. cannot. in the introduction,. `whore house'. in the heroine,. financially. men, a geisha. the story from Japanese means. is embodied. job is to entertain. As her job is to please. who translated Haarhuis,. of a Geisha, innocence. to English.. successful be innocent. there. male even if. is a professor,. He has a Dutch. in Dutch,14 which. Sayuri.. seems. name,. to suggest.

(21) 12. what. sort. of the world. could. be. contradictory.. protagonist,. lives. Yet,. Being. Golden. by her own father. the attention. and faints. emphasizes. and the. at the age of nine.. of a broker, Tanaka. on a road near his office.. order to ask that the sisters. being. a geisha. innocence. of his. parents.. will adopt. She is sold into. Her beauty. happens. Ichiro, one day when she falls down. Tanaka. Ichiro goes to Chiyo's father. worries. they might. She and her sister. Mrs. Fidget,. for their virginity. the intention. of the old lady nor of Tanaka. her until. in. have if they stay with. Chiyo is fond of this rich man in her hometown. her someday.. to. be sold to an okiya in Kyoto so that the girls will. lead lives free from the monetary. adopt. innocent. it is not her will to engage in this type of work.. near-slavery. their. in.. Sayuri.. First,. attract. Sayuri. the last minute. are examined. but Chiyo, being innocent,. when. Ichiro.. hoping. he. by an old lady, does not suspect. She believes. that. he will. they are forced to get onto the train. bound for Kyoto.. I certainly. hadn't expected any of this.. I asked where we were. going, but no one seemed to hear me, so I came up with an answer for myself.. I decided Mr. Tanaka had been displeased. by what. Mrs. Fidget had told him about us, and that this curiously narrow man, Mr. Bekku, planned. to take. fortunes told more completely.. us somewhere. Afterward. to have our. we will be returned. to. Mr. Tanaka. (33) (Italics added). Thus. she has. no intention. of becoming. a geisha. at all, but is forced. to become.

(22) 13. one. by her. has. been. Just. helpless ignored. before. her. attractiveness ready. father. for a few. debut. years. continues and. as an apprentice. to men.. for her. She. She. to be innocent. she is not geisha,. does not believe. aware. Chiyo. in Kyoto.. of her. own. is suspicious. Mameha,. She charm.. about. who says. that. her. she is. debut.. "Mameha -san!" I said .. "If I had the power to make a man faint,. I'm sure I'd be aware of it by now." "I'm quite surprised. you aren't .. Let's agree, then, that you'll be. ready to make your debut as soon as you've stopped a man in his tracks just by flicking your eyes at him."(159) (Italics added). Chiyo's. success. Being powerful. in the attempt. an. apprentice. personages;. money. can. buy. geisha:. sexual. thanks. to the. introduction, determined. geisha,. in other. anything.. presence. words. attends she. of the. a. a successful. fatherly geisha.. various. As. once an unpolished. rustic. which. but. and. encourages. for living, Sayuri. survives. stays. mentioned. whom. the other including. her. in a degenerate. where as. a. innocent in. Chiyo. the. is. men visiting. Chiyo, who was. at the foot of a bridge. with. she would not expect even from her late father.. as a reason. world. of passage. for. child crying in desperation. affectionately. to entertain. she. I have. Unlike. is kind and gentle to everyone. her. parties. rites. figure,. Gion, the Chairman. He treats. over men.. in a corrupted. temptation,. Chairman.. is. power. various. lives. experieces. aggressive. Chairman. to become. her burgeoning. she. She. harrasement,. the. proves. benevolent Having. words,. him in mind. and inhumane. geisha.

(23) 14. world, where even virginity mizuage. in Japanese. is auctioned.. and a girl who is forced to sell her virginity. choice as is the case of the heroine. customers. In any. she. patronize. her.. men perhaps. when. seemed. from. so distasteful,. have. the. needs. to evacuate. In any quarrels lately.. ekubo. available. to the. men. for who. give them out to at least a dozen. I felt sad, in a way, that I wouldn't. but on the other hand,. the whole thing. sorry he would be left out of. added). between. She. genuine. Chairman. becomes. of these. I wasn't entirely. is business. the dirty. Sayuri's. we were lucky.. to the Chairman;. mizuage. geisha. many more; but for me there would be only Nobu and. relationships.. innocent. boxes. Most apprentices. it. (238) (Italics. personal. an apprentice. presents. the Doctor—if give them. She wishes that it. to whom she would present the box.. case,. mizuage,. has no. She has to give a box of sweets notifying. that she is ready for mizuage, deflowering.. could be the Chairman,. For Sayuri,. This bidding is covertly called. keeps. a geisha her. and a patron,. private. life. not involving. separate. and. stays. business. affection. involved from central. case, even. for the. Chairman. in mizuage Kyoto. or to ask. during. World. if the Chairman. with the military. had. government. He had too many troubles. would. not. for his. War. allow. help. her. when. to she. II .. wanted. to help. me, his. had been in the newspapers. of his own. (339).

(24) 15. It would be too much for Sayuri the Chairman. himself. are conspicuous Chairman. voluntarily. in contrast. to demand. offers.. anything. Her innocence. with the world. as her danna for financial. In contrast,. Hatsumomo. whores.. her enemies,. Hatsumomo. powerful factory. man. to help. and contributes. she has to spend. Sayuri's customery. and Pumpkin,. years. her evacuate. in Osaka. are described. who is described. as it chewed at something"(87). from. to the war against. bombing,. the United. Pumpkin States.. as. as "a. Having works After. no. in a. the war,. as a prostitute.. innocence is symbolized by her behavior. as a geisha.. It is. for a geisha to take part of her older sister's name, but she does. not follow the custom. lily.". around. except when. help.. has an affair with a boyfriend,. rat with its head bobbing. Her love for the. with any customer,. she has to take a general. what. and virtuousness. she lives in.. does not allow her to get involved. more than. Sayuri contains. This is a significant name.. a Japanese. In Christian. word, meaning. "small. society, Mary, the mother of. Christ, is associated with the famous passage, "I am the Rose of Sharon, the lily of the valleys" (Song of Solomon 2:1). white lily. eyes.. Mary is often symbolized by a. Sayuri has a distinct feature in her appearance:. her blue-gray. Her name may indicate that she is like the Virgin Mary, born into the. fallen world.. In the story, there is no suggestion that the name Sayuri can. be translated. as lily.. name embedded. has a hidden in the. Memoirs difficult. However, as previously meaning.. heroin's. It is possible that. the translator's. the secret message. is. name.. of a Geisha. for an innocent. discussed,. is certainly. and honest. a success. story. girl to be successful. but. it would. be quite. in the world. of geisha..

(25) 16. Gatsby is innocent and successful financially but he is not honest in business. To maintain. these two features,. innocence and prosperity. in the heroine,. Golden creates a persona, Mameha, who propells Sayuri to stardom in Gion. She is the one who persuaded scheme to promote. Mother to train. her as a geisha.. Sayuri as the object of people's admiration. contrived and carried out by Mameha.. Every. in Gion is. Sayuri is the last to know what she. is doing and for what purpose, which further emphasizes. her innocence.. 1.3 Hatsumomo. Innocence the. presence. in the main. of her. she is portrayed Bible,. disobedience.. Adam Having. the. Hatsumomo. conspicuous. Hatsumomo.. Eve and. to eat. To symbolize As is written. forbidden. Eve are thrown. the biblical. relationships. as a serpent. is more. in the story.. deceives. of Eden.. understand. rival,. as a serpent. a serpent. Garden. arch. character. tries. to deceive. her. evil. from. the. in mind,. Chiyo. in the. people. in. Chiyo. of the. due to this. Western. characters so that. nature,. tree. out of the paradise. the. with. in the Genesis. fruit. background between. in contrast. the. can story.. is thrown. out of. the okiya. Hatsumomo On seeing to her. Chiyo. future. astonishing. deceives. and. for the first. career.. Her. allures. time,. people. she notices. evilness. using that. is emphasized. her breathtaking Chiyo. beauty.. is a potential. all the more. threat. through. her. appearance.. Hatsumomo walking. looked toward. me. very with. pleased. when. a luminous. she. heard. happiness. this on. and. came. her. face..

(26) 17. Honestly, I've never seen a more astonishing street. sometimes. stopped and took their. mouths to stare at her.. I thought. woman.. Men in the. cigarettes. from their. she was going to come whisper. in my ear; but after she'd stood over me smiling for a moment, she drew back her hand and slapped me. (48-49) (Italics added). Whenever something. Hatsumomo's. crucial. she is "never (176).. happens. happier. This feature People. around. When. asked. pray. describes. her. beauty. to the protagonist.. than. when. illuminates. Hatsumomo's. Hatsumomo. seemed. treats. you: about. think."(122). known. how Hatsumomo her. rival. Another the. secret. Hatsumomo. smiles. to make. because. someone. suffer". evil character.. as a hungry treats. to sense. "You needn't answer .. drove. smile appears,. Hatsumomo. she was about. her see Hatsumomo how. and her motherly. Chiyo. serpent, in. the. seeking okiya,. for its. Mameha,. as follows;. Mameha. Having. shines. treats geisha episode. meeting furiously.. I was. for she. said. to me:. treats. its next. meal,. I should. added). since. Chiyo.. their. apprenticeship,. Mameha. remembers. out of Gion by spreading to show of. thinking,. I know perfectly well how Hatsumomo. like a serpent. (Italics. Hatsumomo. what. Hatsumomo's. Hatsumomo The description. and. false. Mameha that rumor. evil nature her. reminds. boyfriend,. once. presumes Hatsumomo. about is when which. us of a serpent;. her. Chiyo. sees. angered.

(27) 18. I looked at the door to the maids' room and saw that it stood open a bit, just wide enough to reach an arm through, and I felt myself go cold. usually. No one ever left it that way. closed all the way.. Except in hot weather. it was. Now as I watched it, I felt certain I. heard a rustling sound from within. (87)(Italics added). As Chiyo that. would. Symbols. make. witnessed. the meeting,. her. even. and Imagery,. seen. by human. sees. Hatsumomo's. The serpent Hatsumomo. eyes,. suffer a serpent. Hatsumomo. more.. According. is seen as Satan. is fatal.15. This. lays. is exactly. to. a snare The. Dictionary. and the coupling what. happens. for Chiyo of. of the two, when. Chiyo. mating.. represents. deception, evilness,. temptation,. and jealousy.. has all those elements especially when she tries to trap Sayuri. into difficult situations,. all because she is jealous of Sayuri's beauty..

(28) 19. Chapter The. 2.1 What. is the. Memoirs. American. about.. eventually. achieves. Although times. Many Americans. concept. believe. enough.. of success. has nothing. the. widely. hard. Protestant. Weber detects. child two. and. is embodied. theorist,. of his family, years.. climbed. and honesty. Americans. are. near-slavery. and. Dream.. background,. or to put it plainly,. The. the. the Spirit. in modern. becoming. and affluent. of Capitalism,. the relation. and represented is known. he was. his education. to the top. to be a true. in his famous. Autobiography.. as a means. for poor people. German. sociologist. religion. Franklin. printer,. statesman. school. through self-made. to escape. the. Born. man.. as the. reading,. work,. from poverty.. of. political eighth for only Franklin. He explained hard. Max. spirit. satirist,. voracious. The. in America.. to be a clergyman. He extolled. In. and work ethic:. by Benjamin. to attend. were. work.. to Weber,. and. but rather. of hard. between. author,. vision. in particular. According. as. inventor,. allowed. Puritans. rich.. if he or she. class, or religion,. importance. capitalism.. scientist,. Continuing. his way. philosophy. stressed. Franklin. politician,. into. historical. of an individual.. and modern. Benjamin. many. the American. to do with race, social. and emphasizes. Protestantism capitalism. has a long,. sold. that one can be successful. to have. Ethic. is. and fame:. success,. which. What we cannot ignore here is that the American. work. known. story. character. material. is diligent. with. main. love, money,. means. Dream. is a success. The. this. it often. American. Dream?. of a Geisha. passionate. 2. his. thriftiness, His sayings.

(29) 20. such bed hints. as, "Sloth and for. early. maketh. all things. to rise,. makes. Franklin. a man. self-improvement.. hours is particularly. difficult,. The. interesting.. but. healthy,. Industry wealthy. scheme. all easy" and. wise". of employment. or "Early. to. give people. for twenty-four. By mapping out a time table of the day,. executed a plan for self-examination. full of faults than he had imagined.. and found himself much more. Diminishing. those faults satisfied him. and improved his lifestyle. Following Benjamin Franklin as the ideal model, many Americans have tried to achieve the American Dream: to attain hard work. Traditionally, distinguished American Dream.. writers.. material. success through. it has been dealt with in American The fictional character. who was inspired. by Franklin. literature. by. of Jay Gatsby is a typical. and who fulfilled the American. In The Great Gatsby, the hero, Jay Gatsby, who was born poor,. needed to make money to marry a rich girl, Daisy.. He has achieved great. affluence by conducting his illegal business of "bootlegging" at the time of the National. Prohibition Act.. but ironically. Banning alcohol reflected Puritanic. Gatsby made his money by illegally selling alcohol.. last fly-leaf of his favorite book, his rigid daily time-schedule resolves were recorded, elocution. Franklin,. temperance,. including. His resolutions. four hours of studying. certainly. take after. In the. and general. and practice. the virtues. though they are stated in a more simple manner.. of. of Benjamin Gatsby is an. archetypal. man who achieves the American Dream through hard work and a. temperate. lifestyle.. The democracy,. American freedom,. Dream. is also. a concept. and. equality.. While. which. pursues. prosperity. the is. ideals. embodied. of in.

(30) 21. Benjamin. Franklin and Jay Gatsby, freedom and equality are emphasized. Martin. Luther. King's. quotes. Thomas. Independence: created. Jefferson's. famous. phrase. we hold these truths. equal.. European. "I Have a Dream" speech.. King expresses. In this speech, King. from. the. to be self-evident,. his dream that. in. Declaration that. of. all men are. his children. and those of. descent will be treated equally and will be able to realize freedom.. I will now examine how the American Dream is reflected. in Memoirs of a. Geisha.. 2.2 The American Dream in Memoirs of a Geisha Memoirs the. of a Geisha. United. States. themes.. It is a success. story. The. resolution. to be successful to that. Chiyo Her. to. her. she needs. refined. gentleman,. encourages. the poor. kindness belongs she. may. gives to.. her. entertain. who achieves. material. Chairman. fails. girl and. force, which Chairman buys. a purpose herself. sister. her. turns. of. to become. someday. in the. she would. the. and. heroine's. to be paid. utter. never. later.. desperation,. be found.. To go. out to be an encounter Electric.. a cup of shaved into. an elegant, future.. success. reality.. sum. is in. Iwamura. in life: getting. of its. of the plot is somewhat. for a lump and. and not in is one. supports. said to lack. in exchange. her. of Japan Dream. the development. died and. the. nation. American. for the. slavery. a driving. him. the. and is sometimes. from. She wills. still. and thus,. parents. in the Asian. of a geisha. conceives. of a fairytale,. escape. that. on living, a. love she. but. is sold into the okiya. trial. knowing. place. of America,. freedom.. similar. takes. the. successful After. He. ice with same. this,. with kindly. syrup.. world geisha Chiyo. His. that. he. so that is led to.

(31) 22. Mameha, sister.. the top Gion geisha Mameha. training. first tries to change Mother's. as a geisha.. Mameha. her do so by waging time. at the time, who takes. succeeds. a bet with Mother. she is twenty. years. make a breakthrough. old.. Chiyo as her younger. mind to let Chiyo resume. in persuading. Mother. on Chiyo's clearing. It is certainly. in Chiyo's situation. a credit. where. her. into letting. her debt by the. to Mameha's. she appeared. wit to. to be hemmed. in on all sides. Sayuri Being. becomes. successful. a star. geisha. is not the same. as being. When I say successful, independence.. in Gion,. but. popular.. I mean. she is not "successful" Mameha,. a geisha. says:. who has earned. which is just about the same thing—she'll power all her life.... of these. her. Mameha's. danna,. which. means. business has. Mother Sayuri. of sending. geisha. off her. debt,. That's. in mind,. that. cleared. be in someone else's. why. I'm more. Sayuri. adopts. Sayuri. is to succeed to teahouses. decides. to. to take. as the the. to entertain. General. daughter. land. than. of the. rich people.. but she is still not free from Mother's. In New York she sets up her own business. Tottori. ownership. It is not until she moves to New York that she truly freedom.. successful. I have a wealthy danna. (147) (Italics added). advice. or patron.. of an okiya,. My danna is a generous man and bought me. robes.. Hatsumomo.. Bearing. her. Until a geisha has assembled her own collection of. kimono—or until she's been adopted as the daughter. most. yet.. as. okiya,. and. the. At last. she. control.. accomplishes. of a small. her. teahouse.

(32) 23. with. the inheritance. no restrictions take. to tie her. advantage. country.. of her. She. raises. her. left for her by the Chairman. business old. freedom.. three. goals:. States. who was. prosperity,. but. in Kyoto,. yet. she. figures. a single,. she has. continues in her. working. to. native. mother. who. is right.. in the United A girl. York,. to powerful. a mistress. son as she believes. and. in New. connections. is no longer. Settling. down. Unlike. freedom. enables. once. Sayuri. sold into. and. to attain. slavery,. equality,. which. social. eventually. equality achieves. is to say the American. Dream.. 2.3 Elevation One concrete. in Status of the most. upward. she climbs. the. mobility ladder. in her enemy's. exciting. since. figure. as the protagonist's.. of the story,. house. next. to Mother,. intends. to do.. calls. back. the. street.. At. kimonos. and. makes. happened. but. she. she. knows. Mother. into. finds Chiyo's. fancy. out. what. debt,. Hatsumomo. contrasts. status with. even. though. misleads. acts like. in income.. Sayuri's. elevates. as. the downturn. her garbage another. Nobody first. and. adds. the. that. time. forces. occasion, Chiyo. an empress. She is the most. owner.. The very. Hatsumomo. Mameha's. which. the. to the okiya, to. Sayuri's. Hatsumomo. she is the only one to bring. Hatsumomo. on. is to watch. status.. in the. whatever. for the reader. to be a top geisha,. At the beginning okiya. pleasures. dares when. put cost. ink. on. of the. it.. believing. that. Chiyo. to obstruct comes. to push. her. steals. one. Later. Mother. ruined. it is Hatsumomo's. powerful. Chiyo. a servant. Hatsumomo. in the. kimono. of. to. plot.. When. has. stolen.

(33) 24. Hatsumomo's expense from her. emerald,. if it would. the okiya. Mother. keep. is content. Hatsumomo. and falls. to. happy.. buy. a new. When. Chiyo. from the roof, she is sentenced. one. at. tries. Chiyo's. to run. to work. away. as a maid. all. life However,. Chairman.. things. Mameha. attitude. toward. When. a famous. painter. making. in her. presents.. hair. to have. her. a full-fledged. Sayuri's. having. to. okiya,. she chooses. Arthur. 2.4 Industriousness. also. ask. she. uses. in. become.. The. various. and Hard. embodies. praised she. hints. abundance. Mother's. everybody. kimono. has. admirers. the. more. escalated then. more. When. as she pleases,. changes room.. the. When. admires,. for one of his paintings.. and. dominates. with. Now she is free to do. whom. to. than. Hatsumomo's. it of her.. meeting. a better. a nap.. gifts. earns. to. into. status,. kimono. nearly. materialistic. highly. elevates. a stop. which. woman. geisha,. Sayuri. her kimono. Golden. including. Sayuri. geisha, put. of the. and. expensive. Mother. even. daughter. status,. an. Chiyo. young. apprentice she. sister,. her as a model. elegant. admirers. to. makes. wants,. offers. higher. ornament. which. older. Chiyo's. from taking. into a pretty. as an. after. she moves. grows. debut. from. becomes. her. First,. Mameha's. The. presents. change. she was prohibited. Chiyo. is dressed. to. becomes. Chiyo.. she was a maid, so.. start. robe.. expensive from. place:. a ruby.. and everybody. to illustrate. Sayuri's. the. After. she. in the okiya, without. is adopted she. her. an antique. troublemaking. the. After. to give. anybody. Sayuri. She. eats serves. as the when. she. her.. elevation. in. and freedom.. Work. some. Puritan. virtues,. following. Benjamin.

(34) 25. Franklin's. lead: hard work and industriousness.. the values. that. the author. vividly portrayed. is projecting. onto the heroine;. when Chiyo is in training. After meeting the Chairman,. in Chapter. for a chance to attract. again"(144). she throws. Instead. like to examine the virtues. are. Twelve.. Sayuri rushes to the Gion Shrine, where. she prays that she would "suffer through hardship,. I would. any training,. bear up under any. the notice of a man like the Chairman. of keeping the coins which the Chairman. gives her,. them into the offering box so that the gods would know her. sincere. resolution.. matter. what strict conditions her mentor, Mameha,. work, absolute. Her firm decision enables. obedience, keeping everything. her to bear anything. no. has with Chiyo: hard. private with Mameha.. One. example is that she was made to toughen up her hands by holding them in ice water. and then. practice. shamisen. outside. in the frigid air of the. courtyard. Punctuality. and diligence enables. Chiyo has the disadvantage rivals.. The apprentice. her to achieve excellence in arts.. of starting her training. at an older age than her. geisha must master many arts such as tsutsumi,. a. kind of small drum, oka wa, a larger drum, taiko, a big drum struck with a drum stick, fue, a Japanese flute, shamisen, Besides these,. elegant. accent are required.. manners. dance, singing and tea-ceremony.. and proper language. spoken. in a Kyoto. After spending all morning in lessons, she is expected. to work during afternoon. and evening.. five hours every night" (144).. "She sleeps no more than three to. Chiyo finds little tricks that made everything. fit together in her limited amount of time to train herself. finds a way of practicing. the shamisen. while running. For example, she errands.. She does.

(35) 26. this. by practicing. hand. should. should. strike. Gion.. Another. paper. before. getting. up.. a song. shift. on. the. going She. mind. neck. of the. the. string. trick. in her. to sleep. images. sound. of a drum. as a branch. on the. shamisen. to make. every. second. the rigid. daily. of her. the. daily. schedule. to writing. she awakes,. to remind falling. from. note rise. life to master. of Gatsby. her. in pitch. her. she. arts,. and Franklin.. and. how. down. the. of the. a tree,. clearly and. it all up and. she takes When. picturing. instrument. She practices. is that. uses. while. tune. the. her. left. plectrum. the alleyways. words reads. how. on the. the bending. a piece page. of the. of of. before. music:. the. of a string. Thus,. the heroine. which. would. utilizes. be similar. to.

(36) 27. Chapter. 3. Exodus. 3.1 Exodus. in the Bible. One of the themes. through. the. by which. representation. from Egypt to Canaan. escape,. departure. Memoirs. of Biblical In Exodus,. of a Geisha. story,. attracts. the journey. Americans. is. of the Israelites. the second Book of Moses, we read of the. and emancipation. Of the enslaved. children. of Israel. after. being free. from Egypt. Let me first summarize the story. In the Bible,. Pharaoh, Israelite. the Egyptian. throw. all newborn. Israel. in order to build his cities.. her baby by setting child and came. named. to know. Egyptian herded. him Moses. overseer. Hebrew. on the river. and brought origin. and. who was beating. His name,. into Canaan.. Yahweh,. Canaan. Pharaoh's. one. a Hebrew. agreed. to set the Israelites. free and they. disobedience. had. to God.. to spend. grown,. Moses. killed. He then. an. fled and. from. but Pharaoh. they. found the. and told him to lead the, Israelites. to free the Israelites. however,. saved. God,. Pharaoh. Moses. of. At that time, Moses encountered. request. with. man.. was the land promised. from Mesopotamia. of Canaan. the children. daughter. day, when. there. Land. to. him up as her own son.. brought. Pharaoh. his people. In the mean time, a Levite woman. the flocks of his father-in-law.. who divulged Egypt. boys into the Nile River, enslaved. him adrift. his. King, who ordered. by God.. as their 40 years. After Moses' death,. Moses. leader. in the. to Abraham, returned. refused. who was. to Egypt. to do so.. headed On the. to. At last,. to the Promised way. wilderness. a new leader, Joshua,. to Canaan, due. to their. led people to.

(37) 28. the Promised symbolizes. Land of Canaan.. the archetypal. The story of the journey. American. experience:. of the Israelites. from slavery to freedom;. from poverty to wealth.. The Puritans. associated themselves with the Israelites in order to. establish an ideal religious society, regarding Europe as Egypt and the New World as Canaan.. They came to America seeking a new religious utopia.. The people of Massachusetts. Bay Colony believed that they were the. spiritual descendants of Abraham and compared the colony to the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. They were determined to found their new community, which would be a City upon a Hill, watched by the entire world. American writers such as John Steinbeck have taken up the archetypal pattern. of Exodus.. portrayed. In his novel, The Grapes. of Wrath, John. Steinbeck. a family, who are forced to default on their loans due to the Dust. Bowl, a period of severe dust storms causing major agricultural the people living in the American prairie in the 1930s. of their. farm, the Joad family decides. advertisement. is not the Promised buy a house. better lived. Land for the Joads,. in the United. United. However,. for they cannot. only to find that there States,. World was to the Promised. Steinbeck. there.. attracted. by the. California. find steady jobs or. This is the story of people who leave their home in search of a. opportunity,. a promised. Being dispossessed. to move to California. of high wages for farm workers. damage to. Europe Land.. is no such place.. was compared. wanted States. to assert. was no longer. that. to Egypt,. The Joads believed. land and the West was a place to start. Land.. and the New. that America. was still. their new and happy. the West was no longer. the Promised. For people who. What. Canaan, made. life.. and the America. a.

(38) 29. utopia. was the existence. which meant West.. end of the nineteenth. In. of the West had already. century. Memoirs. of a Geisha,. fishing. purpose. the presence. frontier. land. in the West,. village. is to succeed. of the Chairman. been accomplished. at the. and the West could not afford to offer a second. for people in the twentieth. impoverished for that. untouched. that if they failed in the East, they could begin life anew in the. The development. chance. of the vast. century. the. past. which. and the geisha as a geisha in the. Chiyo. world.. story. on her own. who leads. escapes. The measure. from. she adopts. We also cannot her. in her. is the. escape. ignore from. her past.. 3.2 Memoirs. of a Geisha. as a Story. of Exodus. In Memoirs of a Geisha, the leading character is forced out of her hometown into a geisha house and remains in a state of virtual captivity. However, we can assume that she would lack even daily necessities if she continued to live with her parents.. She has to start her life in Kyoto as a. slave at the age of nine because her father sold her and her sister to a geisha house.. Her mother is deathly ill and too weak to save her daughters from. being sold to a broker. Chiyo's situation is hopeless since the money paid for the broker is regarded as her debt.. From then on, all of the money used for. raising Chiyo has been added to her debt which must be paid back when she begins working as a geisha.. There are only two ways to get herself out of. this situation: fleeing Kyoto or clearing her debt by becoming a successful geisha.. At nine years old, she can only think of one option: fleeing from the. okiya with her sister, who was forced to work in a brothel.. She plans to run.

(39) 30. away with her sister.. At this stage,. life in her hometown, her parents.. hoping. However,. she still is connected. to feel secure. again. she fails in this attempt. has run away with her boyfriend. by returning. the. past. threshold. is completely. and both of her parents. broken,. which. to live with. and finds out that her sister. Now she has no one to turn to in her hometown with. with her former. have passed. away.. and her emotional. positions. our. heroine. link. on. the. of her new life.. The past could. was. do nothing. year. I'd been. gone; but but. gone.. direction,. mother. to change. dead. I wasn't. I felt. My. in a way gone.. as though so that. it.. and But. too.. I no longer. I suppose. that. my. dead. sister...yes,. to. look. backward. and. for the. this will make. around. faced. forward toward the future.. were. And. I'm not sure I'd turned. father. toward. past. she was sense. in. I. to you,. a different the past,. but. And now the question confronting. me was this: What would that future be? (108)(Italics added). To start peculiar past.. to Americans. Americans. something Seven. a new life by throwing This passage. tend. reminds. Gables how strongly. cry. in Dead. at Dead. the past. modern. M. Men's. For. the. states. society is controlled. pathos!. seem hatred. Holgrave. en's books!. could. us of Holgrave's. to be future-oriented.. we can or should cast away.. We read. away. them,. quite of the. past. is. in The House of the by the past:. We laugh at Dead Men's jokes and. We are sick of Dead Men's diseases,.

(40) 31. physical. and. doctors. killed. according. moral,. and die of the same. their. to Dead. patients!. Men's. The heroine, Holgrave's view. Phoebe, hatred. that. happened. American. her. past. fortune. is originally. culpa". can. be. people. comes. used. to. lead. miserable. Chiyo's. misfortune. of his main. The opening. life. is. how. but. he. a. series. might. be. will turn. with the she. What. has. fall.. of misfortune. context,. old!". way when. remains.. to. us!'6. everything. out to be a fortunate. Arthur. of the novel. we seek. but agrees. future. dead Deity. obstructs. the same. In a literary. outcome.. character. passage. only her. concept.. icy hand. feels. living. Whatever. exaggerated. in the disguise. describe. to a happier. creeds.. which. the. "How you hate. Chiyo. but it turns. with. worship. man's. in dismay,. a theological. eventually. end.. a dead. is gone and. to Chiyo is terrible. Sometimes Fall. and. of the past is somewhat. of ordinary. learns. answers. We. forms. do, of our own free motion,. remedies. Fortunate the term. "felix. events. will. to stress. how. of miserable Golden. seems. hinting. obliquely. out to be a fortunate. that. the. fall in the. says:. But the truth is that the afternoon when I met Mr. Tanaka Ichiro really was the best and the worst of my life. fascinating perfume.. He seemed. so. to me, even the fish smell on his hands was a kind of If I had never known him, I'm sure I would not have. become a geisha. (7) (Italics added). Golden. seems. to believe. that. Chiyo is more. fortunate. because. she was taken.

(41) 32. away. from. her. the "chosen". people. the hardship Land.. old impoverished and thus. of slavery. The. idea. comes. to know. of her. life;. that. to be freed. This. has. time. never. to abandon. again,. to dismiss. to cast. away. is once. her past. successful. again. her. relationship. and go through. when. again. Chiyo. for the rest. her. Ichiro,. so that. is one of. in the Promised. with. Tanaka. permanently. story. emphasized. see any of her family. it is the broker,. her past. of Golden's. and to become. Fall. she would. she. an opportunity. she needs. of Fortunate. that. hometown.. life. The heroine. past. who. in her. gives. she can turn. her. her eyes. to the future:. In any case, I would have been lucky than. a bad geisha. and an unhappy. girls, if Mr. Tanaka. I'm sure you'll recall my saying met Mr. Tanaka very worst. but. you may. anything. Probably. that the afternoon. how. had brought. my horizons. I could. forever.. my parents again. when I first. why it was the worst; possibly. imagine. into something. never. met Mr. Tanaka,. that. but suffering;. but he. We lead our lives like water. forces us to find a new course.. my life would. that. up until this time in. down a hill, going more or less in one direction. splash. poor. of my life, and also the. It's true that me nothing. more. other. never see my sister. I don't need to explain. be wondering. my life Mr. Tanaka. flowing. to tell me that. was the very best afternoon. good ever came of it.. also changed. one, like so many. had never written. had died and that I would probably. to end up as nothing. have been a simple. flowing from our tipsy house to the ocean.. Mr. Tanaka. until we If I'd stream. changed. all.

(42) 33. that when he sent me out into the world. (105) (Italics added). Venturing. forth from her past, Chiyo needs her new, concrete purpose of life. and motivation Chairman. to be successful.. Iwamura,. fallen world.. It is obtained when she comes across the. who may be called a savior for the heroine from the. His role is more that of an ideal father than just an ordinary. lover who seeks exclusive possession of a beloved woman.. Rather than just. buying her out of the okiya, which might be possible if he so wishes, this person of high morals helps her earn her own reputation sweat of her brow and the maturity Chiyo's "bodhisattva. and success by the. of her own character.. with a thousand. He is depicted as. arms" (119) who would help her.. It is. obvious that Golden tries to depict the most suitable and desirable paternal figure in the Chairman.. He confesses to Sayuri that. asked Mameha to take Chiyo under her tutelage costs.. An episode of her old hometown. aspect of the Chairman's. he is the one who. and covered the necessary. in her childhood demonstrates. character:. One afternoon. back when. named. climbed a tree to jump into the pond.. Gisuke. much higher But when. than. he should. Mr. Yamashita,. I wondered. if he realized the. tree. in Yoroido,. have; the water. what danger as the. a little. deep enough. to climb back. so calmly. his son was in.. boy—unaware. boy. He climbed. I ran to the village. who came walking. just. wasn't. he was afraid. of rocks under the tree.. his father,. underneath. I was a child. we told him not to jump,. down because. an. to find. up the hill, He stepped. of his. father's.

(43) 34. presence—lost. his grip and fell.. Mr. Yamashita. caught. him as. easily as if someone had dropped a sack into his arms, and set him upright.... Now I knew exactly what Gisuke must have felt.. had been plummeting. toward the rocks, and the Chairman. stepped out to catch me.. Sayuri. is saved. quiet. life,. Mother. retired. in the. does not need spends a. by the. young. to work. as a geisha.. has man. changes. out of fear it induces. She. sets. that. New. York.. Towers.. has. world sum. with. become. knowing. the that. broken. the. with. She. successful. is quite. York, in Sayuri's and. New England. case,. has over. in the United in Gion. businessman owns. for the Puritans.. Sayuri. in Kyoto. and. gives birth land.. is to marry company.. The. The. the company.. to. a brilliant. an illegitimate. fiance. son. and. Eventually,. States. by leaving and. land. for New. politicians. an apartment. is a promised. a. pays. so that. a promised. family. Chairman. and. retreat. who eventually. to the. Mother. to entertain. a gracious. leading. Chairman. a month. reached. take. mistress, The. one of whom. heir. a teahouse. New. yet. the son would. ties. of money. Sayuri,. not. his. in Kyoto.. He owns. to find a safe haven. has. the Israelites. Sayuri. someday. Sayuri. up. there. will. mind. Sayuri. a week. so becomes. a wife and two daughters,. who. his. geisha. a considerable. However,. Chairman. and. okiya. a few nights. son.. the. had. (417) (Italics added). Chairman. from. I. at the like. Canaan. York.. visiting Waldorf is for.

(44) 35. Conclusion. Many American emphasize. literary. the uniqueness. Lafcadio. Hearn. works and movies which. and peculiarity. offered. the. West. of Japan. some. ideas. deal with Japan. and Japanese about. Japan. culture. in the. pre-industrial. Meiji Era.. His famous collection of ghost stories, stressed the. exotic nature. of Japan.. The Last Samurai. stereotypical. image of samurai as held by Westerners,. the history of the late Edo Era period. is a typical Japanese. theme.. or even Japanese, are still particularly. However, not many Americans,. can explain what exactly they are; implying that geisha mysterious and exotic.. There is very little doubt that. has greatly contributed. to the success of the. The author indeed seems to have carried out thorough research into. the geisha. accurate. but failed to duplicate. It has recently been understood by Americans. having a geisha protagonist. former. the. Arthur Golden exploits geisha, which. that the geisha are not quite a prostitute.. story.. succeeded in portraying. world and Japanese. geisha. in Gion.. culture,. His research. mainly through. certainly. depictions of Japan and its people.. into Japanese, that Arthur. by Golden are accumulated. a. the novel with. When the novel was translated. not many readers felt themselves Golden portrayed.. provided. interviewing. strangers. The delicate and detailed. in the country facts illustrated. to give quite a unique reality to this novel.. story is not, however, completely free from misunderstandings:. The. a girl in a. fishing village before World War II singing a lullaby by Mozart,. a man. buying a condom at a pharmacy, Sayuri never visiting her parents'. graves,. and not mentioning. the strict suppression. of free speech by the government..

(45) 36. The. exoticism. achievement. of Memoirs. of this. Japanese. are. American. themes.. hope. my claims. that. heroine,. not. Sayuri. too much story.. They have. to. themes. that have. the. Israelites. I discussed deep. The surface the. deep. narrative. itself.. has. one. century,. been. pointed. which. heading in this. structure. structure. Regarding works. world. for. the. thesis. points. words,. the. not be. Americanized. themes. of American. out.. The American. Americans. have liken. Land.. thoroughly. and I. and it might. Americans. Promised. are. chapters. for this. principal. most. uniquely. In other. a stage. out that. which. pursues. of a geisha. many. tremendous. with. and. convincing.. as Lewis. to. for the. in the previous. offered. goal. reason. introduces. of the. in American. structure. geisha. and. only. devoted their. These. American. own three. themes,. culture.. of this novel is the story of a geisha living in Japan is a narrative themes.. of both of these structures.. the deep. literary. roots. full of American. because. does.. often. the. in the disguise. been. ultimate It has. destiny. but. has. only. discussed. persuasive. Japan. the. novel. been. the nineteenth. an. themselves.. which. were. in. the. is an American. since is. Set. familiar,. Innocence. Dream. story.. to say that. literature. is not. fascinates this point,. of a typical. The novel appeals. heroine:. greatly. to Americans. It may not be too far-fetched. Americans Memoirs. or films which feature. American. more than of a Geisha. Japan.. the surface is different. It is quite distinctive. a. to say that structure from other in and of.

(46) 37. Notes. 'Jeffrey. A . Trachtenburg,. "The. Wall Street Journal. Lesson:. Success. Can. Be Paralyzing,". The. On Line, (12 July 2004): n. pag. Online. Internet.. 5 Dec. 2008. 2Arthur. Golden , Memoirs of a Geisha. (New York: Vintage,. 1997). Page. references for quotation from this novel are from this edition. 3 Anne Allison , "Memoirs of the Orient," Journal. of Japanese. Studies, 272. (2001), 388. 4 Anne. Allison. 5 Kimiko. , 382.. Akita. , "Orientalism. of a Geisha," Internet. 6 Kim. New. Allison. 8 These. are. Orientalism". Fiction. in Memoirs. 5:9 (2006): n. pag. Online.. in. Others:. High-pop:. Multicultural. Making. Anxiety. and the. into. Popular. Culture. (Williston: Blackwell Publishing,. 2002), 106.. , 383. words. telephone.. of Jan. Bardsley. in an interview. by Noy. Thrupkaew. on the. Noy Thrupkaew, "Going Geisha," Asian American Artistry. (14 April 2001): n. pag. Online. Internet. 9 Narrell. and. 2008.. Meyer , "Tan'talizing. Entertainment 7 Anne. of Fact. Global Media Journal,. 28 Nov.. Middleton. and the Binary. Morris , "Innocence to Deviance:. The Fetishisation. in Western. History. and Culture in the Asian Context 7, (2002): n. pag. Online.. 10 R . W. B. Lewis,. 1890s-1990s,". of Japanese. Women. Internet.. Fiction,. 28 Nov. 2008.. Intersections:. Gender,. 28 Nov. 2008. The American. Adam:. Innocence,. Tragedy. and. Tradition. in.

(47) 38. the Nineteenth. Century. (New York: The University. of Chicago Press,. 1955), 1. " R . W. B. Lewis, 5. 12Saburo Kawamoto , Field of Innocence 13Herman. (Tokyo: Kawaideshobo,. 1991), 21.. Melville , Moby-Dick, Billy Budd, and Other Writings: Billy Bud. (New York: Library of America, 2000), 832. 14 Susan. Tiefenbrun , "Copyright. Infringement,. Sex Trafficking,. Fictional Life of a Geisha" Michigan Journal. and the. of Gender and Law 10.. Thomas Jefferson School ofLa w Public Law Research Paper (2003): 3. Online.. Internet.. 28 Nov. 15Ad de Vries , Dictionary Science Publishing is Nathaniel. 2008.. of Symbols and Imagery. (Amsterdam:. Elsevier. Company, 1984), 411.. Hawthorne , The House of the Seven Gables, Centenary. II (Columbus: Ohio State University. Press, 1965), 183.. Edition.

(48) 39. Bibliography. Primary. Golden,. Arthur.. Memoirs. Source. of a Geisha.. New York: Vintage,. Secondary. Aihara,. Kyoko.. Aihara,. Kyoko. Kyoko. Maiko. 1997.. Sources. Geisha: A Living Tradition.. London:. Carlton. to Geiko no Okuzashiki.. Books, 1999.. Tokyo: Bungeishunju,. 2001. Akita,. Kimiko.. "Orientalism. and the. Binary. of Fact. and. Fiction. in Memoirs. of a Geisha." Global Media Journal 5:9, (2006). Allison, Anne. "Memoirs of the Orient": Journal. of Japanese. Studies 27:2,. (2001). Altman, Dennis. "Sex and Political Economy." Australian. Humanities. Review,. (2001). Beech, Hannah. Amakasu,. Erika.. " A Tree Grows in Kyoto." Time International, "The Importance. of Water Imagery. 150:31,(1998).. in Arthur. Golden's. Memoirs of a Geisha." Oliva Kanto Gakuin University. 13, (2006). Arnold, William. "Sumptuous Post Intelligencer.. `Geisha' is a Cinderella. Dec. 16, (2005).. Becker, Carl. Christianity:. History and Philosophy. Tokyo: Eihosha, 1984.. Benedict, Ruth. The Chrysanthemum Cooke, Alistair. Alistair. Story at Heart." Seattle. and the Sword. Rutland: Tuttle, 1954.. Cooke's America. Translated. by Kenji Suzuki; Motoo.

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(50) 41. Review 21, (1987). Iwasaki, Mineko. Gion no Kagaijugyou. Tokyo: Shueisha, James, Henry. Daisy Miller. London:Penguin Johnson,. Paul.. Bekku. Kakutani,. Books, 1986.. A History of the American Tokyo:. Michiko.. Kyodotsushin,. 2004.. People. Translated. by Sadanori. 2001.. "A Woman's. Tale,. Imagined. by a Man.". The New. York. Times Book Review, Oct. 14, (1997). Kawai, Hayao. Yungu Shinrigaku Kawamoto,. Nyumo.n. Tokyo: Baifusha, 1967.. Saburo. Field of Innocence. Tokyo: Kawaideshobo,. Kurahashi,. Yoko. "The. Hawthorne's. Significance. 'My. of the. Kinsman,. Major. Past. and. 1991. the. Molineux.". Present. Tokai. in. Gakuin. University Bulletin 15, (1980). Lewis,. Richard. Warrington. University Matsuda,. of Chicago. Sayo.. Matsuoka,. Matsusaka,. Hitoshi.. Mark.. Kim New. Adam.. New. York:. The. 1995. London:. Makoto.. Sutandado. Taishukan,. 1984.. Kennkyuu:. Vintage, Eigo. Zen-tekisuto. 2006. Kouza. Vol.. no Bigaku.. 12:. Tokyo:. 1995. "Memoirs. Melville, Harman.. Meyer,. Tokyo:. Hawthorne. Orientalism.". Library. The American. of a Geisha.. Tanno,. Kenkyu.. Ohshisha, Meli,. Press,. Autobiography. Kazuyuki;. Amerika. Baldwin.. of a Geisha. in. Film:. Authenticity,. Kansai University Eibungakuronshu. Gender,. and. 45, (2005). Moby-Dick, Billy Budd, and Other Writings. New York:. of America, Middleton. Orientalism":. 2000. "'Tan'talizing High-pop:. Others:. Multicultural. Making. Culture. Anxiety into. and the Popular.

(51) 42. Entertainment. Miwa,. Williston:. Yasunori.. Za. Nyu. Chuoukouronshinsha, Moore,. John. Blackwell Yoku. Publishing,. 2002.. Taimuzu. Mo.nogatari.. Tokyo:. 1999.. Noe11. Review,. "Memoir. as Fiction.". The English. Journal,. 90:3,. (2001). Morris,. Narrelle. Women. "Innocence to Deviance:. in Western. Fiction,. The Fetishisation. 1890s-1990s.". of Japanese. Intersections:. Gender,. History and Culture in the Asian Context 7, (2002). Morley, John David. "Working Woman." The New York limes Book Review Oct. 15, (1997). Murakami,. Yumiko.. Movies.. Face:. Portraits. Tokyo: Asahisensho,. Murphy, Elizabeth. Harvard Nishio,. Yellow. Seen. in. Hollywood. 1993.. "The Making of a Geisha and Life in an Okiya." The. Crimson, Oct 17, (1997).. Kumiko;. Kanai,. Development Training. of Asians. Toshihiro.. and Systems. "An. in the. Empirical Traditional. Study. on. Culture. of GeikofMaiko and the Systems of `Hanamachi'. Career. Industry: in Kyoto.". Discussion Paper Series, Graduate School of Business Administration, Kobe University; 19, (2007). Nojima,. Hidekatsu.. "Merubiru. to Seioukindai;. Amerika. no Adamu. no. Yukue." Kufira to Takisuto: Merubiru no Sekai. Ed. Kenzaburo Ohashi. Tokyo: Kokushokankoukai, Oshita,. Shoichi. Amerika.. Pharan.d,. Kouza Tokyo:. Michel.. 1983.. Amerika Nan'un-do,. "The. American. no. Bunka. Volume. I. Puritanism. to. 1969. Dream. in. American. History. and.

(52) 43. Literature.". Bulletin. of the Faculty. of Letters,. Kobe. University.. 34,. (2007).. Review, "Aru Geisha no Kaiso' ga Amerikade. Nihyakumannbu. mo Ureta. Wake." Weekly Bunshun. Aug. 12; 19, (1999). Review, Memoirs of a Geisha, "Nazeka Beikoku de Geisha Fukkatsu". Aera,. April 19, (1999). Rosenberger,. Christina.. "The Book: Memoirs of a Geisha.". The Harvard. Crimson, Feb 26, (1999). Saito,. Makoto.. Kouza. Yume. Tokyo: Saeki,. Shoichi. Tokyo:. Sasaki,. Amerika. Nan'un-do,. Kouza. Amerika. Nan'un-do,. Takashi.. No Bunka. Volume. IQ: Kikai. To Seiko. No. 1969. no Bunka. Volume. V : Amerika. to Yoroppa.. 1969.. "Fuyu. no Yume' kara 'America. no Yume' e: The Great. Gatsby wo Chushin ni." Doshisha American Studies, 21, (1985). Steinbeck,. John.. The. Grapes. of. Wrath.. Minneapolis:. Amaranth. Press,. Doctrine.. Baton. 1984. Stewart,. Randall. Rouge:. Sugibuchi,. American. Louisiana. Tadaki.. Psychology. Literature. State. "The of the. and. University. Ideology Youth. Press,. of the in. Christian 1958.. American. Hawthorne's. Revolution "My. and. Kinsman,. the. Major. Molineux." Asia University Bulletin 51 (1995). Takuwa,. Shinji. "An Approach to American Studies:. Self-Examination. the American Dream." Studies in English Literature. and. and Language,. 20, (1970). Tanaka,. Tomoyuki.. "Politically. Correct. Racism. and. the. Geisha. Novel.".