Memoirs of a Geisha (Criticism)

Criticism

What Do I Read Next?

1. The Good Earth, Pearl Buck's classic written in 1931 (and awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1932), is an example of historical fiction set in Asia. Buck explores the lives of a family of hardworking peasants in China during the 1920s.
2. Daniel Defoe's 1719 book Robinson Crusoe is an adventure story told in a manner similar to Memoirs of a Geisha. The story is of a sailor marooned on an island for several years, but it is related as if it were being told through another person.
3. Translated by Kenneth Rexroth, One Hundred Poems from the Japanese (1956) spans time, form, and content in its presentation of Japanese poetry. The poems are generally very short, making it an accessible introduction to the seemingly simple tradition of poetry in Japan.
4. George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion (written around 1914) is the story of a common flower girl transformed into a lady under the tutelage of two linguistics professionals. The story examines themes of metamorphosis, true self, and worth. It was the basis of the hit musical My Fair Lady.

If the fairy tale motif Golden was following was that of an Animal Groom tale, then Nobu would be the perfect candidate for Sayuri's Prince Charming. Missing one arm and badly burned on his face and shoulders, he is nicknamed by some geisha as "Mr. Lizard." He is seen as unattractive and grotesque. His personality matches his rough exterior, and his affection for Sayuri is unique as he does not usually like geisha. He is a "Beast" waiting for a "Beauty" to reveal his true form. Sayuri is lucky to see Nobu's softer side. Because of his affection for her, he treats her with a kind of reverence atypical for his character. Even so, she continuously works to keep him from her.

It is not that Sayuri finds him repulsive as much as it is that Nobu is close friends with the Chairman. Sayuri's prince is not Nobu, and building a relationship with Nobu jeopardizes her future with the Chairman. If it is not a beast tale then what role does Nobu play in this contemporary Cinderella retelling?

Nobu's character has relevance in the Cinderella storyline when a motif often found in variant form of the story (listed in the tale type index as 510B) is brought in. The story, Thousandfurs, is one example of this tale type. In it, the young girl leaves her home because of her own father's lust for her. After trying to remove herself from her father's affection, she is forced to escape her home in order to avoid an incestuous marriage. In Golden's novel, Nobu takes on the same role as this father. Though Nobu's affections are sexual in nature, they are also paternal. He saves her in wartime and chides her when she misbehaves. For Nobu, no other geisha compares to Sayuri. In the same way, the father in Thousandfurs is taken with his daughter because she is as beautiful as his first wife, his daughter's mother.

When Nobu is seen as a father figure, Sayuri's avoidance is understandable. To have a healthy relationship, Nobu must not be her danna. Their closeness may be one that destiny brings, but Nobu is a surrogate father, not lover. It is more acceptable to be lovers with her father's friend (in this case the Chairman) than the father himself (Nobu). As in Thousdanfurs, Sayuri takes her destiny into her own hands to keep herself out of Nobu's reach. In doing so, she knows she will destroy Nobu's affection for her, but she also knows this could open up the possibility to create a relationship with the Chairman.

Once Nobu is removed, Sayuri and the Chairman are free to share a life together. Finally, Sayuri, like the heroines of Thousandfurs and Cinderella before her, can move to her castle (for Sayuri it is in New York) and live happily ever after.

Source:

Kate Covintree, Critical Essay on Memoirs of a Geisha, in Novels for Students, Gale, 2004.

"In an environment that looks down on love and romance by training geisha to remain detached from their emotions, Sayuri's motivations are based entirely on her desire for the Chairman."