Memoirs of a Geisha (Style)

Style

Imagery

Consistent with much Japanese art and literature, Memoirs of a Geisha includes a great deal of nature imagery. Traditionally, Japanese art features trees, insects, and bodies of water, just as poetry (most notably the haiku) often presents images from nature as metaphors for life's lessons. Golden's use of natural and Japanese imagery in Memoirs of a Geisha brings his fiction in line with this tradition and gives the novel a decidedly Japanese feel. Sayuri recalls a client who once mentioned her hometown of Yoroido, and she describes her feelings: "Well, I felt as a bird must feel when it has flown across the ocean and comes upon a creature that knows its nest." She also describes her mother's succumbing to her illness with a simile that seems fitting for a Japanese fisherman's daughter: "Just as seaweed is naturally soggy, you see, but turns brittle as it dries, my mother was giving up more and more of her essence." There are countless examples of Sayuri's use of natural or Japanese images in her descriptions of her experiences and feelings. That these are present in her memories of her early life as well as her more recent years indicates that this is a characteristic of her real self.

Fairy Tale

Memoirs of a Geisha fits the mold of a sort of fairy tale. Sayuri begins life in a poor fisherman's family. She is content until her mother's illness slowly and painfully takes its toll. Sayuri's father, unable to care for his two daughters, sells them to a broker. Although the older daughter, Satsu, goes to a brothel, Sayuri goes to train as a geisha. As an adult, she is refined, educated, and beautiful. She becomes, in the context of her world, a sort of princess after overcoming her humble beginnings. Sayuri's fairy tale is complete with a wicked stepmother (Granny), a conniving nemesis (Hatsumomo), a Prince Charming to rescue her at the end (the Chairman), and a castle (the Waldorf Towers in New York City).

Historical Fiction

Historical fiction is serious fiction that recreates an era other than that in which it is written. For Memoirs of a Geisha, Golden relied heavily on his own research and background in Japanese art and culture and on his extensive interviews with an actual retired geisha. He brings these historical details and truths to bear in a fictional account of a fictional person. Many historical novels depict cultures in conflict or cultures undergoing change, and this is certainly true of Memoirs of a Geisha. Interestingly, Golden also brings in another genre, the memoir. Although this memoir is fictional, it adheres to the traditional form of an actual memoir by using first person, concerning itself more with experiences and events than with deep introspection, and reflecting back over a long period of time.

Compare & Contrast

1. 1930s: After great difficulty, Japan is the first country to recover from the depression that affects so many nations worldwide. Economic growth is especially evident in manufacturing, which brings prosperity and modernity to Japan after many years of struggle.

   Today: Japan's economy is one of the strongest in the world. Rivaled only by the United States in gross national product (GNP), Japan is a major exporter in the international market. Particularly strong export industries are automobiles, electronics, and computers. Japan's imports are primarily raw materials, such as lumber, oil, and food items. Because Japan is such a technological giant, it is not surprising that agriculture only makes up about 2 percent of the GNP.

2. 1930s: Even into the early twentieth century, there are numerous geisha in various districts in Japan.

   Today: According to Jane Condon in her book A Half Step Behind: Japanese Women Today, in 1991, there were fewer than seventeen thousand geisha in all of Japan, down from eighty thousand before World War II. Today, the young women of Japan are more interested in modern careers than in carrying on old traditions that sharply delineate gender differences as dramatically as the geisha tradition does. Because of this, the number of geisha in Japan continues to decline, and the future of geisha is uncertain.

3. 1930s: The Japanese government is characterized by a heavy military presence. With it comes censorship, propaganda, and persecution of communists. Military personnel come to occupy most of the highest offices in government, including that of prime minister.

   Today: Japan's government is bicameral (having two legislative houses) and is parliamentary. Since its new constitution in 1947, Japan has transferred power from the emperor to the people, who now elect political leaders.