Resumen Memoirs Of A Geisha

Memoirs of a Geisha is a story about a young girl called Chiyo Chan who lives in a village along with her parents and sister. Poverty coupled with mother’s illness forces the father to sell his children to an acquaintance. The girls believe that they will be adopted by another person who is good. Only later do they realize that their world has fallen apart as they both are sold, separated andsent to different geisha houses.
The separation led to Chiyo’s entry into the Geisha household (also known as Okiya). This is the turning point in her life. Here, she gets her name ‘Sayuri’ and begins to lead a life totally alien and intimidating to her. Step by step, she comes to terms with the hardships. Little by little she understands her plight, her misery, helplessness and the mysteries oflife.
In the Okiya, she learns about what a geisha is. She slogs in the house, works endlessly, gets beaten up, and is treated badly by Hatsumomo, another geisha of the house. Though she is fascinated by the dress, makeup and lifestyle of the geisha, she has her share of bitterness and misery.
The turning point in the story is when Sayuri meets a man who says some kind words to her. She remembershim fondly throughout her trials and trysts with life. She hopes to meet him someday. She does not know if she loves him but she hopes for him endlessly. In the meanwhile Sayuri is taken under the wing of another geisha named Mameha, who teaches her the finer life and living of a geisha, all the while plotting the downfall of Hatsumomo.
The rest of the story goes on describe how Sayuri transformsin a beautiful geisha. Her transformation is complete. She is introduced to the tea-houses. She meets people and gives them company. Mameha ensures that Sayuri is well taken care of and continually teaches her the fine nuances of being a Geisha.
Memoirs of a Geisha is a fictional story intertwined with facts. The period in which the story was set was turbulent. There were difficult times when thegeishas did not have enough to live properly. Their funds and resources were incredibly low. Being a Geisha or a princess, the trials and tribulations of life do not excuse anyone. Even in the rich brocade ensemble is the trial and tryst of the poor young woman. With no one to look back to or ahead for, the reader can sympathize with Sayuri. Not because she is the central character of the book,but for the fact that she is a human too. A human being who has been subjected to a world she would have never wanted to be in.
The book is a wonderful narration of the life of a geisha. It begins slowly and ends beautifully. The book is always better than the movie as it lets you weave your own imagination.
The character of Sayuri has been sketched wonderfully by the author. Sayuri is onepersonality you will be completely sympathetic to. Her life, trials, trysts, dreams, wishes, and fantasies become yours. The book is about the 25 years of her life. From being a small village girl, thrown into painful circumstances, brought up in the geisha’s house, slogging under the okiya, and becoming a geisha herself, you feel and empathize with sayuri. Her helplessness, her anger and bitterness arefelt. There is so much emotion that gets conveyed that you almost feel she had been with you all the while.
Memoirs of a Geisha gives us a new perspective of life. Life of a geisha is not roses and voilets. They cannot have their own will. Half their life goes in getting beaten up and trained and another half goes in taking care and training the other one. It is cruel by circumstance. There isnot much money or wealth left with them as most of their earnings go to the upkeep of their ‘mother’ or ‘the okiya’.
It gives a new perspective about the life of Geishas whom I erstwhile thought to be premium prostitutes. It is a fine dividing line.
Geishas are not exactly prostitutes but a companion who comes at a price and with whom the men can spend time with. Geishas are exclusive women...