The Land of the Rising Sun has always worried many, as the Japanese civilization was formed in unique conditions. Hence the unusual way of development, as well as the history of the formation of this territory as a single state.
Today we will consider the novel “Memoirs of a Geisha”, as a reflection of the Japanese for many of the fair sex. So sit back, prick up your ears, and we begin!
History of creation
The author of the book Memoirs of a Geisha is Arthur Golden. The boy was born in 1956 in the family of the owner of the New York Times newspaper, so from a young age he did not live in poverty. Arthur received an excellent education and a master’s degree from Harvard University.
Since his youth, he was interested in Japanese history and art, so he studied them to perfection. Also at one time he studied at a Chinese university, for which he had to learn one of the local dialects.
Photo: m.imdb.com
The novel was first published in 1997. It immediately became a worldwide hit and has been translated into more than 30 languages around the world.
In order to tell truthfully and as accurately as possible about the simple life of a geisha, Golden had to listen to the life stories of many Japanese women. It is known that the author rewrote the book several times, changing the style of the story and the main characters. It took him over six years to write. However, the end result was worth it.
Brief story
This book tells the story of a simple young Japanese woman who was born into a poor peasant family. As a child, the girl Sayuri was sent as a servant to the house of a professional geisha.
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Having gained experience and matured, Sayuri changed her appearance, becoming dazzlingly beautiful. In the process of her training, she learned all the subtleties and secrets of the ancient profession.
To become a geisha, the girl had to master many musical instruments, as well as develop the gift of singing, dancing, speaking beautifully and correctly, and keeping up the conversation. Having mastered all this to perfection, she became the best geisha, the first among all, and not a single man could resist her.
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However, Sayuri herself loved only one man, for whom she carried strong feelings through her whole life.
The meaning of the novel
The novel has several meanings. Firstly, the author perfectly showed the inner kitchen of a geisha, and what a young girl needs to do to master this profession at the professional level.
Many choose this path, I do not understand all the responsibility and the amount of energy and effort expended to achieve what they want. Therefore, history knows a lot of examples when the body and psyche could not withstand the load.
Photo: imdb.com
Sayuri loves only one man in the world, but around her there are a lot of admirers and just lovers of her society. By virtue of her profession, she is forced to speak beautifully and beautifully, to devote time to everyone, but this does not give her real pleasure.
Golden also managed to show all the toxicity of the female society, which is located in a relatively closed cell of society. Do not believe the rumors that women get along well with each other. Sayuri knew the betrayal and intrigue among other geishas in her own skin, perhaps even too well. Betrayals happen at every turn here, because everyone wants to be the first.
Photo: imdb.com
The meaning of the novel is that everyone chooses their own path and you need to be prepared for the responsibility and difficulties that will definitely appear on the horizon. Sayuri chose her path and proudly carried the “cross” through her life.
This concludes our analysis. If you have any questions or suggestions, be sure to write in the comments. And we have prepared other reviews for you. Here they are:
The meaning of Theodore Dreiser’s novel “Sister Kerry”: how a person chooses his own destiny
The modern classic “Fox Hole”: the meaning of Nora Sakavich’s book
“Anxious people” according to Buckman: a guide on how to remain human in any situation
Analysis of the meaning of the book “The Delightful Witch”: pride, prejudice and intrigue worthy of the “Magnificent Age”
And we have everything on it. So see you soon on the pages of new articles and a peaceful sky over your head.
