Memoirs of a Geisha has been a riveting and page-turning novel thus far. I have been introduced to the main character Chiyo-chan who is working in an okiya by force, learning the ropes of being a geisha. She is under the mentorship of one of the best geishas in town, Hatsumomo, who is intimidated by Chiyo’s beauty and potential for the industry. Chiyo has been warned by Auntie to not trust a thing that Hatsumomo does or says because her sole purpose is to destroy her. Chiyo doesn’t see through Hatsumomo’s supposed “kindness” and finds herself at the mercy of Mother, who is repeatedly beating her for her misbehavior. Chiyo’s hunt for her older sister continues as she searches through a neighboring town against okiya rules for her home. She finds her working as a prostitute against her will in a house with other women. Both of the girls plan to escape their life of misery and return to their father and mother soon.
I have again noticed a theme of male superiority in this novel, as well as Daughter of Fortune. The life of a geisha from a western point of view is one that is demeaning. Women are there to entertain the men, some being disloyal to their wives, while making money for it. This sense of female inferiority is more severe in Memoirs of a Geisha, but none the less evident. I have chosen feminism through the decades as my theme for my research project because it is an overlaying theme in both novels.
