Memoirs of a Geisha

From ArticleWorld

A Japanese girl and her sister are sold by their parents. One is sold to a house of prostitution, the other is sold to a house of geisha. The story documents the trauma and training of one sister, and her ultimate rise to become the most desired geisha of all.

Plot

During the thirties, Chiyo and her sister, Satsu were sold by their father right before their mother’s death. Chiyo is sold to a house of geisha. She is trained to be a true geisha. There is much jealousy, the training is hard and her life is controlled by the whole geisha system.

As a girl Chiyo meets the Chairman, a man who cares for her and becomes her icon, the only man she loves.

Her luck changes when she meets a woman, Mameha, who will take her from her house, train her and offers to make her famous. Mameha has the power to introduce her to the most powerful men. She meets the Chairman, again, but another man, Nobu has claimed her.

Chiyo takes the name of Sayuri and becomes wealthy and free of her former geisha house, completely.

Resolution

When WW11 breaks out, all is lost. She leads a harsh life and the days of a geisha are over. She is in forced labor at the mercy of the Japanese military.

This is when she is promised to another. She handles hard labor, disease and poverty. She must be his rather than the man she really wants--the Chairman. The Chairman’s life is now subject to the whims of the American forces. To be his, she gives of herself and the Chairman saves face and they can have each other, forever.