Water In Arthur Golden's Memoir Of A Geisha

Chapter 1

The Problem and its Background

A. Introduction

“Water is powerful. It can wash away earth, put out fire, and even destroy iron.” In the Japanese Buddhist belief, water is considered as one of the most versatile element that composes a person’s personality. Its powerful and free- flowing nature can change its shape, flow in any directions it wishes, and finds secret paths that no one else has thought about. By this means, water’s characteristics can be attributed to a person’s ability to adapt and be flexible to any circumstances. Thus, water in this literary piece illustrates a metaphorical connection between personality and its powerful and free flowing nature which is exemplified through Sayuri’s personality.

The dominance of water in Sayuri’s personality was evident in her struggles of desiring for freedom and being

In the novel, exploitation of women happened as early as nine years old. Chiyo, the main character of the story was sold by her father in okiya to become a geisha. After being sold in okiya, she is now considered under the control of her “mother”. Her basic needs which include food, shelter, clothing, education and even medical needs were considered debts that she is expected to pay in return when she becomes a real geisha. Chiyo’s mother, who was responsible in providing her needs, tells Chiyo that she is never allowed to leave Okiya without permission and most especially to obey every command her mother tells her to do. She was expected to work hard because she has no choice but to follow rules that her mother had imposed on her. With the endless command mother tells her to do, Chiyo grew up having no chance to enjoy her childhood like any other normal kids do. These experiences Chiyo faced during her early life were portraits of the beginning of sexual exploitation in her