3. Arthur Golden
⢠Born in Chattangooga, ⢠Traveled to Asia, spending a
Tennessee summer at Beijing
⢠Attended Harvard, receiving University and working in
a degree in art history, Tokyo
specializing in Japanese art ⢠Earned M.A. in English from
⢠Earned M.A. in Japanese Boston University
history from Columbia ⢠Currently lives in Brookline,
University Massachusetts with his wife
and two children
4. Goldenâs Inspiration
⢠Lived in Japan
⢠Studied Japanese culture
⢠Had connections with a retired geisha
⢠Interested in the secret world of geishaâs lives
6. Yoroido
⢠The story begins in the small ocean side village
of Yoroido.
⢠âThis town only had one road leading right to
the front door of Japan Coastal Seafood
Companyâ.
7. Kyoto
⢠In the city of Kyoto there is a district that also makes up
most of Kyoto. This district is Gion.
⢠The Shirakawa Canal, runs through Kyoto.
⢠âTo shut out the pain⌠I turned toward the Shirikawa,
but cruelly, even its waters glided along with purpose.
8. Nitta Okiya
⢠The Nitta Okiya is the home of the Geisha:
Hatsumomo, Sayuri(Chiyo), and Pumpkin.
⢠Mother takes over the Okiya when Grandmother
dies.
⢠Sayuri and Hatsumomo have adjacent rooms in
the Okiya.
⢠There are several other rooms such as the Kimono
Storage Room, the pantry, the kitchen, and the
maids rooms. However those rooms are hardly
mentioned in the book.
9. Gion
⢠The district of Gion in Kyoto is home of many
Okiya.
⢠There are many Teahouses in Gion such as the
Ichirika Teahouse.
14. Plot
⢠Chiyo is taken to the ⢠Teahouse party
geisha district ⢠World War II
⢠Pumpkin and ⢠Does she reach her
Hatsumomo goal?
⢠The Chairman
⢠Geisha Training School
⢠Mameha
16. ⢠Japan was mainly formed by the volcanic
activity by the many volcanoes near and on the
island.
⢠This volcanic activity also causes most of the
earthquakes that bombard the island nation.
17. ⢠Due to the earthquakes and erosion, the valleys
of Japan were formed.
⢠Each valley provides a ânestingâ spot for the
future cities to be built.
⢠Japan being a mountainous nation however has
trouble expanding their larger cities.
18. ⢠Japan also has many rivers in Japan.
⢠Such as the Shirakawa Canal.
20. Some Japanese Terms:
⢠Okiya: geisha boarding ⢠Jorou-ya: brothel, place
house of prostitution
⢠Danna: A geisha's ⢠Mizuage: Sexual
patron, somewhat like a initiation of an
husband apprentice geisha, her
⢠Geisha: a traditional virginity
Japanese artist-
entertainer
21. Cultural Background
⢠Memoirs takes place during ⢠The U.S. bombed Japan in
World War II 1945
⢠Japan had already been at ⢠Japan officially surrendered
war with China in 1937 to the Allies on Sept. 2, 1945
⢠Japan joined the Axis powers
which included Germany and
Italy
⢠Japan aimed to dominate
Asia
⢠Japan attacked the U.S. at
Pearl Harbor in 1941
22. The Kimono
⢠A bright, outer kimono,
two under kimonos, and
11 obis (sashes)
⢠Worn daily by geishas
⢠Different styles on
different occasions like
tea ceremonies, parties,
funerals, and other
events.
⢠The type of kimono
depends on a geishaâs
status.
23. Quotes
⢠âBut this one was a water blue with swirling lines in ivory to mimic the
current in a stream. Glistening silver trout tumbled in the current, and the
surface of the water was ringed with gold wherever the soft green leaves
of a tree touched it. I had no doubt the gown was woven of pure silk and
so was the obi, embroidered in pale greens and yellows.â
28. â˘âThe difference between life at the Tanakaâs
house and life in Yoroido was great as the odor
of something cooking and a mouthful of
delicious foodâ (31)
â˘âŚ âshe wore a soft pink kimono with white
flowers⌠the broad obi tied around her middle
was orange and yellow⌠Iâd never seen such
elegant clothing⌠none of the women in
Yoroido owned anything more sophisticated
than a cotton robeâŚâ (32)
29. Upper Class in Japan
âSome nights, wealthy businessmen or aristocrats
threw geisha parties just for themselvesâ (336).
31. â˘âDoctor Crab considered himself
something of an aristocratâŚâ (285)
â˘âBut I knew what he meant; he
thought of the Baron as a relic of the
feudal ageâ (291)
32. Japanese Womenâs Place in
Society
âI certainly canât afford to have a powerful man upset
with me⌠if a powerful man makes up his mind to
destroy me, well, heâll do it!â (344)
33. Working Class
Geisha Women
Prostitutes (being Japanese
displayed in a Marriage
34. â˘âThey wore kimono and hair
ornaments similar to geisha, but their
obi were tied in the front⌠a mark of a
prostituteâ (94)
â˘âWe do not become Geisha to pursue
our own destinies. We become Geisha
because we have no other choice.â
36. Before Being a Geisha
⢠Geishaâs typically come
from a background of
poverty
⢠Some of them have no
option
⢠Domestic work in the
house first
⢠"I hadn't held a coin of
any kind in my hand since
coming to Kyoto" (96)
37. Geisha
⢠Supplies the money for their headquarters or
âokiyasâ
⢠ââŚI donât like to be associated with trashâŚâ (56)
⢠They have to pay back the people that financed
them once they start working as geisha.
⢠They will work for the men that offer the highest
bid.
⢠The better a reputation a geisha has, the more
theyâre paid.
38. The Men
⢠The men are usually very rich.
⢠They do it because it is the popular thing
⢠Danna
⢠They typically donât geisha
⢠"You'll be very fortunate ever to become a
graphics with sufficient statues for a man like
Nobu..." (247)
39. More Economic Factors
⢠Memoirs of a Geisha takes place during WWII
and the Great Depression (1932)
⢠The Japanese currency at that time was called
yen