Resumo de Memoirs Of A Geisha

?Memoirs of A Geisha?
author: Arthur Golden
Publisher: Vintage

Courtesans have been a part of every culture in the world from times immemorial, be it the Roman, Egyptian or even Mughal period. In a male-dominated society, there are always women waiting to woo the rich and the famous royalty, nobles and businessmen and make a living off them. In Japan of the 19th and 20th century the story was no different. The Geisha culture, prevailing during that period, survived on the largesse of powerful businessmen. The money trickled down to support a whole industry including kimono makers, hair dressers, make-up manufacturers, tea houses, servants not forgetting ?mothers? and ?aunts? who were generally former Geishas who when they retired trained young girls to be Geishas and preyed on their earnings.
In the New World such a culture was a rarity, but as Geisha Sayuri puts it succinctly in Arthur Golden?s ?Memoirs of A Geisha?, all those pencil-thin women who hang on to every word of their rich patrons are more of prostitutes than the Japanese Geishas who are more of artists trained in the art of seduction by learning dance, music, make-up and art of conversation. Their sole purpose in life is to make rich men so happy that they are willing to become their ?danna? and support them for life.
The book follows the life of a little girl Chiyo who is plucked from the safety of her home in a fishing village when her mother dies, and is sold to an Okiyo (Geisha House) in Gion. Here the so-called ?mother? invests time and money on training little Chiyo in the hope of making some money out of her in the future. Chiyo?s life is made difficult by another Geisha of the same house called Hatsumomo. But her chance meeting with the Chairman and his kindness to her transforms her life. Now her sole aim in life is to be a successful Geisha and to reach the Chairman.
Destiny take hers through a maze of ups and downs, twists and turns until at last she reaches her final goal of becoming the most accomplished Geisha and capturing the Chairman?s heart.
The book is rich in detail and exquisitely outlines the lives of Geisha in general, their clothes, lifestyle and even their petty jealousies. It is an eye-opener to the historic background of this dying culture.
SOKAGA

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