Resumo de Memoirs Of A Geisha-''beneath The Glamour''

Torn from her environs-familiers and cast into a cruel world of eternal suffrage, Chiyo Chan is the unforgettable, chivalrous and victorious heroine of Arthur Golden?s historical classic, Memoirs of a Geisha. The horror of a childhood ripped to shreds in the claustrophobic clutch of bondage, the predicament of the innocent, the heart-wrenching image cold-blooded child prostitution, and the trauma of compulsion leading to voluntary servitude, are the haunting images of this work. Not only is Memoirs a masterpiece of literary fiction, but an astounding penetrative insight into one of the most mysterious and misunderstood cultures, and the amazingly humane sentiments of its followers. I say ?culture? as Golden portrays ?geisha? as ?artists?- multi-talented women with unmatched grace, elegance and beauty, with astounding stories to tell. Born to a poor, tradition-bound fisherman, Chiyo Chan and her sister, Satsu, are sold to Mr. Tanaka, a gentleman visiting their village. In a wind?s gush, their lives transform dramatically and they find themselves in the midst of the grim and stoic city of Gion, where the doors of liberty and hope shut before them forever. While Chiyo?s exquisite beauty earns her a place in the okiya, the house of the geisha, her plainer sister is condemned to a life of prostitution. Chiyo compulsively struggles to accept her Herculean life in the Nitta okiya with her new family. As she battles her arduous chores to please her ?owners?, the mesmerizing arts of the Geisha are revealed to her. Her versatility and astounding grasp of the ancient arts of dancing, singing, playing the shemisen (a kind of guitar) and the world-renowned ?tea-ceremony,? create a truly eventful future for her. Golden describes the cultural aspects of the geisha?s training with tremendous precision. While most writers would have merely succeeded in losing the reader?s interest, Golden enchantingly uses these descriptions to enhance the quality of his work and generate a more colourful and vivid image of the geisha?s life. But all is not a cakewalk for our heroine, as she bears the brunt of the spiteful acts of jealousy hurled at her by the narcissistic Hatsumomo, the only successful geisha of the okiya. But Hatsumomo?s petty acts only succeed in revealing her own insecurity that Chiyo?s popularity would soon exceed her own. The dawn of Chiyo?s life of redemption and her ultimate test come to play when Mameha, the most successful geisha of Gion, accepts her as her ?younger sister.? Hence Chiyo embarks on a decisive adventure strewn with hurdles and uncertainty, and yes, Hatsumomo. But the motherly and dedicated support of Mameha, and Chiyo?s own determination and zeal graciously introduce her to a profession, noted for its elegance and varsity, yet embellished with grim shadows and skepticism. Golden welcomes the reader to a world of pleasure and merriment, where ironically the language of a woman?s heart is interpreted by deaf ears and the value is love is estimated in monetary terms. Chiyo once comments, "a geisha who expects understanding from her danna is like a mouse expecting sympathy from a snake.? This expression evokes a profound sense of solitude and despair, which the geisha experienced with their male clients. This dark reality of their life is best depicted by Chiyo?s infatuation with the ?Chairman?, a gentleman she encounters as a child. The heart-wrenching game of hide-and-seek that Chiyo plays with her feelings and her duties becomes the ultimate test of her humanity. Will Chiyo risk her reputation as one of the greatest Japanese geisha for her love? Will you, the reader, dispel your preconceived notions of superficiality of the geisha? The secrets lie hidden in one of the greatest best-sellers of all time. Written by an American author, narrating the story of a Japanesewoman in the first person, not only is Golden faced with the obstacle of gender, but also that of time and nationality. Miraculously, he succeeds is astounding. The ?Translator?s Note? included at the beginning of the novel aids him in this endeavour, by adding a realistic touch to the narration. The complexities and conflicts of a young girl struggling to accept reality while yearning to fulfill her heart?s cravings are magnificently captured. Sought after for mere entertainment and carnal pleasure, Chiyo stands for all the oppressed and miserable women of her age, whose lives were ripped apart by the affluent and power-craving. Simultaneously, the subtle flaws of character also unfold, when Pumpkin, Chiyo?s nervous and introverted counterpart, with whom she initially strikes up a chord of friendship, ultimately becomes a mere vehicle for Chiyo?s achieving her own personal ends. The sudden retaliation by the shy Pumpkin is genuinely striking, and reflects the toll of the profession on its victims, and their eventual deprivation of any long-lasting human relationship. Also, while criticizing the geisha stereotype, Golden describes the strife of the geisha to endure the tragic consequences of war by performing tedious manual labour to earn their livelihood. This is in sharp contrast to their artistic, feminine duties, and bears testimony to their all-round strength of character and personality. Never have I read a book, which held me so utterly transfixed! So journey to Japan of the 1930s, meet the women of a now almost extinct profession, feel the passion, weep at the injustice and cruelty, scorn the perceived superiority, and above all, admire the greatness of the silent and misunderstood, whose greatest desire was for their stories to be told.

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