Memoirs of a Geisha Chapters 16-20 Reading Guide

Memoirs of a Geisha | Chapters sixteen–17 | Summary

Summary

Chapter 16

Mameha tells Sayuri that Pumpkin has earned the apprentice'due south accolade, which means she made the nigh money that calendar month. Raiha, a gorgeous apprentice, has been surpassed, to Sayuri's surprise, but Mameha tells Sayuri that Raiha is nonetheless more than pop. Sayuri explains the fee structure for geisha at parties, where ane ohana (flower) used to be the method of figuring out appearance charges at parties. In that location is a set cost for one ohana, and then the more pop and renowned geisha charge that price per fifteen minutes in Hatsumomo'south example, and per five minutes in Mameha'southward example. Hatsumomo should exist leaving Pumpkin to fulfill the expectation that she stay an hour because they get paid for an 60 minutes, just the teahouses are charged even though Hatsumomo takes Pumpkin with her everywhere she goes. Pumpkin ends upward making more money, but she burns bridges at the same time.

Mameha takes Sayuri to an engagement put on by Iwamura Electric at a sumo wrestling exhibition, where Sayuri will come across Iwamura Ken, the founder, and Nobu Toshikazu, the president. Nobu is a sumo fan and, equally Mameha warns Sayuri, has a face completely scarred past burns. Sayuri thinks she sees Korin, Hatsumomo'southward friend, and and then Nobu waves them over. Sayuri is stunned to see what she thinks is the dorsum of Mr. Tanaka's head and worries nearly whether to hide the fact that she hates him, but the human turns effectually, and information technology is the Chairman.

Chapter 17

After existence introduced and making her bows and salutations, Sayuri picks up a teapot to pour tea for the Chairman and notices he is staring at her arm. Information technology takes her a while to realize that the teapot is empty. She apologizes, and Mameha makes a joke near it. While chatting, Chairman Iwamura mentions that beauty strikes him, just sumo does not. The two wrestlers interrupt their conversation, making a racket as they come in.

Sayuri notices that Nobu Toshikazu is not merely severely scarred, but is missing his left arm. She explains to Professor Haarhuis that Nobu was injure in a bombing during the Japanese attack on Korea at the end of the Russo-Japanese State of war (1904–05). Sayuri asks for an caption of sumo, and Nobu says she needs to talk to him about it, not to the Chairman. He is grouchy in chat, calling Mameha childish for listening to fortune-tellers when choosing Sayuri'south proper name. He finally says something nice, that Sayuri is prettier than Mameha, and the name fits the girl. Sayuri says she knows about an ex-wrestler in Gion, and Nobu points out Awajiumi in the crowd, who is sitting next to Korin and looking over at them.

After an hour of Nobu explaining the first match equally it unfolds, Sayuri thinks she sees Korin in a different kimono, simply it is Hatsumomo. Mameha takes Sayuri out to the courtyard and tells her to make a show of existence fascinated past Nobu so that Hatsumomo volition think it is funny and volition leave her lone. When Nobu calls her a fool for something she said, Sayuri makes a show of existence injure. Nobu calls her mannerly. He explains hataki komi, the next move that a wrestler chosen Miyagiyama uses on a larger wrestler called Saiho. Mameha tells Sayuri later that the motion defenseless the larger wrestler off balance, and they should practice the same with Hatsumomo. She says Nobu might rescue them, but Sayuri wishes the Chairman would practice it instead.

Assay

Hatsumomo'south plans to make Pumpkin popular backfire. Pumpkin begins to make patrons question the fairness of merely getting a few minutes of her time and the propriety of leaving to join Hatsumomo elsewhere when she should, as an apprentice, stay for her full hour. Arthur Golden unfolds Pumpkin's career in the same style Hatsumomo's career has gone, with financial missteps and selfish motives. He uses parallelism to show that Sayuri's career unfolds in a measured and successful style, just as Mameha's career began. The contrast between the ii famous geisha rivals is reflected in the difference in their training styles, and somewhen in the differences in their younger sisters' success every bit Gion geisha.

Sayuri sets aside her anger when she sees what she thinks is the back of Mr. Tanaka's caput and decides to act like an obedient geisha. The concealment of her truthful feelings shows that her character has grown, taking on the adult function of the geisha, which thrives on hiding truthful feelings. She has left backside the spontaneous and ill-tempered Chiyo of her childhood.

Mameha's plans to circumvent Hatsumomo are elaborate and include an introduction to a man she knows volition change Sayuri's life. Sayuri does not know that Mameha has had a connection to the Chairman before. Thus, Sayuri is surprised to see that the person who was so kind to her is 1 of the men Mameha wants her to meet. Golden reveals these personal connections a little at a fourth dimension in order to draw out the story and keep the reader's interest. The surprise advent of the Chairman at the end of the chapter is a technique Golden uses several times as a plot twist, and the timing helps heighten the suspense.

In Chapter 17, Sayuri stops her story to explicate to Jakob Haarhuis the reason for Nobu's unusual and disturbing concrete advent. Nobu has not had an easy life, and Gilt uses this particular aspect of Nobu's graphic symbol and appearance to arm-twist pity in Sayuri. She knows what it is like to accept things go terribly wrong and cannot assist but feel for Nobu in that regard. However, Nobu's personality is non warm, nor is it friendly, and Gilded uses this foil to continue Sayuri from getting to know Nobu very well. There volition always be a connection between Nobu and Sayuri because they both have known suffering, only at that place will too always exist an emotional wall between them that Sayuri cannot overcome.

Sayuri's training is improved by her contact with Nobu when Hatsumomo shows upwards. Sayuri has to learn to brand a show of her interest in Nobu, which is a technique she must often use in the future with patrons. Her functioning with Nobu shows that she is flourishing as a geisha, becoming a principal of the art of deception. Hither she successfully creates the illusion that she has amore for Nobu, expertly tricking him and Hatsumomo. This is only ane of the ways in which Hatsumomo'due south plans backfire. The plot would not exist equally satisfying if Hatsumomo were able to derail Sayuri's career at every turn completely, so Gilt limits the effects of Hatsumomo's evil plans.

When Mameha tells Sayuri to use the emotional equivalent of a wrestling motility, she shows how her experience has made her quick to hatch new plans when things go wrong. Mameha is a remarkable character whose devotion to Sayuri's success does not ever make Sayuri happy, simply Mameha persists in trying to make Sayuri look good. Gold uses this devotion as some other reason for Sayuri's reluctance to push button for contact with the Chairman when she can see that Mameha has other ideas. Mameha has already done and so much for Sayuri, then Sayuri does not feel right about coming clean with Mameha about her feelings for the Chairman.

Cite This Study Guide

Accept study documents to share about Memoirs of a Geisha? Upload them to earn costless Course Hero access!

armstrongjohe1986.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Memoirs-of-a-Geisha/chapters-16-17-summary/

Share this post