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Memoirs Of A Geisha﻿ By Arthur Golden  Week V

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2 May 2011 Notes and questions from Literature Circle and Literature Meetings • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Date covered May second

"Whatever our struggles and triumphs, however we may suffer from them, all too soon they bleed into a wash, just like watery ink on paper" (Golden, 499).

**Summary**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Name: Dallas LaRoque <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Novel: Memoirs of a Geisha <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Date: 2 May 2011 Assignment: Pages 400 to 499 <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Summary: <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The war ended and Sayuri was still working with Arashinos family making parachutes. Later on she started to make kimonos and Nobu visited her for her to come back to Gion. She convinced Mother to take her back to become a geisha once again. This is when Nobu said once Iwamura Electric got better on back to business he would become her danna. He gave her a piece of concrete of Iwamura Electric and turn it into a jewel. Sayuri, Mameha, Pumpkin, Shizue, Chariman, Nobu, and the Minister went to Amami for a business trip. Sayuri slept with the Minister to get rid of Nobu of becoming her danna and to be with the Chairman instead. Pumpkin betrayed Sayuri and are no longer friends. The Chairman saw them sleeping together. The Chairman became Sayuri's danna instead and was no longer a geisha. Sayuri broke her ties with Mother and she moved to New York and set up her own teahouse and later on the Chairman died.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Connections** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">By: Sidney McCarty

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1. When Nou gave Sayuri the concrete reminded me of when I went to the street fair and a woman running a booth gave me a rock to keep me well. It meant a lot but it did not have a lot of value

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2. When Sayuri stopped being a geisha it reminded me of when my dad got a new job and we moved to Arizona. She stopped her job and moved to NYC.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">3. When the Chairman told Sayuri that he kept his feelings a secret reminded me of when me and my best friend liked the same person and I hid me feelings so she could have him.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">4. When Sayuri moved to NYC it reminded me of watching many movies where someone moves from a foreign country.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">By: Di Le

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1. The issue between Nobu and the Minister over Sayuri reminds me of two babies fighting over a toy. They both wanted to be Sayuri's danna. They are nice to each other, but don't know what to do with each other; like babies.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2. The tea house parties between Sayuri, Mameha, Pumkin, Nobu, the Minister, and the Chairman reminds of me. I hate spending time at someones house alone with a person I barely know. I rather have a group of friends to balance out the awkwardness. Also it adds more fun.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">3. I can relate to Sayuri's and the Chairman's reaction when they visited America. I have these same feelings when I set foot on America. It is such a different world, culture, and people. It seems like a paradise to live in, and it occurred to me that it struck Sayuri the same way.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">4. In the end of the book, when Sayuri have reminiscence about her own life an struggles and accept that everything turns out for a reason. I can relate to everything about my life also. I struggle through life just like everyone else. I also accept of all the things that I went through and be thankful that it happened the way it did so I can be the person I am today.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> **Key Points**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1. The war ended <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2. Nobu declared to be Sayuri's danna <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">3. Went to Amami for a business trip. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">4. Sayuri slept with the Minister and Nobu never forgave Sayuri. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">5. The Chariman became Sayuri's danna. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">6. Sayuri no loner was a geisha and moved to New York <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">7. The Chairman dies

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Travel Traces**
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Where’s today’s action begins (Page 409): A short trip in Gion – Sayuri decided to randomly take a stroll into Gion after running her errands. While walking in Gion, she was astonished by the change that the war brought and had moments of nostalgia.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Where today’s key events happen (Page 475): Ichiriki Teahouse – After returning from Amami with the failed attempt of ruining her relationship with Nobu, Sayuri met the Chairman at the Ichiriki Teahouse where he said what she’s been dying to hear him say, which is that he has strong affections for her.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Where today’s events end (Page 498): Park Avenue in New York – the end of the book shows the image of Sayuri as an elderly woman in Park Avenue wearing a kimono, watching people and taxis pass by.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Main Questions** By: Holly Gerdts

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 1. Did you like the ending of the book? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 2. Did you think the chairman was the one who did everything for Suryi all along? Did you guess they would end up together? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 3. What do you think about Nobu? Do you feel bad for him at all?


 * Chariman changed himself for Nobu


 * He just left her


 * Douchebag!


 * They weren’t real love/match


 * When he found out about the Minister, he was pissed!!

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 4. Do you think Suryis experiences made her a better person or stayed the same? How did each thing effect her? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 5. Why do you think Suryi will never be a geisha again?
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">She was better
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">She wasn’t very worldly, she was ignorant
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">She didn’t understand things as a child
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Everyone takes different roads and she took them, and they changed her
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">She worked hard to get to where she is right now
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">If nothing happened, then she wasn’t the same person
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Thankful for Mr. Tanaka
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Change of sister relationship

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">**Questions/Discussions**

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Sex with the Minister?
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">EW!!!
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Helped her get to the Chairman

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Sayuri and the Chairman
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">She got what she wanted
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Though it may not be perfect, she got love
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">It’s a short life for her, she didn’t do much, then became a geisha
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">She had one goal: being Chairman’s mistress
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">It’s a short goal
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Most people have multiple goals, she only had one
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">She was 30-something when she got him
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Her life is simple, yet difficult

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Pumpkin and Sayuri's friendship
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">She lost her Friendship with Pumpkin but pumpkin kind of helped her in a way.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This ended their friendship.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">She did everything for a reason
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">She was the second Hatsumomo

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