Week+Four

Memoirs Of A Geisha﻿ By Arthur Golden  Week IV

Home Page 25 April 2011 Notes and questions from Literature Circle and Literature Meetings • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Dates Covered April twenty fifth and twenty seventh

Important tur n-ins

**Summary** We started out with Suryi at the Baron's party. It’s awkward for her. The Barron gave her a beautiful Kimono. Suryi was in her first dance performance and she did really well. Suryi had her mizguage. The doctor was the one who bought it. She becomes a geisha; Mameha and Suryi go after Hatsumomo and embarrass her like she did to them. Mother adopts Suryi. Then Suryi gets her Danna who is an general. World war two hits and the economy is in a downfall. Suryi lost her relationship with Nobu because she didn’t choose him for her Danna. Suryi then looses her Danna and Nobu wants to help her out by giving her a job instead of working in a factory.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Connections** > > <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Key Points**
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Rations-** Rations being given to everyone: Soup kitchens for the homeless. Everyone is given a certain amount, and there often isn’t much food.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Factories-** Korin being sent to the factories: WWII in the home front, women started to enlist in the military and would help out with created machinery and/or become nurses.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**History Viewpoints-** Past teachings about WWII: We’ve been exposed to the idea that the Japanese people were the bad guys and no one really ever said anything about how they had hardships, we’re seeing a different side of the story.
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Revenge-** Hatsumomo being humiliated and supposedly becoming a prostitute: The “an eye or an eye” quote, Hatsumomo is finally getting what she deserves. She has probably caused multiple wonderful geisha to end their careers and she almost did that to Sayuri, she’s reaping from her evil game.
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**World Wars-** Today’s reading reminded me of my great grandmother. She lived in England during ww1 and ww2. She had to make a lot of changes in the household during that time. She lived in London and there were a lot of issues there.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Suryi’s mizguage is bought for a great sum of money.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Becomes a geisha.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Mameha and Suryi get back at Hatsumomo.
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Suryi gets adopted.
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Suryi gets a Danna.
 * 6) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Suryo looses her Danna.
 * 7) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Nobu saves suryi by giving her a safe/good job.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Travel Traces**
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Where’s today’s action begins (Page 309): This week’s action begins is when Sayuri is at the train station admiring the poster for that season’s //Dances of the Old Capital.// She soon realizes that this is a paining of her! When she visited the bridge, Uchida had been sketching her in his notepad and turned it into this beautiful poster.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Where today’s key events happen (Pages 338, 340, 367, and 385): The key events that happened in this week’s reading was that Sayuri made the switch from an apprentice to a geisha and gets to wear a white collar, she also got a //danna,// figured out why Nobu was mad at her, and Hatsumomo was kicked out of the okiya.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Where today’s events end (Page 401): The events ended where Nobu is saying goodbye to Sayuri. They may never see each other again and if they do they will have many stories to tell.

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


 * 1) What are your thoughts on General Tottori being Sayuri's //danna// ?
 * 2) In the book, Sayuri performed a mizuage with Dr. Crab and later on with two other men. Do you think that she enjoys the money and satisfaction or do you think she is struggling through it?
 * 3) How do you feel when Sayuri finally stood up to Hatsomomo when she read the journal? In addition to that, do you feel bad for Hatsomomo?
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Feel bad? HECK no!
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">She finally stands up and it was AWESOME!
 * 6) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">You can suck it Hatsumomo
 * 7) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sayuri could overpower someone else
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Self confidence
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">She knows what she wants and is getting it
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Feel bad – you can push her around and stand up to her, they ruined her geisha career and called her “mentally unstable”, she basically got kicked out and became a prostitute.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Ruined her
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Bee stinging analogy
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Got the bee back, Hatsumomo is a bee
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Hatsumomo got exactly what she survived, she brought that upon herself
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">There’s always a reason, something can always happen
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">It’s your choice
 * 1) Please share any comments, concerns, and feelings relating to the Great World War 2 Depression in Japan.
 * 2) Do you think that Nobu has TRUE feelings for Chiyo/ Sayuri?
 * Yes
 * He didn’t “want” her virginity, actually wanted her
 * Nobu wants her company and to see her pretty face and listen to her words
 * He saw her inner beauty
 * “you’re really pretty, inside and out”
 * Smart and understands things
 * She is open and sweet
 * He (Nobu) helped her without her even asking
 * True love = “when you give everything in your power to help that other person”
 * He couldn’t have her because of her danna, but deep down he wanted her
 * He was mad because of her decisions, not because of her
 * Doesn’t like that she’s a geisha and believes in an almanac
 * Feels as though she should look for her own answers
 * 1) Because of the War, Sayuri lost her job as a Geisha. Do you think she will move on to a different path in career and in her future?
 * She'll become a geisha again
 * May try to do something different
 * Move to America
 * Go to New York, living in New York currently

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Questions/Discussions** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Nobu as Danna? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">"Lovey" moments <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sayuri stands up to Hatsumomo <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Great Depression
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Yes
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">More glamorous
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Actor – fairytale, happiness, what she really wanted
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Danna/Dr – Needed to happen
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Feel bad? HECK no!
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">She finally stands up and it was AWESOME!
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">You can suck it Hatsumomo
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sayuri could overpower someone else
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Self confidence
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">She knows what she wants and is getting it
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Feel bad – you can push her around and stand up to her, they ruined her geisha career and called her “mentally unstable”, she basically got kicked out and became a prostitute.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Ruined her
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Bee stinging analogy
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Got the bee back, Hatsumomo is a bee
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Hatsumomo got exactly what she survived, she brought that upon herself
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">There’s always a reason, something can always happen
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">It’s your choice
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Connection to our current recession
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Worry about jobs and people not getting food
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Geishas can’t make a lot of money anymore
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Geishas working in factories, no one is glamorous
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Death by bomb
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Dressing in rags
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">It affected everyone
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">General – important person in the war, helping out the okiyas

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Projects!!** Meet next Tuesday and Wednesday after school, May 2nd and 3rd


 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em;">Movie
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em;">Holly
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em;">Sarah - Editing
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em;">Song lyrics (play it)
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em;">Restaurant description and menu
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em;">Sarah
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em;">Brochure/Newspaper
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em;">Di and Holly
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em;">Magazine or TV Advertisement or Informercial
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3em;">Play

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Materials:__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Ratty-tatty robe - Sarah <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Dollar Store <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Face paint/THICK makeup - Holly

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Oriental paper <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Bamboo paintbrush <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">“V” card <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Yen

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Roles:__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Dallas – Satsu/Mameha <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Holly – Chiyo/Sayuri <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sidney – Pumpkin <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sarah – Hatsumomo <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Di – Every guy <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Joe and Nick– Sumo Guys

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Access to Kimono: <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Holly – one kimono <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Asian restaurant on base

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Shooting places:__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Civano nursery <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Shoot on base? <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">School <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Drama room

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Don’t tell the end!

<-- Week Three • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Week Five -->

<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">Manager Dallas • Assistant Manager Di Le • Website Coordinators Holly Gerdts and Sarah Allen • Public Speaker Sidney McCarty