The novel, Memoirs of a Geisha, was written by Arthur Golden in 1997. It is not in a series but there was a motion film created after it. The book is about a young girl struggling to make it in the competitive world of the Geisha.
Some things I liked in the novel was how descriptive Arthur was. I felt like i could envision what her water colored eyes looked like or the art of a kimono. the imagery was something that helped me to understand the book better. I like how detailed it was in describing the culture and the people of the geisha community.
What i didn't like is how didn't tell you what exactly a geisha was. It was hinted at but never directly stated. I had to look it up.that was the only thing i didn't like about the book.
I feel like the novel would be best recommended for teen girls to adults. They would be the best to empathize for Sayuri and would truly understand how she is feeling about everything.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Question Three- Novel analysis
The story line is simple to follow in the book. You can easily follow Sayuri and her journey in life. What are some underlying things that you can analyze about the plot line and the foreshadowing in he book?
Question Two- Character Development.
Throughout the novel Sayuri goes from being a peasant girl in a town nobody knows of to one of the most desired for geisha's in her town. What are things that may have contributed to her developement through the story?
Question One- Theme
The theme of the novel is hard to find. One thing that is obvious is the love Sayuri has to the Chairman. Could the theme be one of young love? What are other possible themes?
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Arthur Golden Biography
Arthur Golden was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1956 . His parents were Ben and Ruth Golden,. They divorced when Arthur was eight years old. His father passed away just five years after.He currently lives in Brookline, Massachusetts with a family consisting of a wife and two children.
He went to Harvard college and earned a degree in Art History, while specializing in Japanese art. He also went on to receive an M.A in Japanese History at Columbia University. He also learned Mandarin Chinese. He then went across seas to Beijing University for a summer and then began to work in Tokyo before moving back to the United States. Once he got back to the states he earned an M.A. in English from Boston University. He hasn't written any other novels.
His writing style is one that utilizes alot of imagery. He is very descriptive with the small details and uses setting to bring the reader farther into the story along side the characters.
""I dont think any of us can speak frankly about pain until we are no longer enduring it." (Golden Memoirs of a Geisha).
He went to Harvard college and earned a degree in Art History, while specializing in Japanese art. He also went on to receive an M.A in Japanese History at Columbia University. He also learned Mandarin Chinese. He then went across seas to Beijing University for a summer and then began to work in Tokyo before moving back to the United States. Once he got back to the states he earned an M.A. in English from Boston University. He hasn't written any other novels.
His writing style is one that utilizes alot of imagery. He is very descriptive with the small details and uses setting to bring the reader farther into the story along side the characters.
""I dont think any of us can speak frankly about pain until we are no longer enduring it." (Golden Memoirs of a Geisha).
Summary
In the very popular novel Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden lies a story within a story. The outer most story is one of a young girl pulled from everything she knows and thrown into a family of strangers. She learns slowly how to adapt to her new surroundings. The inner story is one a of hardship and struggles and what it takes to become more then that. To become more then what the people around you label you as. These stories are intertwined to make the reader hungry for more. In the beginning a young girl has to sit by and watch her mother die, then she meets this mysterious man who takes her from her seaside little town to the city to become a geisha. Once there she learns that not everyone is as nice as the appear and their intentions aren't always in the right place. As the book continues the reader is drawn into Sayuri, the protagonist, struggles to find a foothold in this town.
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