Question

chiyo's struggles in memories of geisha​

Answer 1

Answer:

Most people wear makeup to enhance, modify, or obscure their natural look; that is the purpose of makeup. The Geisha population in “Memoirs of a Geisha” have more than a surface level relationship with makeup. Makeup to them is crucial and not only externally changes them but internally as well. A geisha putting on makeup is comparable to Peter Parker transforming into his alter superhero ego except it takes hours. When they do it, they assume a whole new identity. Their makeup is almost impenetrable, like a shield. The girl under the makeup conceals her true identity and creates a deception as people will perceive them from what they see but what they are seeing is a facade made up of white makeup and red lipstick. “Memoirs of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden is a story about a young girl named Chiyo who grows up in a poor village only to find herself becoming one of the most popular geisha’s. She serves as a servant in an okiya (a geisha home) only to soon be taken under the wing of Mameha who trains her to be a successful geisha like Mameha is herself. Chiyo faces many hardships and obstacles, one of them being her own identity crisis. Through her long journey, she finds herself questioning her place in the world and who she really is. In “Memoirs of a Geisha”, Arthur Golden demonstrates the significance of identity through Chiyo’s journey as she embarks becoming a Geisha. Throughout the novel, Golden uses the imagery and symbolism of water and makeup, which allows readers to identify Chiyo’s personal struggles as she endures through the hardships of transforming from Chiyo, the poor girl into Sayuri, the geisha.