99 pages • 3 hours read
Arthur GoldenMemoirs of a Geisha
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1997A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 11-15 Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 11 Summary
During their meeting, Mameha explained to Chiyo the system whereby a more experienced geisha can act as a sister or mentor to an apprentice geisha, a relationship sealed by a special ceremony. Girls typically have little say in who their older sister will be, while the more experienced geisha will not take on a bad investment—which is how Mother regards Chiyo. Mother probably envisioned Hatsumomo becoming Chiyo’s sister to begin with; especially since she had taken on this role before. However, Hatsumomo’s envy and taunting of Chiyo have rendered this impossible. Moreover, any geisha who took Chiyo on would have to cross paths with Hatsumomo, which is hardly an inviting prospect.
Mameha visits Chiyo’s okiya several weeks after their meeting, to inform Mother that she is interested in taking Chiyo on as a younger sister. Mother is shocked, given that Chiyo is out of practice and seen as a bad investment, but says that Mameha presumably has her reasons and that she will not second guess them. The two then start haggling over the financial terms of the agreement before finally reaching a suitable arrangement.
Chiyo believes that Mameha’s primary interest is in harming Hatsumomo, though she does not voice this opinion. Hatsumomo, however, comes to the same conclusion, saying to Mother that Mameha is envious of her beauty and is trying to get at her through “Little Miss Stupid.” Hatsumomo adds that Mameha will not make Chiyo a more successful geisha than Pumpkin, and Mother voices her surprise that these two “useless girls” (154) are now fighting it out with the help of Gion’s most prominent geishas.
Chapter 12 Summary
Mameha summons Chiyo to her apartment the next day and explains that she has made a bet with Mother, which she would not have done were she not certain about succeeding. She adds that she will not tolerate disobedience and that Chiyo will be subject to strict terms. She also instructs Chiyo to be wary of Hatsumomo and not to accrue any more debt.
Chiyo resumes her training and feels as though she is beginning lessons for the first time. Here, Chiyo emphasizes to the reader that “geisha” means “artisan,” with apprentice geisha learning to play a variety of instruments, to sing and dance, and, most importantly, to learn proper comportment. She points to the tea ceremony as a key part of training, as it does not merely involve acting as a waitress but is “a sort of dance, or even a meditation, conducted while kneeling” (160). Chiyo also explains that training becomes difficult because life outside of her education is also hectic. On top of spending a morning attending lessons, an apprentice is expected to work during the afternoon and evening, typically managing between three and five hours of sleep each night.
Chiyo and Pumpkin like to study together at the okiya, but, when Hatsumomo sees them one day, she insists that Pumpkin have nothing to do with Chiyo. Chiyo tells Mameha how arduous it is to share an okiya with Hatsumomo, and Mameha replies that the only thing for Chiyo to do is to become a successful geisha and drive Hatsumomo out. She also explains that her own lavish lifestyle is largely the result of having a wealthy danna; that is, a long-term partner. The top geisha will not sully themselves by engaging in casual affairs, but can choose to embark on a more formal arrangement with “the right sort of man” (165). Hatsumomo’s bad behavior has been self-defeating; it means that she is no longer able to secure a danna and is forced to live in the okiya.
Mameha explains that Chiyo will be an apprentice up to the age of eighteen, after which she will need to find a danna in order to pay her debts. Mameha’s own job will be to ensure that Chiyo has become well-known in Gion by that time. She also emphasizes dance as the “most revered of the geisha's arts” (168). Hatsumomo tries to sabotage Chiyo’s dance lessons, and is successful at first, but Chiyo is determined and is spurred on by her memory of the Chairman. As she dances, she imagines that he is watching her, and this causes her movements to take on such “a deep sense of feeling that sometimes each movement of a dance stood for some little interaction” (172).
Chapter 13 Summary
Chiyo feels jealous when Pumpkin debuts as an apprentice geisha, officially becoming sister to Hatsumomo. Mameha has been busy and has not seen Chiyo for nearly six months; however, when she returns, she sets about instructing Chiyo on the proper way to walk down the street and greet passersby.
Chiyo hopes that Mameha will say that she is ready to begin her apprenticeship, but spring and summer pass without any such development. After a while, Chiyo realizes that Mameha is delaying her debut so that people will have time to take notice of her. To this end, Mameha runs various errands purely so that people will see Chiyo walking in the street. She also consults a fortune teller, and singles out a date in November as the best time for Chiyo to make her debut.
In addition to the correct manner of walking, Mameha emphasizes the importance of eye contact with men. She consequently instructs Chiyo to make a delivery boy drop his tray purely through the use of her eyes. Chiyo manages to do this, and Mameha concludes that she is perhaps as ready as she will ever be. She then consults her fortune-teller again, who sets about finding suitable dates for the various events leading up to Chiyo’s debut.
After learning this of her impending debut, Chiyo is so excited that she cannot sleep, and she imagines herself entertaining the Chairman. She is still only fourteen years old but she feels that she has lived two lives. The news about her family had weighed heavily upon her initially, but, now, a new future seems to be possible.
Chapter 14 Summary
Despite her excitement, Chiyo finds the preparations for her debut exhausting. Her new hairstyle also takes some getting used to, as she can no longer lie down as usual without flattening it; thus, she has to adopt a new sleeping position. Her outfit is also heavy, and Auntie instructs her to wear it around the okiya in order to build up her strength.
On the day of the ceremony, Chiyo sees her reflection and feels as though she is looking at another person. She is astonished and cannot stop tears from welling up. In her eyes: she is now someone to be taken seriously; no longer a girl but a young woman. The ceremony takes place at a renowned teahouse, and, upon its completion, Chiyo officially becomes the novice geisha Sayuri. Mameha had decided upon this name after having consulted with her fortune-teller and Chiyo thinks that it is lovely. Even so, she finds it strange to no longer be known as Chiyo.
As part of her training, Mameha instructs Sayuri to pour a cup of tea. It does not matter that the pot is empty, as Mameha just wants to observe Sayuri’s etiquette. As she explains, this etiquette should differ depending on whether the recipient is male or female: a flash of the wrist is enticing to men but unseemly and liable to arouse envy in women.
Mameha consequently take Sayuri to various okiyas and teahouses in Gion, making official introductions. They then attend a banquet, where Sayuri’s role is predominantly to act as Mameha’s shadow. It is not an exciting event, but Sayuri is entranced by a dance that Mameha performs with another geisha. Finally, they go to an informal party at another teahouse, where they are shocked to find Hatsumomo and Pumpkin.
Chapter 15 Summary
Hatsumomo claims that running into Mameha and Sayuri is a coincidence, but, really, she has been spreading fake, defamatory stories about Sayuri, one of which she proceeds to tell to the people gathered at the teahouse. No matter which teahouse they visit, Mameha and Sayuri keep encountering Hatsumomo, and Sayuri comes to realize that she has been bribing various maids in order to learn where she can find her rivals.
Due to Hatsumomo’s omnipresence, Mameha says that it is no good to continue attending these engagements until they have come up with a plan. Still, Mameha occasionally takes Sayuri to events outside Gion and also introduces her to her danna, Baron Matsunaga Tsuneyoshi. Sayuri is nervous and clumsy in his presence, and she wonders if she is deluding herself in thinking that she is fit to entertain such men. She is aware of the beautiful silk that adorns her body, but, in that moment, beauty seems “a kind of painful melancholy” (213).
Chapters 11-15 Analysis
Chiyo has now gained a reputation as a bad investment, and Mother is puzzled as to why Mameha would want to take her on as a younger sister. Still, she is delighted to have two girls—neither of whom had seemed to hold much promise—being mentored by the top geishas in the district. No matter who emerges triumphant, the okiya will benefit.
Chiyo resumes her training, and readers learn more about some of the skills that geisha must learn, including proficiency in various instruments, singing and dancing, proper comportment, and the ability to entertain and perform in the correct manner at tea ceremonies. This, as the narrator emphasizes, is not just a question of serving tea and acting as a maid. As with all aspects of being a geisha, it is about artistry and performance.
Chiyo and Pumpkin build a friendship during this time, but, in the same way that Hatsumomo and Mameha are rivals, Hatsumomo insists on creating a division between the two apprentices. Mameha provides a sympathetic ear when Chiyo laments the situation, but she remains even-tempered and stresses that Chiyo needs to focus on becoming a successful geisha. Mameha is certainly qualified to speak on this topic, and she has been much more judicious than Hatsumomo in securing her success. Here, we learn that her expenses are covered by her wealthy danna whereas Hatsumomo is forced to live in an okiya. Hatsumomo may be cunning, but there is a self-destructive dimension to her character.
Chiyo is envious when Pumpkin becomes an official apprentice, hoping that her own time will come soon. The reason for this delay, it emerges, is that Mameha is being typically cautious. During this time, she passes on further wisdom to Chiyo; most notably, the skill of attracting men using only her eyes. This is a useful skill for any geisha, but, since Chiyo’s eyes are particularly striking, it makes sense for her to play up her key feature.
As she prepares to become an apprentice, Chiyo has to get used to the cumbersome hairstyle and outfit that form her new uniform. The intricacy of the geisha’s routine was established earlier in the novel and here again we see that the life of a geisha (or apprentice) is not as glamorous as it may seem. Still, the ceremony itself is an emotional affair for Chiyo, marking another turning point in her life: in her eyes, she has now embarked on the road leading to the Chairman.
The significance of the transition to apprentice is also marked by an official renaming, with the apprentice’s new name being decided by her older sister. Mameha’s trusty fortune-teller has helped her settle on the name Sayuri, which Chiyo finds agreeable. Whatever her new name, however, she finds it odd not to be Chiyo anymore. She has already had to accept that the past is irretrievable and that she will never return to her old life in Yoroido, but there is a sense of finality that comes with the renaming process. On the other hand, it symbolizes a new phase in her life. It is therefore a curious experience.
Mameha begins training her new apprentice, emphasizing, for instance, that pouring tea is not a simple, banal act but should be approached with due care: it is vital to consider the context and company of any given situation, such as whether one is catering to men or women. Mameha also continues to raise Sayuri’s profile but her efforts are hampered when Hatsumomo launches a sustained attack on Sayuri’s character. Indeed, while Hatsumomo may have numerous personality flaws, she shows herself to be skilled in causing trouble for her rivals.
Mameha decision that Sayuri should restrict herself to select engagements for the time being, gives her the opportunity to introduce her protégé to her danna, Baron Matsunaga Tsuneyoshi. During this meeting, however, Sayuri feels a sense of inadequacy. Her name may have changed and she may be adorned in exquisite silk, but, deep down, we can see that she still sees herself as a girl from a fishing village.
