In Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden describes the life of a geisha in the early 20th century. He paints a picture of a working okiya in the Gion district through the eyes of his main character, the geisha Sayuri. Although the purpose of the geisha is to please the men who pay for her time, Golden tells little of the men in Kyoto except as they affect the lives of Sayuri and other geisha. Instead, Golden creates a community of strong women trying to make their place in a male dominated society that allows few options for women. The geisha’s, and their okiyas, exist for the very specific purpose of fulfilling the desires of the men who frequent Gion’s teahouses. In telling their story, Golden speaks through the character of Sayuri and her experiences. The reader gets to know Gion, the geishas, and their customers through Sayuri’s life story.
In the competitive geisha community, Sayuri faces a nemesis in the character of Hatsumomo. Acting as the antagonist, Hatsumomo appears to be the polar opposite of Sayuri, while in fact, both geisha share many similarities. As they struggle to survive in the harsh and demanding world of the geisha, Sayuri and Hatsumomo face each other as enemies while they pursue their individual agendas. Agendas that, in the end, mean surviving as women in a world created for the pleasure of wealthy men and their desires.
The main difference between Sayuri and Hatsumomo is in the characterization of Sayuri as good and Hatsumomo as evil. Sayuri is portrayed as a helpless victim to the forces around her and dependent upon everyone around her to improve her situation. She is first dependent then betrayed by Mr. Tanaka when he sells her to Mrs. Nitta. It is then Mrs. Nitta upon whom she depends and is likewise betrayed by when she tells Sayuri that she will no longer be training to be a geisha and will spend her life as a maid. Sayuri knows the information Mrs. Nitta is making her decision upon is false but is helpless...