Memoirs of a Geisha - Symbols

At this point in Memoirs of a Geisha, I would symbolize the character Chiyo as a puppy.  Chiyo can be symbolized like this for many reasons.  She has a lot to learn as a geisha in training.  Likewise, a puppy has a lot to learn, like learning how it's bad to pee on the carpet, and it's bad to chew up an entire couch.  Another reason why she can be symbolized like this is that puppies are very curious.  Almost everything that they experience is new.  Chiyo is being paraded around Gion, seeing many things that are entirely new to her.  She had grown up in a small fishing town, but now that she was sold by her father, she lives in a a city, learning how to be a geisha.  Because of this, she likes to sneak around at night, hoping to find a way escape from her terrible life as a maid in an okiya.

Another important character in the story is Hatsumono.  She could be symbolized as a lion.  Hatsumono feels threatened by Chiyo as soon as she turns up at the okiya that Hatsumono lives at.  Immediately, Hatsumono tries to make Chiyo's life as miserable as she can.  If a lion feels threatened, it will attack whatever is threatening it, similar to how Hatsumono attacked Chiyo in the okiya.  Hatsumono is afraid that Chiyo will become a better geisha than her.

Memoirs of a Geisha - Most Important Line

Recently, I started a book called Memoirs of a Geisha.  This is a book about a young Japanese girl, sold  by her father and separated from her sister, who tries to survive the relentless obstacles in order to become a geisha.  It is based off the experiences of a real geisha.  A geisha is an entertainer who goes to parties to dance and play instruments.  The most important line from chapter 9 is, "There I threw coins into the offertory box - coins that might have been enough to take me away from Gion - and announced my presence to the gods by clapping three times and bowing.  With my eyes squeezed tightly and my hands together, I prayed that they would permit me to become a geisha somehow."

This quote is important for many reasons.  First of all, this is the point in the story where Chiyo's view on life completely changes.  Previously, she had attempted to run away from Gion and the thought of becoming a geisha haunted her.  At this point she had started to envy geisha and their wonderful lifestyles.  She was jealous of the geisha that entertained for rich men.  When she had enough money to run away, she instead decided to stay and do everything in her power to become a geisha, even though attempting running away had ruined her chances.  With every ounce of her being she now wanted to become a geisha and live a life of luxury.

The quote is also important because it develops the plot.  The book continues on to tell about many more years passing where Chiyo works as a maid in her okiya, never stumbling upon a chance at redeeming herself and becoming a geisha.  Finally, a geisha named Mameha notices her, and her life is forever changed again.

Has there every been a time in your life where you changed your mind completely on something?

The Color of Water - Themes

I just finished reading the book The Color of Water, by James McBride.  It has to be one of the most insightful books I have ever read.  It tells of a black boy's journey through a rough life, growing up in a housing project of New York City.  He has 11 brothers and sisters, who are all crammed under the same roof.  This might seem relatively normal, but his single mother is white.  And underneath James' story is the one of his mother, who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household, but married a black man.  The book tells of many lessons learned where James must deal with the nagging question of race and identity.

Arguably one of the most important themes in the book is that the color of you skin is irrelevant compared to your ability and intellect.  This theme is expressed many times throughout the book by James's mother.  One quote that depicts this theme is, “I asked her if I was black or white.  She replied   You are a human being.  Educate yourself or you'll be a nobody!”  This quote is said by James's mother.  There are many times throughout his life that James questions his background and race.  From an early age he can tell that his mommy doesn't look the same from all of the other mommies.  When asked about his ancestry, his mother would always reply bluntly, trying to wrench herself out of the conversation as soon as she could.  Another piece of textual evidence is, “God is the color of water. Water doesn't have a color.”  This quote is also told by James' mother.  It is the title of the book, as well as the underlying theme.  Have you ever had to deal wilth a similar situation where race was a problem?

Robopocalypse - Starter Post

Over the summer, I read the book Robopocalypse, by Daniel H. Wilson.  Robopocalypse is a novel about the fall of humankind to robots.  This book has many central themes, but one of the most common in the story is that people are too reliant on technology to live.  For many people today, it is an addiction that physically and mentally impacts them.  This theme first emerges at the beginning of the book when futuristic life is described as easy and lazy.  It is not an uncommon sight to see butler-like robots strolling through the streets, picking up groceries and running errands for their owners who sit in their houses.  This image can be seen in the sentence, "It's unstoppable, like gravity or something.  After a couple of seconds, Felipe is close enough that Big Happy can get a hold of him with its other gripper.  The mop handle clatters to the floor as the other gripper closes on Felipe's chin and mouth, crushing the bottom part of his face.  He screams and I can hear his jaw cracking" (Wilson 31).  This quote describes one of these butler robors, also known as a Big Happy, turing on its humans and attacking them ruthlessly.  This is one of the first attacks of a robot on a human recorded.  The theme continues to develop throughout the book when the humans realize how hard life is without their technology.  In the end, humans prevail and defeat Archos, the super-computer and mastermind behind the robotic revolution.

 This article gives a good summary and a well thought out description of Robopocalypse's plot and meaning.  It gives the future reader of this novel an insight into it which supplies the reader with knowledge not given in the book.
Robopocalypse Article