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Allegory
Definition of Allusion
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to... read full definition
Chapter 9
Explanation and Analysis—Emperor Taishō:
In her fateful first encounter with the Chairman, Chiyo suddenly has a flashback to a past incident in which a nephew of the Japanese emperor visited Yoraido, the small village where Chiyo was born and raised:
Standing so close before him, I could smell the odor of talc on his smooth skin, which made me recall the day when the Emperor Taisho’s nephew had come to our little fishing village. He’d done nothing more than step out of his car and walk to the inlet and back, nodding to the crowds that knelt before him, wearing a Western-style business suit [...] I think we all felt touched by nobility and greatness. Occasionally in life we come upon things we can’t understand because we have never seen anything similar. The Emperor’s nephew certainly struck me that way; and so did the Chairman.
Chapter 12
Explanation and Analysis—Mameha's Clients :
In a chapter dense with allusions to important figures from the early 20th century, Chiyo describes Mameha's illustrious career as a geisha sought out by international visitors to Japan:
Unlock with LitCharts A+She poured sake for the great German writer Thomas Mann, who afterward told her a long, dull story through an interpreter that went on and on for nearly an hour; as well as Charlie Chaplin, and Sun Yat-sen, and later Ernest Hemingway, who got very drunk and said the beautiful red lips on her white face made him think of blood in the snow. In the years since then, Mameha had grown only more famous by putting on a number of widely publicized dance recitals at the Kabukiza Theater in Tokyo, usually attended by the prime minister and a great many other luminaries.
Chapter 14
Explanation and Analysis:
The style of the novel blends historical fact and fiction. Though Sayuri is not a real person, her story is based upon various real geisha, some interviewed by Golden. Throughout her narrative, Sayuri’s life is shaped by historical events, including the Great Depression of the 1930’s, World War II, and the American occupation of Japan, and she brushes shoulders with a mix of fictional characters and actual figures from the history of Japan, including famous artists and military generals. This blend of fact and fiction contributes to the novel’s memoir-like tone, even though it is still primarily a work of fiction.
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Chapter 27
Explanation and Analysis—Basil Rathbone:
When Mameha and Sayuri follow Hatsumomo to a party thrown by the famous Kabuki actor Shojiro, a long-time patron of Hatsumomo, the novel alludes to British actor Basil Rathbone. When another party guest asks Shojiro if he has heard from "Bajiru-san" recently, it prompts this recollection from Sayuri :
Unlock with LitCharts A+I had no idea who Shojiro was talking about, but Tachibana, the old koto player, was kind enough to explain in a whisper that “Bajiru-san” was the English actor Basil Rathbone—though I’d never heard of him at the time. Shojiro had taken a trip to London a few years earlier and staged a Kabuki performance there. The actor Basil Rathbone had admired it so much that with the help of an interpreter the two of them had developed something of a friendship. Shojiro may have lavished attention on women like Hatsumomo or Mameha, but the fact remained that he was homosexual [...]
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