THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LOVE AND MONEY IN GEISHA’S
LIFE AS REFLECTED THROUGH THE CONFLICTS AND
CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN
KAFU NAGAI’S GEISHA IN RIVALRY
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
In English Letters
By:
Gabriella Nugraheni Arumingtyas
Student Number: 064214038
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
i
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LOVE AND MONEY IN GEISHA’S
LIFE AS REFLECTED THROUGH THE CONFLICTS AND
CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN
KAFU NAGAI’S GEISHA IN RIVALRY
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
In English Letters
By:
Gabriella Nugraheni Arumingtyas
Student Number: 064214038
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
iv
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viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my biggest gratitude to Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary for the
blessings and opportunities throughout my life and for guiding and accompanying me in writing
and completing my undergraduate thesis.
My deep gratitude goes to my advisor, Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S, M.Hum. who never
stops encouraging me to finish my undergraduate thesis. Without your patience and kindness in
advising me, I cannot complete this undergraduate thesis. My deep gratitude also goes to my
co-advisor Tatang Iskarna, S.S, M.Hum. who has given his precious time to read and check on this
undergraduate thesis.
I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to my beloved parents, (†)YB. Hajar
Iswara and Monica Pujiati, for all their unlimited love, trust, prayer and support. For my beloved
brother Michelangelo Anugerah Adiwardoyo who always gives colors to my life.
My special thanks for my best friends Argent, Wulan, Gentur, Handoko, Noel Scott,
Julie, Tere, Rika, Risca, Esther, Sukma, Achied, Cica, Pipit, Asti, Tuwix, Ketut, Haryo Bodrex,
Media, Sr. Yekti, Sr. Etty, Sr. Cory, Tanti, Nicke Afra, Nani, Uchie, Lia, Enhae, Dara and all
Pondok Angela Community’s members. Thanks for your endless support to make me finish this
undergraduate thesis.
Finally, I want to say thank you for all my friends in English Letters Department
especially for the students of 2006. Thanks for being my friend and I would never forget our
friendship. I would not forget to thank all the staffs in library and English Letters Department.
May God bless you all!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ………..……… i
APPROVAL PAGE ………..………. …… ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ………... iii
MOTTO PAGE …………...……… iv
DEDICATION PAGE ……… ……… v
Lembar Pernyataan Publikasi………. vi
Lembar Pernyataan Keaslian Karya ………. vii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ……….. viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ……… ix
ABSTRACT ………. xi
ABSTRAK……… xii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ……….. 1
A. Background of the Study ……….. 1
B. Problem Formulation ……… 4
C. Objectives of the Study ………. 4
D. Definition of Terms ……….. 5
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ……….. 8
A. Review of Related Studies ……… 8
B. Review of Related Theories ……….. 11
1. Theory of Character and Characterization ……….. 11
2. Theory of Conflict ………... 15
3. The Relation between Literature and Society ……..……... 15
C. Review of Geisha ……….. 16
1. History of Geisha ……… 17
2. The Geisha Society ……….. 18
3. The Rules and Regulation for Geisha ……….. 21
D. Theoretical Framework ……….. 22
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ………... 24
A. Object of the Study ……… 24
B. Approach of the Study ………... 25
C. Method of the Study ……….. 26
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ……….………... 28
A. The Characterization of Komayo, Kikuchiyo, Rikiji, Hanasuke and Yoshioka ……….………...……. 28
1. Komayo’s Characteristics ……… 29
2. Kikuchiyo’s Characteristics ………. 33
3. Rikiji’s Characteristics ………. 35
4. Hanasuke’s Characteristics ……….. 36
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B. The Conflicts Faced by the Main Characters in Relation to Love
And Money ………... 41
1. Komayo’s Conflicts ………. 42
2. Kikuchiyo’s Conflicts ……….. 45
3. Rikiji’s Conflicts ……….. 46
4. Hanasuke’s Conflicts ……… 47
5. Yoshioka’s Conflicts ……… 48
C. The Significance of Love and Money in Geisha’s Life as Reflected through the Characterization of the Main Characters and Conflicts 49 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ………... 56
BIBLIOGRAPHY ……… 63
APPENDIX ……….. 65
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ABSTRACT
GABRIELLA NUGRAHENI ARUMINGTYAS. The Significance of Love and Money in Geisha’s Life as Reflected through the Characterization of the Main Characters and Conflicts in Kafu Nagai’s Geisha in Rivalry. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2010.
This undergraduate thesis examines Kafu Nagai’s novel entitled Geisha in Rivalry. The novel is interesting to discuss because it deals with the life of geisha that is different from the life of common people. The novel presents the rivalry among the geisha in Shimbashi district in order to get the money and love.
There are three problems to be discussed in this study. The fisrt is the description of the main characters: Komayo, Kikuchiyo, Rikiji, Hanasuke and Yoshioka. The second is the description of conflicts that are undergone by the main characters. The third is the importance of love and money in geisha’s life that are reflected through the characterization of the main characters and main character’s conflicts.
The writer used the library research in collecting the data. The socio-cultural historical approach is employed as the approach in this thesis because the writer studies the social condition and cultural condition of geisha in Japan society in early 20th century. By this approach, the writer will be able to get the understanding of the society’s habits and manner of the geisha in early 20th century.
xii
ABSTRAK
GABRIELLA NUGRAHENI ARUMINGTYAS. The Significance of Love and Money in Geisha’s Life as Reflected through the Characterization of the Main Characters and Conflicts in Kafu Nagai’s Geisha in Rivalry. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2010.
Tesis ini membahas novel karangan Kafu Nagai yang berjudul Geisha in Rivalry. Novel tersebut menarik untuk diteliti karena membahas kehidupan geisha yang berbeda dari kehidupan orang pada umumnya. Novel tersebut menampilkan persaingan antara geisha di distrik Shimbashi demi mendapatkan uang dan cinta.
Ada tiga rumusan masalah yang dibahas dalam penelitian ini. Pertama, gambaran tentang karakter tokoh-tokoh utama: Komayo, Kikuchiyo, Rikiji, Hanasuke dan Yoshioka. Kedua, gambaran tentang konflik-konflik yang dialami oleh tokoh-tokoh utama. Ketiga, pentingnya cinta dan uang dalam kehidupan geisha tercermin melalui gambaran tentang karakter tokoh-tokoh utama dan melalui konflik-konflik yang dialami oleh tokoh-tokoh utama.
Penulis menggunakan penelitian pustaka dalam pengumpulan data. Pendekatan sosio-kultural historikal digunakan sebagai pendekatan dalam tesis ini karena penulis membahas keadaan social dan budaya geisha di masyarakat Jepang pada awal abad ke 20. Dengan pendekatan tersebut, penulis dapat memahami kebiasaan dan perilaku geisha pada awal abad ke 20.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
By reading literary works such as novels, poems, and short stories we can get many benefits. Not only we get pleasure by reading them, we also can learn something from the piece of literature that we read. After we read a novel, for example, we can compare the condition of the society in the novel to the real condition of our society. We can see the phenomenon in our society from different perspective.
Japan is one of the countries in the world which have an interesting culture. We only get a little understanding of Japanese culture since during more than two centuries Japan lived in completely seclusion. One of Japan’s cultures that is interesting to be analyzed is about the life of geisha. Geisha are Japanese girls or women who are trained to provide entertaining and light hearted company especially for a man or a group of men (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 1993: 483). The life of geisha is interesting to be analyzed because the way they live their life is different from other Japanese. The geisha are basically constructed from the beginning to devote their life to entertain people and preserve the Japanese culture, and they live in a special district called hanamachi, “flower town” in Kyoto and Tokyo.
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Shimbashi and Akasaka, the favorite district of powerful leaders of political factions (Perkins, 1991: 111).
In the study, the writer wants to analyze the significance of love and money in geisha’s life as seen through the characterization of the main character and the conflicts faced by the main character of the novel. People who are not Japanese find some difficulties to understand the geisha’s life since geisha is a term that is only available in Japanese culture. Money and love are something that is important in human life. People need money to buy their daily needs to buy foods, to buy clothes, to pay the rent of apartment or house, and many others. Love is included in emotions and there are many forms of love. Human needs love to fill the emotional aspect in their life. Money and love are also very important things for geisha. Moreover, geisha have a different way of life. It is interesting to find out the importance of love and money for geisha since geisha’s life is different from common people. Perkins in her book stated that from the beginning geisha is treated differently, a geisha experiences an expensive and exclusive way of life.
The geisha world is poetically known as karyukai, the “flower and willow world”. Geisha still wear beautiful, expensive kimono and elegant hairstyles and stylized white make up known as shiroi (Perkins, 1991: 111).
A geisha is an entertainer whose job is to entertain men in a banquet or a party. A geisha has to have a beautiful and glamorous appearance. The main duty of geisha is to entertain people and preserve the Japanese culture.
respect the aesthetic of Japanese culture (Japanese Woman: A Pictorial,
195: 5). Geisha have to be a good entertainer and they have to learn about Japanese culture
and they must have the ability to play Japanese music instrument or have to be good dancers. Many geisha also study ikebana, “flower arranging”, Japanese tea ceremony, and calligraphy. Considering their life style, geisha need a lot of money to cover their expenses on their lessons in training process, kimonos, cosmetics, accessories and other daily needs. Geisha also have different daily activities to common people. Geisha have a monotonous way of life which is centralized on the fact that geisha is constructed to be a perfect entertainer. Considering their condition, geisha need to balance their emotional and financial aspects of their life. Love is a thing that can fill emotional aspect of geisha. That reason makes love a very important thing in geisha’s life.
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rivalry among the geisha in Shimbashi. The rivalry is not only about the opportunity to be a prosperous geisha but also about love form their patrons.
Kafu Nagai's story bring the readers to see the intimate corners of the geisha house to the back rooms of assignation, from the dressing areas of the great kabuki theaters to the lonely country villa of a theater critic and connoisseur of Shimbashi women
B. Problem Formulations
Based on the background of the study above, there are three problems that will be discussed in the study. The problems are formulated in the questions below:
1. How are the main characters described?
2. What are the conflicts in relation to love and money faced by the main characters?
3. What is the significance of love and money in geisha’s life as reflected through the characterization of the main characters and conflicts in Kafu Nagai’s Geisha in Rivalry?
C. Objectives of the Study
the conflicts faced by the main characters that related to love and money. The third objective is to find the significance of love and money in geisha’s life as reflected through the characterization of the main characters and conflicts in Kafu Nagai’s Geisha in Rivalry.
D. Definition of Terms
In order to avoid ambiguity and provide the right understanding of the study, the writer gives this definition to help the reader understand the meaning of the term related to the study. The terms that are needed to be explained are geisha, money, love and conflict.
1. Geisha
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines geisha as a Japanese girl or woman who is trained to provide entertaining and light hearted company especially for a man or a group of men (1993: 483).
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2. Money
According to Webster’s New Explorer Encyclopedic Dictionary, money is something generally accepted as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment. And the form of money can be an officially coined or stamped metal currency; money of account; and paper money (2006: 1180).
3. Love
There are some definitions of love. But the definition used in this analysis is taken from Webster’s New Explorer Encyclopedic Dictionary. Webster’s New Explorer Encyclopedic Dictionary defines love as an attraction based on sexual desire, affection and tenderness felt by lovers and affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interest (2006: 1086). Encyclopedia of Ethics: Volume 1 A-K notes that love, together with some virtues such as compassion, benevolence, and sympathy are included in emotions (1992: 302).
According to the International Encyclopedia of Ethics, there are some kinds of love. One of the main discussions among the philosophers is the difference between the Agape-love and the Eros-love.
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CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
Critics may give comments, reviews and ideas about particular literary work. The comments, reviews and ideas are called as the literary criticism. We may get more understanding about the author and the literary work through the literary criticism.
In this thesis, the writer wants to analyze Geisha in Rivalry, a novel written by Nagai Kafu in 1918. Geisha in Rivalry is regarded as the masterpiece of Nagai Kafu, a Japanese novelist known for his brilliant renderings of Tokyo in the early years of modern Japan. There are many criticisms given to the novel and the author.
Bradley Winterton in Taipe Times states that Kafu’s Geisha in Rivalry is a wonderful novel in a swift narrative style and rich description and incisive analysis of feeling and motives. He also explains the strength point of the novel. Kafu can bring the rivalry atmosphere in his novel vividly.
power, lie behind the sexual games his characters play. (Winterton, 2008: 18).
Zack Davisson gives comment on Geisha in Rivalry. He states that the most charming thing of the novel is the description of geisha’s daily life and the rivalry among them in Shimbashi district. The geisha in the novel are shown as common people who can face the problem, the happiness and the sadness.
The geisha here are just allowed to be people, and interact in a regular old-fashioned love/rival story, rather than serving as some great symbol of refined and mysterious Japan. Instead, they are just human beings doing a job, not all of them happy with it, not all of them good at it, but all of them determined to make some go at happiness, by hook or by crook. (http://www.amazon.com/review/R2NDY4UMKC78L3/ viewpnt#R2NDY4UMKC78L3).
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without pity. It is a world where the `human touch' is a real exception. But, for Kafû, it is the same the other way round: `People are saying that what's more important than her good looks is her big dowry.' Still according to him, Kafu’s novels excel by their subtle, impressionistic, colorful picture of a harsh profession, by his in depth search for the human faces behind the varnish and by their subdued atmosphere (http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/0804833249).
Roland A. Lange in JSTOR:Journal of the American Oriental Society states that Geisha in Rivalry reflects the author’s sympathy toward Geisha and the Japanese art.
His work bears an undeniable tinge of sympathy for the institution of the geisha and nostalgia for the fading of traditional Japanese arts, but also presents an intimate view by an observer whose eyes were open to all the sordidness and frustration which exist behind the romantic façade of this profession (1964: 473).
Not all the reviews and the comments on Geisha in Rivalry are positive. Some critics criticize about the unpleasant things inside the novel as well.
Edward G. Seidensticker gives a review about Kafu’s Geisha in Rivalry in JSTOR:Journal of the American Oriental Society. He states that Udekurabe, the original title of Geisha in Rivalry has an unstructured organized plot. However the novel shows Kafu’s characteristic in his writing. He compares the novel with Sumidagawa and Reisho.
economical and reposed Sumidagawa been chosen, and defects had the choice been the rambling, quarrelsome Reisho (Seidensticker, 1963: 523).
According to Seidensticker the novels Sumidagawa and Reisho are having more structured plot than the Udekurabe. However the Udekurabe offers the original writing style of the author. The readers can see the way of the author to show the virtues and the moral lesson.
The studies that have mentioned above gave the writer an idea to make a different analysis than they did. The writer of the thesis focuses on the importance of love and money in geisha’s life revealed through the characterization of the main characters and the conflicts in relation to love and money faced by the main characters. That is the reason why the study will be different from the previous studies that are mentioned above.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
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believable people (1971: 20). Although the character is a fictional character, the characteristic is usually based on the real person in the world. In other words, the characters are the imitation of human being in reality.
Still, according to M. H. Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms (1985: 24) there are two kinds of characters as quoted in the following.
A flat character is built around “a single idea or quality” and is presented without much individualizing detail, and therefore can be fairly adequately described in a single phrase or sentence. A round character is complex in temperament and motivation and is represented with subtle particularly; such a character therefore is as difficult to describe with any adequacy as a person in real life, and like real person, is capable of surprising us.
From the quotation above, a flat character is defined as a character which is presented generally and without much detail information. On the contrary, round character is defined as a character which is more complex than flat character. The round character will develop and the development of the round character sometimes surprises the reader.
The characterization is the way the author creates the character. Therefore, characterization should be conveyed into good way in order to create a clear image to the reader perception (Rorhberger, 1971: 20).
While, according to Murphy in his book Understanding the Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for Overseas Student, there are nine ways in which an author characterizes his/her in a novel (1972: 161-173):
The author can describe a person’s appearance and clothes. The author gives the readers the details of the character, for example about the posture, the color of the skin, the hair, the face, and the clothing.
2. Character as seen by another.
Instead of describing a character directly, the author can describe him through the eyes and the opinion of another. The reader gets, as it were, a reflected image.
3. Speech
The author can give us an insight into the character of one of the persons in the book through what the person says. Whenever a person speaks, whenever he is in conversation with another, whenever he puts forward an opinion, he is giving us some clues to his character.
4. Past life
By letting the reader learn something about a person’s past life the author can give us a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character. This can be done by direct comment by the author, through the person’s thoughts, through his conversation or through the medium of another person.
5. Conversation of others.
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talk about other people and the things they say often give us a clue to the character of the person spoken about.
6. Reactions.
The author can also give the reader a clue to a person’s character by letting us know how that person reacts to various situations and events.
7. Direct comment.
The author can describe or comment on a person’s character directly.
8. Thoughts.
The author can give the reader direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. In this respect he is able to do what we cannot do in real life. He can tell us what different people are thinking. In the novel we accept this. The reader then is in privileged position; he has, as it were, a secret listening device plugged in to the inmost thoughts of a person in the novel.
9. Mannerism.
The author can describe a person’s mannerism, habits, or idiosyncrasies, which may also tell the reader something about his character.
Conflict plays the important role in a plot of a story. Redman in A Second Book of Plays states that conflict is the struggle between two opposing forces, ideas, or beliefs, which is the basic of the plot. In most of the plays the conflict is resolved when one force, usually the protagonist, succeeds or fails in overcoming the opposite force which is usually the antagonist (1964: 363). It means that the protagonist has a responsibility to bring the conflict to its end.
Redman also divides conflict into two kinds, the internal conflict and the external conflict. The inner conflict is the struggle between the heart and the mind of the protagonist. It is the conflict between oneself. The external conflict is the struggle between the protagonist and an outside force. The example is the conflict between two or more people (1964: 363).
3. The Relation between Literature and Society
An author is usually influenced by his/her surrounding aspects such as the social, historical, cultural, political, and the economic aspect because the author is also the part of society.
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Further, Wellek and Warren explain that literature and the society have a relation. The relation between literature and society begins with a point that De Bonald suggested, that literature is an expression of society:
The relation between literature and society is usually discussed by starting with the phrase, derived from De Bonald, that ‘literature is an expression of society’. But what does this axiom mean? If it assumes that literature, at any given time, mirrors the current social situation ‘correctly’, it is false; it is commonplace, trite, and vague if it means only that literature depicts some aspects of social reality (1956: 95). Literature expresses the reality since the author is the part of the society. Yet, it does not mean that the author mirrors the society. The author, as part of the society is aware of condition of the society and the values that exist in the society. He/she should aware of the specific social situation in his/her era such as the political, economic, social, and religious condition and should represent it in his/her work. Literature expresses the life in more ambiguous way.
C. Review of Geisha
Geisha also known as geigi or geiko is women skilled in classical dancing, singing, playing a banjo-like stringed instrument called the samishen and witty conversation who entertain wealthy clients at banquets. Geisha means “art person”. They are very knowledgeable about etiquette and the wearing of elaborate kimono (Perkins, 1991: 111).
1. The History of Geisha
courtesan, and the odoriko, or the female dancer (http://japanese-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/geisha). Naomi Graham – Diaz in her article states that geisha profession had been started long time ago. The existence of geisha’s culture firstly in the Tokugawa or Edo period (1600 - 1869).
1750-1751 saw the beginnings of the new class emerge from Kyoto and Osaka—the so-called “geiko”. Geiko originally were men, derived from the previously known group of Taikomochi. These men had been around entertaining in various ways since the Kwambun era (1661-1672), but had been solely male until the first female geisha, Kikuya
from Fukagawa, appeared
(http://www.immortalgeisha.com/history_01.php).
Although the first geisha are male geisha, female geisha soon became popular enough to be able to steal clients from the courtesans.
Around the 1680’s, young teenage dancers, whose parents sent them to dance teachers for the purpose of having them trained so that they could hire them out, were becoming quite popular in the households of the Daimyo and upper-class samurai. Originally, these girls were put out for hire without the offering of sexual acts, but over the years, with many parents starting to exploit their daughters, many of the odoriko had turned to prostitution. The old list from 1762 recorded the first female geisha in Yoshiwara as being Kazen of the Ogiya brothel, although odoriko (calling themselves geisha) had been listed working as early as 1752. The saiken from 1769 however, was the first one to have an individual listing of the names of all geisha in service. By 1779, female geisha had become so popular and greatly in demand that they had even started to rival the
courtesans and take on their clients
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A former brothel owner, Daikokuya Shoroku concerned with both the fact that geisha were threatening the carefully regulated structure of Yoshiwara, and with the fact that they were avoiding paying any taxes, came up with an idea. He conceived of the idea to register geisha, both male and female. With the unprotected approval of the Yoshiwara officials, he then created the first kenban, a system that still prevails today. The newly formed kenban set itself up at the great gates, and proceeded to bring the geisha under control with the issuing of new rules and regulations. With his concern that geisha were openly competing with the courtesans for their customers, strict sumptuary edicts were issued.
In former times, poor girls were often indentured to geisha houses by their parents and were required to work hard as maids before training to be geisha. Now women make their own choice to become geisha, and they are legally required to stay in school through age 15. Many become geisha in their 20s without a period of apprentice (Perkins, 1991: 112).
2. The Geisha Society
Jim Mantos in his article states that the geisha live in communal type areas, or close neighborhoods. These are known as "hanamachi". Here they have their living quarters "okiya", tea houses, and various shops. The head of the household is the okamisan, "mother". She looks over and trains her family.
restaurants (ryotei). In Kyoto, the place is also known as “the rental banquet rooms” or kashi zashiki. The geisha union (geigi kumiai) regulates the time of attendance and the fees paid for geisha (Perkins, 1991: 112).
The geisha world is poetically known as karyukai, the “flower and willow world”. Geisha are still wearing beautiful, expensive kimono and elegant hairstyles and stylized white make up known as shiroi (Perkins, 1991: 112). Their lifestyle is a very elegant and expensive lifestyle. Often their livelihood is supplemented by gifts of fine kimonos or even money. Men obviously do get more attention, but that attention does not necessarily include sex. It is strictly up to the individual geisha to decide what her sexual intimacies will be. (http://www.ds-arts.com/GeishaArt/historyofgeisha.html).
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dress reflects this subtle maturity (http://www.ds-arts.com/GeishaArt/historyofgeisha.html).
Geisha are not prostitutes, but they usually have intimate relations with their patrons (danna). They also have a number of favorite customers (gohiki) who hire them for parties and also help pay their formidable expenses for kimono and ongoing lessons in classical dancing, shamisen playing and several styles of singing. Many geisha also study flower arranging, the tea ceremony and calligraphy (Perkins, 1991: 112). The geisha is literally a person of pleasing accomplishments and is instructed solely to be that. Her training, often rigorous, gives her skill in dancing and singing and aims at a general education which will help her to love and respect the aesthetics of Japanese culture (The Japanese Woman: A Pictorial, 1957: 5).
A geisha’s training and life are very expensive. The cost of acquiring her either through a "slave trader" or directly from her parents is covered by the "okiya", as she underwrites all of the expenses. She would repay for her training through the years. She could be bought out by a wealthy patron (http://www.ds-arts.com/GeishaArt/historyofgeisha.html).
20 districts in Tokyo, notably Shimbashi and Akasaka, the favorite district of powerful leaders of political factions (Perkins, 1991: 111).
3. The Rules and Regulations for Geisha
In geisha society, there are some rules that are made in order to control their life and behavior:
a) Geisha were no longer allowed to leave the pleasure quarters to entertain. The only days that this rule was lifted was for New Year’s Day and the great Bon festival in July. Whilst they could leave the quarters on these two days, they had to be back inside the gates by four o’clock in the afternoon.
b) Geisha were strictly prohibited to wear extravagant clothing, and they were limited to wearing plain, non-figured cloth with their crest. Their collars were to be of white material. The hairstyles were to be of a uniform style, namely the “Shimada” style and they were only allowed to wear three ornaments in their hair. One comb, and two hair-pins, one longer than the other.
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d) The hours that they were allowed to work were strictly limited from noon till 10pm, although this was later increased till Midnight (http://www.immortalgeisha.com/history_01.php).
The rules strictly controlled geisha’s dress, behavior and was considered so successful that it quickly became the norm at hanamaichi across Japan. These strict rules in fact allowed the geisha to flourish as artists and entertainers. Though more simply dressed than the courtesans, they became regarded as fashion leaders.
D. Theoretical Framework
that is applied in this study. This study is using the sociocultural-historical approach.
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CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
The object of the study is a novel entitled Geisha in Rivalry. The original title of the novel was Udekurabe and it was first published in Japanese in 1918. The novel was translated into English by Kurt Meissner with the collaboration of Ralph Friedrich in 1963. The illustration of the novel is the work of Shin Misho. The novel consists of 206 pages divided into 22 chapters. The author of the novel is Kafu Nagai. Kafū Nagai is the pen name of Sōkichi Nagai, a Japanese author,
playwright, essayist, and diarist. His works are noted for their depictions of life in early 20th-century Tokyo, especially among geisha, prostitutes, cabaret dancers, and other denizens of the city's lively entertainment districts. He initially achieves fame as a writer with Tales of America (Amerika Monogatari) and Tales of France (Furansu Monogatari). He also get famous from his novel A Strange Tale from East of the River (Bokutō Kidan) and his diaries, especially Danchōtei
Nichijō. Geisha in Rivalry has a secure place among Nagai’s masterpiece.
world she faces the rivalry among the geisha to get love, the wealthy patrons and to get the prestigious position among the geisha in Shimbashi.
In the analysis, the writer wants to show the significance of love and money in geisha’s life asseen through the characterization of the main characters and the conflicts faced by the main characters of the novel.
B. Approach of the Study
To analyze the novel, the writer uses the sociocultural-historical approach to analyze the problems formulated above. The writer thinks that this approach is appropriate to analyze the problems. According to Rohrberger and Woods in Reading and Writing about Literature, the sociocultural-historical approach is an approach to locate the real work within the reference to the civilization that produced the work. “That the only way to locate the real work is in civilization that produced it (1971: 9)”. Civilization here refers to the demeanor and the actions of specific society and that the literature using the demeanor and the action as its topic.
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sociocultural-historical approach is the most suitable to be chosen and to answer the problem formulation. By this approach, we can get the idea of social system of a society and their cultural value in a certain era.
C. Method of the Study
The writer employed the library research to analyze the novel in the study. This study used the data from the sources that were divided into primary sources and secondary sources. The primary source used in the study was the novel Geisha in Rivalry written by Kafu Nagai. The secondary data were taken from some books about theories and criticism related to the analysis. A Glossary of Literary Terms by M.H. Abrams, Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for Overseas Student by J.J Murphy and Reading and Writing about Literature by Rohrberger and Woods were used to write about theory of character and characterization. Theory of conflict was taken from A Second Book of Plays by Redman. The relation between literature and society was taken from Wellek and Warren’s Theory of Literature. The writer was using Encyclopedia of Japan: Japanese History and Culture from Abacus to Zori by Perkin and The Japanese Woman: A Pictorial by Japan Travel Bureau to get the information about Japanese culture. The writer also used some articles from the internet that were related to the topic of the analysis.
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CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
This chapter will discuss deeply about the problems that have been formulated by the writer in the first chapter. To specify the answers of each question, this part will be divided into three subchapters. The first subchapter discusses on how the main characters of the novel Geisha in Rivalry are described. The second subchapter discusses conflicts that are undergone by the main characters. The conflicts are both the internal and external conflicts about the intrigue of love and money among Shimbashi geisha. The third part discusses the significance of love and money in geisha’s life that can be drawn from the previous analysis about the characterization of the main characters and the conflicts faced by the main characters that are related to the intrigue of love and money.
A. The Characterization of Komayo, Kikuchiyo, Rikiji, Hanasuke, and
Yoshioka
1. Komayo’s Characterizations
Komayo is the main character and the protagonist of the novel. Komayo is a 26 years old geisha who is living in Shimbashi district. Komayo has been working in Shimbashi district as a geisha with her former name Komazo before Yoshioka, her patron, left the country to study abroad, and Komayo got a new patron who set her free and married her. For about three years she was a normal married woman. She left the geisha world and the Shimbashi district. She followed her husband to her husband’s home town in Akita. She stayed there for about three years until the death of her husband. Realizing that there was nothing to do in her husband’s hometown and the fact that she was a geisha who could not stand in such a remote and rural area, she decided to go back to Shimbashi and worked again as a geisha.
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Although her taste was elegant, perhaps from fear that her style itself would make her look a bit too old, she had put on a chemisette rather theatrically covered with heavy embroidery. Her obi was of the old-style printed mousseline called Kaga Yuzen, lined with black satin and held in place at the back with a scarft of blue pale crepe dyed in shibori style with a large, loose pattern. The cord tied over the obi was of a rather deep celadon green and was fastened with a clip made of a large pearl (1963: 24-25).
Although Komayo is almost 26 years old and considered as rather old for geisha, she tries to create an elegant appearance which is suitable for her. Komayo knows that she is rather old for a geisha, so she tries her best in order to look attractive but also looks elegant as the same time. Her choice of her clothing shows us that Komayo is a person who always makes a calculation about what she should do.
Although Komayo is a person who always makes calculation about what she should do, she shows her weakness when she falls in love with Segawa Ishii. Komayo knows that she would not stay young forever. Thus, she rejects Yoshioka’s offer to buy her freedom. She decided to be a geisha as long as she can get money and gain reputation as a successful geisha. But when Komayo falls in love with Segawa Ishii, she becomes a naïve woman. She thinks that her love will last forever. She does not think about the other women that may exist in Segawa’s life. She forgets that Segawa Ishii is a famous actor who has a lot of fans and that she is a Shimbashi geisha who has to keep her reputation as a good geisha. As a good geisha, she should not have an affair with a Kabuki actor.
tremendously popular actor for her lover, and her reputation as a geisha was established (1963: 64).
Komayo feels very happy when she meets Segawa Ishii. Komayo feels happy because she thinks that nothing can break their love. Komayo’s happiness is related to her thought that she will gain a good reputation by having a popular actor as her lover. She does not think about the jealousy that may come from the other geisha.
There was no room in Komayo’s mind for the suspicion that there might be another woman in Segawa’s live. She only knew that she was beside herself with happiness (1963: 64).
Komayo becomes a naïve woman when she has a love affair with Segawa Ishii since she believes that she will get a true love and that her happiness will last forever. She does not realize that Segawa’s love is not as deep as her love. Komayo does not think about the rivalry among the geisha, especially in Shimbashi, to get the reputation as a popular and famous geisha and to get the most prosperous patron.
Komayo is also described as a pathetic geisha since in the end she cannot get both her lover and a prosperous patron. She fails to protect both her love and the money supplier. Yoshioka discovers her love affair with Segawa Ishii, even he makes revenge by taking Kikuchiyo as his mistress. Segawa leaves her for another woman, Kimiryi, a successful ex-geisha introduced by Rikiji.
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patron that she called the Sea-Monster. Komayo does not like the Sea-Monster, but in order to keep the source of the money, she tries her best to give a good service to her patron. She also wants to gain a reputation as a famous and skillful geisha among geisha society.
Komayo has a same idea with the geisha Hanasuke about theories about masculine fickleness. Both of them believe that they should not trust their life on men’s protection. Komayo and Hanasuke believe that men can change their mind easily, men can be very kindly but once they change their mind, they can be heartless.
“I can speak from experience,” Hanasuke told her, and she went on to recite her story over and over again. Her conclusion was that men, when they were good, were very good indeed but that, once they changed their minds, they were thoroughly heartless (1963: 69). According to Komayo and Hanasuke, the best way of life of geisha is by working hard when they still can work, having a big saving, then finally be able to open their own geisha house.
In their heart-to-heart talks, they decided that it was best not to count on any man but to go on working as long as they could, with the goal of one day becoming independent and comfortable in small business of their own (1963: 70).
housework such as cooking and cleaning the house. Geisha also have no other skill except entertain people.
A geisha is called a successful geisha if she can establish her own business. Komayo’s goal is actually the goal of most geisha, to have their own business. It shows us that Komayo already has the geisha’s way of thinking in her life. A geisha is trying to get success both in emotional aspect, by gaining the love, and in financial aspect, by having a lot of money.
In relation with the emotional aspect, Komayo tries her best to fulfill it by getting love from Segawa Ishii, the kabuki actor whom she falls in love with. In relation with the financial aspect or the money, Komayo tries her best to gain the money by having another patron. Komayo realizes that money is a primary thing for a geisha. They need money to support their way of life.
I don’t care how ugly a man is. What I want is a person who will be constant and take care of me without getting angry every time I want to have my own way a little bit (1963: 72).
Komayo realizes the importance of money for geisha. She does not care about the appearance of the patron who can give her the money. However, she still tries to get the love from the relationship with Segawa Ishii.
2. Kikuchiyo’s Characterizations
tsubushi-34
shimada style, oiling it heavily and bringing it up over pads at the front and the sides so that she could make it puff out the way she wanted it. She always wears thick make up even on the hottest summer days and she likes to wear the gaudy kimono. Her choice of clothing gives her the impression of a high-class prostitute. She is also known as a promiscuous geisha so that Kikuchiyo is able to attract promising patron.
Because of all this, there was spiteful talk to the effect that she gave people the impression of a high-class prostitute when she appeared for a teahouse engagement and that, since it made her look younger at the same time, she was able to attract better patron (1963: 65-66).
Kikuchiyo and Komayo have a complicated relationship. They are colleague from the okiya, the Obanaya, and actually they are not rivals, but Kikuchiyo feels that the arrival of Komayo threatened her position in Obanaya and threatened her income as a geisha. Kikuchiyo has two important patrons: a department chief in a certain ministry and a well-to-do Diet member from the provinces. She works under a profit-sharing agreement and enjoy the position of seniority among the geisha in Obanaya. However, Kikuchiyo feels that Komayo’s arrival threaten her position as a senior and a successful geisha in Obanaya.
She had two important patrons: a department chief in a certain ministry and a well-to-do Diet member from the provinces, and she had arrived at the point of wielding influence at the Obanaya. But when the reputation of a later arrival like Komayo threatened to put her into eclipse, she could no longer be at ease (1963: 69).
comes from the same house with Komayo and the fact that Kikuchiyo and Komayo have an inharmoniously relationship, Yoshioka can use Kikuchiyo as a tool for revenge to Komayo.
Kikuchiyo is a geisha who is able to do everything to get money. She has some patrons who can support her financial aspect such as a department chief in a certain ministry and a well-to-do Diet member from the provinces. She does not really care about her love life. Kikuchiyo knows that Yoshioka is Komayo’s patron, but she accepts Yoshioka’s proposal to set her free because Yoshioka can support her to establish her own geisha house.
3. Rikiji’s Characterizations
Rikiji is also a Shimbashi geisha. She is Yoshioka’s mistress. Yoshioka has been keeping her since about three years ago. Among the Shimbashi geisha, Rikiji is including a successful geisha since she has her own geisha house, the Minatoya.
She was independent in her profession and own the geisha house called Minatoya (1963: 15-16).
Rikiji is not a beautiful but she is very skillful as a geisha. She is well-known in geisha’s world as a neisan, the senior,and everyone respects her. She is described as a powerful geisha.
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Rikiji is also described as a spiteful geisha. She hates Komayo since she knows that Yoshioka has certain feeling toward Komayo. She thinks that it is Komayo’s fault that Yoshioka leaves Rikiji. Even that Rikiji realizes that Yoshioka has no love for her; Yoshioka is Rikiji’s patron that gives her the financial support. Because Yoshioka leaves her, Rikiji lost her financial support. Rikiji really hates Komayo since Rikiji believes that Komayo is the source of her misery. Because of stealing her danna, Rikiji looks for every opportunity to arrange revenge to Komayo.
Moreover, there was the grudge she held against Komayo for having stolen her danna Yoshioka-san some time ago. If she ever found a suitable opportunity to pay her back for that, she would see to it that Komayo was forced to weep for her sins (1963: 162).
She arranges revenge to Komayo by separating Komayo and her lover, Segawa Ishii. She knows that Segawa’s mother does not like Komayo, so she introduces her with a rich ex-geisha named Kimiryu.
4. Hanasuke’s Characterizations
Hanasuke, the geisha clad only in her underwear, was a sturdily build woman with curly hair, a dark complexion, and lusterless eyes in a bread face. Although there was actually little difference in age between her and Komayo, no one who looked at her could think her much less than thirty (1963: 66).
Hanasuke is described as a geisha whose appearance is not too attractive. Her appearance is not a kind of successful geisha’s appearance. Being aware of her condition, she works much harder than the other geisha when they called in parties or banquets. She is described as an unattractive but a clever geisha. In a tea engagement she always works cleverly. She is able to position herself among the other geisha.
In keeping with her character, whenever she went to a teahouse engagement, she showed herself to be an even harder worker than the maids. In the company of pretty and popular young geisha, she modestly took a back seat, conducting herself with great tact and believing that if she made herself inferior to them, she would be called to other engagements (1963: 66).
Although she is not a beautiful geisha, she is considered as a popular geisha since she gets many invitations of parties and banquets. People like to call Hanasuke to the parties and banquets because she always stays modest among the geisha and she is a clever geisha. Hanasuke never gets any financial trouble since she always gets many invitations from the customers, and because she has a promising patron, a moneylender who keeps Hanasuke for two or three years.
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Hanasuke is also a kind of person who can read the situation. Hanasuke knows that Kikuchiyo feels that Komayo’s arrival threatened her position in Obanaya and threatened her income as a geisha. Hanasuke takes advantages of the rivalry, if she has to accompany them in an engagement, she will attend the engagement which can give her the best benefits. However, she often prefers to accompany Komayo since they are similar in age and both of them have similar experience. Hanasuke was formerly worked in Yoshicho quarter, where one of Hnasuke’s patrons has redeemed her and made Hanasuke his mistress. Not long after that the man deserted Hanasuke, and three years ago Hanasuke decided to be a geisha again in Shimbashi district.
Caught between the two of them, the unattractive but clever Hanasuke took sides with neither. Instead, she treated both of them cordially, calculating that every engagement to which she accompanied them meant a gain for her. Nevertheless, it was Komayo that she preffered, not only because they were closer in age but also because they had gone through the same kinds of troubles (1963: 69).
Hanasuke is also described as a geisha who cannot be separated from her saving book. Hanasuke can do everything to get the money. Hanasuke takes advantage when she introduces Komayo to the Sea-Moster, a big antique dealer from Yokohama who later becomes Komayo’s patron. Hanasuke actually knows that Komayo does not like the man, but Hanasuke insists that Komayo has to accept his proposal to be her patron because Hanasuke is the one who introduces the man to Komayo. If the man’s proposal is accepted by Komayo, Hanasuke will get some money as a compensation for her role as a procurer.
not enter into bargaining at all, and if the guest could be counted on to give a direct tip of fifty yen, twenty would be hers. Or is he gave a hundred, she would get fifty. …Her conduct was exactly what might be expected of an acquisitive woman who was forever inseparable from her savings deposit book(1963: 78).
Hanasuke is a geisha who believes that women should not to count on any men since the men can change their mind easily. Men can be very good, but once they change their mind, they can be so cruel. She gets the conclusion after her former patron when she worked in Yoshicho quarter deserted her.
“I can speak from experience,” Hanasuke told her, and she went on to recite her story over and over again. Her conclusion was that men, when they were good, were very good indeed but that, once they changed their minds, they were thoroughly heartless (1963: 69). She supports Komayo’s decision not to accept Yoshioka’s proposal to buy her freedom. According to Hanasuke, it is better for a geisha to work hard until finally they can establish their own business. Instead, Hanasuke introduces Komayo to a new patron who is usually called by a name “the Sea Monster”.
5. Yoshioka’s Characterizations
Yoshioka is Komayo’s former patron when her name was Komazo. Komayo had been working in Shimbashi district as a geisha with her former name Komazo. At the time, Yoshioka was her patron. But Yoshioka left the country to study abroad, and Komayo got a new patron who set her free and married her. Yoshioka already had a new mistess, Rikiji, when Komayo decided to go back to Shimbashi and worked again as a geisha.
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Yoshioka is a person who is full of calculation in every aspect of his life. The geisha that he loves is actually Komayo, but he pretends that loves Rikiji in order to take some advantages from Rikiji. He keeps Rikiji as his mistress because as a businessman, he can get the advantages from Rikiji whom he can rely on for entertainments at banquets and parties.
For a man like Yoshioka, who moved in the center of business and social life, it was most advantageous to keep one or two geisha when he could rely on for entertainment at banquets and parties. Moreover with the idea of cutting down on expenses, he had won her over by pretending to be in love with her (1963: 16).
Yoshioka takes the geisha Rikiji as his mistress in order to get the reputation as a gentleman who can afford a geisha. In Japanese society in the early 20th century, it can be a credit to a man if he can be the danna of a geisha. A danna is a geisha's main patron. He pays for her home, art lessons, and kimono, make up, wigs, and other accessories. Being a danna to a geisha is exclusive, as it is extremely expensive.
Yoshioka, as a young businessman who had recently begun to attract attention, knew that no matter by what means he became the patron of a geisha, for better or for worse, it was going to cost money. It all ended up to the same thing. Since this was the case, and since he liked the idea of surprising people by having his amour reported in the scandal column of the Miyako Shimbun, he recklessly began to court Rikiji (1963: 52).
Although his relationship with Rikiji has nothing to do with romance or sexual desire, his relationship with Komayo is little bit different. The relationship can give him such a natural feeling of relationship.
suited him to perfection and gave him a feeling of extreme naturalness. Since he had known her for long time, there was no need to feel diffident about what he did or said when he was with her (1963: 53). However, he also has another reason to have a relationship with Komayo. He can take some advantages if he becomes Komayo’s patron. Since Komayo is such a beautiful geisha, she can be a prestigious asset for him.
Moreover, since she had the good looks of a woman in the full bloom of life, there was no embarrassment for him in being seen with her. So Yoshioka had made up his mind to buy Komayo her freedom, make her his mistress, establish her in the villa that he always been hoping to build near Kamakura, and then, by way of relaxation, spend the weekends there with her (1963: 53).
Besides a person who always calculates all the things that he will do and take the advantages of his action, Yoshioka is a person who will be upset if his plans do not work as he expects. Yoshioka is angry when Komayo reject his proposal to buy her the freedom. Moreover he is very upset when he knows that Komayo has a love affair with the kabuki actor Segawa Isshi. Yoshioka decided to make revenge toward Komayo.
B. The Conflicts Faced by the Main Characters in Relation to Love and
Money
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considering this classification, the writer would like to describe the conflicts about the intrigue of love and money faced by the main characters.
1. Komayo’s Conflicts
As from the very beginning of the novel, Komayo has experienced the internal conflicts within herself. The decision to go back into her former profession as a geisha and to go back to the Shimbashi district is the decision she takes after she thinks about her future.
In any case, Komayo herself believed firmly that her troubles were of no such frivolous sort. What had plunged her into thought was the single matter of the future. She would be twenty-six this year, and from now on she would show her age more and more as the years passed. If she didn’t make definite plans for her future now, there would be only depression and vexation beyond reason (1963: 31). Komayo realizes that since at very young age she learns to be a geisha. As a geisha, Komayo is constructed to be a good entertainer who devotes her life in the art and who is expected to preserve the Japanese culture. She has no choice in her life to get a new skill or a new job. She married her husband because of the fear that she might have no future as a geisha. She was desperate when Yoshioka left her to study abroad. That is the reason why she accepted her husband’s proposal to marry her. After her husband’s death’s, Komayo has an inner conflict whether to stay at her husband’s hometown in Akita or to go back to Shimbashi and get her previous profession as a geisha.
doing so, even more than if she become a nun, she would have had to submit to an utter denial of herself (1963: 31).
Komayo thinks that she is different from her husband’s relatives in Akita. Her husband’s relatives who live in a rural area such as Akita are the ordinary people who cannot understand the life style of a geisha from a big city such as Tokyo. Komayo is a person who from the very beginning has been prepared as a perfect entertainer in a famous geisha district. Her life as a geisha is far different from the lives of ordinary people and Komayo cannot live in such a rural and remote area.
To have been left alone in a well-to-do country family among people who, no matter where one looked, were completely different from herself, and from then on, to spend the rest of her life with then – it was decidedly not the place where a city-bred woman could stand to hide herself away (1963: 31-32).
Considering that she has no other skill than becomes a geisha and the fact that cannot stand to live there anymore, she decided to leave Akita and go back to Shimbashi and become a geisha again. Komayo realizes that to return to the "world of flower and willow" is her only way to escape poverty.
When she becomes a geisha in Shimbashi, she has a conflict within herself. The seven years she spends in remote rural has influenced her. It is rather hard for her to be as cheerful as when she becomes a geisha for the first time. She also faces some conflicts with the teahouse maids and the machiai mistress who tell her to take as many guests as she can.
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ordered her to take guests again her will struck deep into Komayo’s heart, but until now she had slept with no guests at all except Yoshioka (1963: 70).
In relation with the importance of love and money in her live as a geisha, Komayo faces a conflict whether to accept Yoshioka’s offering to buy her freedom or to continue her life as a geisha. She actually wants to accept the proposal, but at the same time Komayo is in love relationship with Segawa Ishii. She cannot continue the love affair if she is not a geisha anymore. She is in the conflict between the need to earn more money and the lack of courage to go out. However, because of her love affair with Segawa Ishii, she has to keep a patron that can support her financial aspect.
If by any chance Yoshioka should become angry at her refusal to let him buy her freedom, it would no longer be a question of her having to say yes or no. she would have to find a substitute to keep her in funds if she was to carry on a secret affair with Segawa, and now she began to reconsider one by one the names of guests who had earlier made some sort of proposal to her (1963: 72).
To keep her secret love affair with the kabuki actor Segawa Ishii, Komayo has to take a patron. She hates her patron that she called the Sea-Monster. However, she has to manage her attitude toward her patron in order to make the patron gives her financial support.
He knew all about her affair with Segawa even before she had confided him about it and, far from objecting, even sent him a stage curtain as a gift. No doubt her prospects with this single patron were better than they would be with a thousand others, but the unpleasantness and the strain on her nerves were a hundred thousand times worse than they would be an ordinary guest (1963: 104).
and Rikiji. Kikuchiyo feels that the arrival of Komayo threatened her position in Obanaya and threatened her income as a geisha. While Rikiji consider that Komayo has stolen her patron, Yoshioka.
In her love life Komayo has a conflict with her lover, Segawa Ishii. Komayo urges Segawa to marry her and announces their relationship officially. On the other hand, Segawa realizes that he actually does not want to marry Komayo.
“Then it isn’t that you want to marry her because you’ve fallen hopelessly in love. That puts a different complexion on the matter.” “No, I don’t mean that I have anything against her in particular. But naturally I’m not one of those patrons she has had to put up with and make efforts for whether she wants or not. In fact, there have been times when I’ve called her in as a regular geisha. Still, if I must confess the truth, I’m not so madly in love with her that I must marry her at any cost.” (1963: 125)
From the conversation between Segawa and the novelist Nanso, Segawa has confessed that he does not want to marry Komayo.
2. Kikuchiyo’s Conflicts
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as a geisha. Before Komayo’s arrival, Kikuchiyo can be considered as a prominent geisha in the Obanaya, she works under a profit sharing agreement and enjoys a senior position in the Obanaya. Kikuchiyo has two important patrons: a department chief in a certain ministry and a well-to-do Diet member from the provinces, and she has arrived at the point of wielding influence at the Obanaya. However, after Komayo’s arrival, Kikuchiyo feels that Komayo can take her income and her position in the Obanaya.
It not could be said that Kikuchiyo and Komayo were enemies…. But when the reputation of a later arrival like Komayo threatened to put her into eclipse, she could no longer be at ease (1963: 69).
It is true that their relationship is colored by a tinge of rivalry in the beginning, but their conflict reaches its climax when Komayo know that Yoshioka becomes Kikuchiyo’s patron and the fact that Yoshioka is the man who buy Kikuchiyo’s freedom and builds Kikuchiyo’s new shop.
3. Rikiji’s Conflicts
Rikiji as Yoshioka’s mistress has the external conflict. She has the conflict with Komayo. She believes that Komayo stole her danna. Even that Rikiji knows that Yoshioka does not love her, Yoshioka is her patron who should give her the financial support.
Moreover, there was the grudge she held against Komayo for having stolen her danna Yoshioka-san some time ago. If she ever found a suitable opportunity to pay her back for that, she would see to it that Komayo was forced to weep for her sins (1963: 162).
Komayo. She knows that Segawa’s mother does not like Komayo. So, she introduces an ex-geisha named Kimiryu to seduce Segawa.
4. Hanasuke’s Conflicts
Hanasuke has conflicts as a geisha. As a woman and a geisha, she expects to be appreciated because of her appearance. However, she realizes that she is not as beautiful as other geisha, so she has to behave modestly and be inferior to other geisha. If she does not act like a modest person she will have no customer.
Hanasuke, considering this from her own point of view, earnestly expressed the opinion that if she didn’t make use of the present she would feel the loss in the future. “If I only had your good looks,” she said regretfully (1963:70).
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5. Yoshioka’s Conflicts
The only geisha that really can attract Yoshioka actually is Komayo. Although his relationship with Rikiji has nothing to do with romance or sexual desire, his relationship with Komayo is little bit different. The relationship can give him such a natural feeling of relationship.
But with Komayo, whom he had kept during his student days and then had net again quite by chance, he had developed an intimacy that suited him to perfection and gave him a feeling of extreme naturalness. Since he had known her for long time, there was no need to feel diffident about what he did or said when he was with her (1963: 53). When Yoshioka suggests that he should become her danna and buy her freedom, Komayo refuses his proposal although Komayo would be glad to have the financial support. Komayo’s refusal to his proposal insults Yoshioka’s pride. Yoshioka then decided to break off his relation with Komayo, however, because of his feeling toward Komayo, and the persuasion of the mistress of the Hamazaki, who offers all sorts of apologies for Komayo’s behavior, he finally decides to continue giving Komayo financial support.
When he said to her:”I’ll build you a villa and buy you your freedom, and we’ll celebrate with a big farewell party for you,” it had never entered his mind that she would be equivocal about accepting his offer. And when she failed to give him a clear answer, he felt insulted to the point of anger. At the same time he felt detected – as if he had let a treasure slip through his finger. (1963: 53-54).
and Segawa. Yoshioka becomes very angry to hear the affair because he knows that Komayo takes advantages from his financial support. This time, Yoshioka cannot tolerate Komayo’s betrayal. Yoshioka seeks his revenge by getting involved with the geisha Kikuchiyo, a promiscuous geisha from Komayo’s okiya. There is an internal conflict within Yoshioka. He has a complicated feeling t
