Quartering in Haikus by Pearse Wolfe Liblong

Quartering in Haikus

By Pearse Wolfe Liblong

First Quarter:

When I had fallen

You were my saviour, lifting

Only to drop me.

This haiku represents how Chiyo (the narrator) was swept off of her feet in a time of need by Mr. Tanaka only to have him betray her and sell her and her sister off to the highest bidder. This haiku also expresses her profound disappointment in the breaching of her trust, which is why I chose to write it in the first person.

Second Quarter:

Water finds a way

Around the tallest mountains

The clock strikes midnight.

This haiku is about Chiyo’s flexibility in the face of adversity; her being the water, flowing around obstacles, and the mountains being the enormous problems in her life. The clock striking midnight is about when she first met the Chairman. He was the first one to show any real compassion towards her since she arrived in Gion and yet, unfortunately, their meeting was very short-lived.

Third Quarter:

Gaining momentum

Quasimodo, not the Prince

Fires extinguished.

The first line in this haiku is about Sayuri’s career. As time goes on, she becomes more and more successful and receives a record-setting for her mizuage. The second line is about how Mr. Nobu, a physically unattractive man (Quasimodo), is courting her, instead of her love, the Chairman (the Prince). Finally, the third line is about how her nemesis, Hatsumomo (the fire), has gone crazy and left the okiya. 

Fourth Quarter:

Revenge overdue

Wounded hearts bleed love no more

Horrors are over.

In this final haiku, the first line is about Pumpkin’s revenge on Sayuri. The second line represents how Sayuri and the Chairman finally come together and confess their love for each other. And then the third line is a “happily ever after”, with the horrific period of her life being over, with a tie-in to the quote “Oh the horror…the horror…” (Kurtz, from Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now) using an allusion. 

 

Sources:

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Novel Response by Pearse Wolfe Liblong

“Oh the horror…the horror…” (Kurtz, from Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now).

This quote ties in seamlessly with Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha simply because so many terrible things happened to Chiyo/Sayuri after she was taken from her parents (including the fact that she was taken from her parents). First of all, she was lied to and betrayed by a man that she trusted and was perhaps naively in love with, and sold into what was basically slavery. On top of that, she was tormented and sabotaged nearly every day by the malicious Hatsumomo. It seemed as thought every force in the universe was working against her. To top all of that off, her sister, who was forced to become a prostitute, had to run away without her (Chiyo) and her parents died before she could say any kind of goodbye to them. Oh the horror indeed…

Sources:
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Final Essay: A Scrutiny of Good and Evil by Pearse Wolfe Liblong

A Scrutiny of Good and Evil:
Examining the Effects of Hardship on the Protagonist

An essay by Pearse Wolfe Liblong

Jesus had the Devil and Harry had Voldemort but would their chronicles have been as captivating and famous if they had not had terrible things happen to them? Throughout the history of storytelling some of the most common themes have been unbeatable odds, adversity, and darkness. This gives the hero something to rise out of; after all, evil makes heroes and vice versa. In Memoirs of a Geisha, Sayuri (then, Chiyo) was taken from her parents and forced into a world of slavery. However, by the end of this Cinderella story, she has overcome the forces working against her, found her true love, and ends up living happily ever after. Perhaps one reason why this theme is so common is because it is relatable. Not only do most members of the human race harbour both good and evil, but tales of unlikely triumph resonate deep within, providing a sense of comfort, hope, and elevated self-esteem.

First of all, what is evil? Is it simply the absence of good? If so, then what is good and how is one able to recognize it when presented with an example? These are questions that have been pondered by philosophers and religious scholars through the ages. Traditional Judeo-Christian morality dictates that evil is that which is lacking in fundamental goodness; it is that “the man should be alone” which is the “not good” (Genesis 2:18), i.e. that which goes against god and society at large is evil.[1] Contrarily, the philosopher Benedict de Spinoza defines good and evil in his 1677 magnum opus Ethics by saying: “By good, I understand that which we certainly know is useful to us. By evil, on the contrary I understand that which we certainly know hinders us from possessing anything that is good.”[2] More importantly, however, he states in Proposition 68 “If men were born free, they would form no conception of good and evil so long as they were free.”[2] This implies that without the chains of societal expectation binding us in squalor to the moral ground, man would have no way of knowing what is good for the human race and what is not.

Before she was taken from her parents, Chiyo was a relatively happy girl. Although she and her sister were relegated to the position of a proxy-mother, because theirs was sick and dying, Chiyo had a normal childhood; she played with the other children in the village and was respectful of her elders. One day she met Mr, Tanaka, a handsome, gracious man. Chiyo, figuring it would be easier on her father, made a plan for her and her sister to be adopted by Mr. Tanaka. On the day of the adoption, however, they were taken by Tanaka’s assistant to Gion, where Chiyo was sold to an okiya and her sister, Satsu, was forced to become a prostitute. This event was only the first of a series of traumatic episodes, the likes of which might have driven some people to the point of insanity or suicide. Other tragedies that befall her include constant sabotage by the malicious Hatsumomo, and living in exile during World War II. Eventually, she finds true love and all is well in her life, but this ending would not have been so extraordinary had she not become such a close friend with catastrophe. It is the contrast between her life before and after misfortune that distinguishes her ending from those more ordinary.

This archetypal “Cinderella Story” appeals to the very basics of human nature. It includes elements of love, good eventually prevailing over evil, Prince Charming; some of the earliest and most common themes found in literature.  The majority of people in western society are not living their ideal lives and have to work very hard to make a living. When reading Memoirs of a Geisha and similar stories, one can find solace in the belief that if a broken woman like Sayuri or Cinderella can emerge from their cocoon of discontent, then it is not impossible for one to do the same.

All evil needs good and all good needs evil. They are two opposing forces that contradict as much as they compliment each other. Without evil, how would we know what is good and vice versa. Although they mix as well as oil and water, one cannot exist in the absence of the other. Even if all present evils were eradicated, would we not simply find something new to demonize? It is this balance that makes the stock rags-to-riches folkhero such a popular character. They (the hero/heroine in question) serve as a motivational device and moral compass for any hopeless, lost soul who might hear the tale; and again, as Benedict de Spinoza wrote: “If men were born free, they would form no conception of good and evil so long as they were free.”[2]

Citations/Quotes:
1. The Bible: Book of Genesis (2:18)
2. Ethics by Benedictus de Spinoza, translated by R. H. M. Elwes, Part IV: Of
Human Bondage of the Strength of the Emotions. (http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ethics_%28Spinoza%29/Part_4)
Other Sources:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_evil#Christianity 2. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Final Essay, Sierra Dean

Memoires of a Geisha/ Lord Of the Flies

Japan/ Germany

It can be argued that World War II began with a loss of power. This can be seen through the involvement of Japan and Germany in World War II, as well as through the characters Sayuri, from Memoirs Of A Geisha, written by Arthur Golden, and Ralph, from Lord Of The Flies, written by William Golding. Although the two stories are very different, a distinct change can be seen when the characters lose their power. This is also demonstrated in World War II, ultimately ending in the defeat of the Axis, an alliance including both Japan and Germany. Similarly, loss of power leads to “war” in these two novels.

A strong connection can be made between Ralph and Germany. Germany suffered a huge loss of power at the end of World War I, under the treaty of Versailles. Germany lost almost 13% of its land mass as well as precious resources and soldiers. This ultimately led to a need to regain control and assent power. In Lord Of The Flies, Ralph is put into a position of power, with several objects that signify his reign. The first is a conch shell, which is a sign of democracy. The conch shell symbolizes the self government that Germany obtained before the treaty. The second object was a pair of glasses used to create fire. Being on an abandoned island, fire was a key element to Ralph's escape. The glasses work as a symbol of the self government Germany lost to the treaty. Without the ability to govern and with the absence of soldiers, resources and money, Germany lost their hope to regain their power through government while Ralph lost his hope for escape. Ralph's main rival, a young man named Jack, defeats Ralph's leadership and rids him of both the conch and the glasses. This was a shift in the novel, when Ralph has ultimately lost his power. Germany's loss of power resulted in a strong approach to World War II, in hopes to regain some of its power. Germany initially intended to invade Poland and within a month had managed to divide all of Poland. This is reflected through Ralph as he attempts to regain the glasses and his power. For both Ralph and Germany, this action resulted in war. Soon after, Britain and France both declared war on Germany. In the novel, Ralph is exiled by Jack and chased across the island, with Jack in his followers pursuing his death. Without the absence of power, Ralph and the children on the island may have been able to avoid the fate of savagery and Germany may not have declared defeat.

A second connection can be made between Japan's involvement in World War II and the novel, Memoirs Of A Geisha. Japan, although having a strong military, lacked raw material which pressured Japan to expand beyond it's island borders. Sayuri, the protagonist in Memoirs Of A Geisha, is taken at the age of nine and forced into training to become a geisha of Gion. Sayuri, who suffered under the pressure of being forced into this lifestyle, devised a plan to escape back to her home town of Yoroido. Japan's attempt at expansion was abruptly ended when the United States attacked. As Sayuri attempts to expand her power by escaping, she is caught and taken back to her caretakers, who then strip her of all the power she had. This is a turning point in the novel because if Sayuri had managed to escape, she would have remained in control and her war against herself and the surrounding characters wouldn't have begun. If Japan had managed to expand and gain more control over the Pacific, they may have faired better during the war. Without power, neither Sayuri nor Japan could progress through the war enough to eventually win. Sayuri failed at escape and was forced into a life controlled by others and Japan surrenders to the United States, ending their reign of power over the Pacific.

The loss of power creates war. Throughout all of society, people fight for their right to power, and fight to regain the power lost. With Ralph and Sayuri displaying the war of humanity, we see the savagery that can be seen behind power struggles. With Germany's loss of self government, we see how power can influence a large population. Japan suffered a close fate when they fell to the United States. These same struggles for power can be seen in people. Ralph's loss of democracy and hope led to savagery, and Sayuri's loss of control led to defeat. Loss of power has been shown to lead to war in both novels and in our history. With the need to regain control and the assent for power, life can become an item of war.