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.