Memoirs of a Geisha up to pg. 356

These last 20 pages or so have been more exciting than I had expected them to be. The tensions of World War II are heightening in Japan. Since Sayuri's danna is General Tottori, their okiya is able to keep some of the items the government has prohibited due to the war effort. However, this ends quickly after the General is taken into custody for abusing his powers and the okiya is stripped of their prized possessions. Things continue to get worse when the government announces the closing of geisha districts. All the geisha stress over finding a way to get out of working in a factory and go to all the men in power they are acquainted with to try to find help. Sayuri goes to the General who is staying at an inn, but he says he doesn't have enough power to help her. Sayuri goes back to Mameha, who's relationship with the Baron ended months earlier, and asks what to do. Mameha says the Baron refuses to help her, and warns Sayuri to find someone quickly. That evening, Sayuri goes to a teahouse for farewell parties, and is led into a room where only Nobu sits. They talk for a while and Nobu says he has found a way to save Sayuri from the factories. She will go to Arashino Isamu's home, and make parachutes with his family. Mr. Arashino used to be a famous kimono maker, but the government ordered him now to make parachutes. During her stay with the family, they treat her very kindly. Sayuri has plenty of time to think though and realizes the problem with what she has expected her destiny to be. She realizes she will probably never see her sister again, and her life may never lead her to the Chairman as she had hoped. Afterwards, the war ends, and Sayuri describes not only the physical destruction of her country, but also the mental destruction. She then points out, though, that in the spring after the war they realized they would overcome the ordeal of defeat, and life starts to return to normal. Mr. Arashino is encouraged to start making kimono again and Sayuri helps out. Soon enough, Nobu visits her and instructs her to get in touch with Mother to have her come back to Gion since the geisha districts were reopened. Nobu also says he will soon be Sayuri's danna, but she has to help him impress the Minister of Finance so that his company can survive and he can afford to be her danna. Nobu also scowls at her peasant appearance, but she promises to return to Gion ASAP.

I don't think I've come across an uneventful section of this novel yet. Sayuri's life is so full of adventure and events. This section was also more meaningful because it contained a perspective of World War II from a woman in Japan. In US History, we've been studying World War II, and I feel like this section was a good addition to what I've learned recently since we mostly studied the American side of the war. Anyways, I also enjoy how prominent Nobu has been in the book. Sayuri mentions in this section that maybe her destiny wasn't meant to be with the Chairman as she had hoped, but with someone who had always been there, just in her "side view." She had never expected this person to be her true destiny, and had avoided the signs that pointed to him because they seemed unfavorable. Sayuri realizes Nobu may be the man she is destined to be with, and I'm beginning to agree with her.