INTRODUCTION CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS

SYNOPSIS OF THESIS REPRESENTATION OF GEISHA IN ARTHUR GOLDEN’S NOVEL MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA CHAPTER I

A. INTRODUCTION

In carrying on the process of modernization, Japan is not only success in recovering its economic but also maintaining its culture. Japan has been maintaining the highly rooted process of tradition for hundred years. People should recognize one of thousand sub-cultures in Japan; geisha. It is one of Japanese cultural products contributing quite significant influence to Japan in the recent time. The culture of Japans which is high dedicated, discipline and hard-working is reflected in the characteristic of geishas surviving their life. As narrated in the novel Memoirs of a Geisha written by Arthur Golden whose background between 1930-1940. Since geisha is one of Japanese cultural product possessing a specific complexity, the tradition of geisha is well-maintained by each generation. The social status of a geisha has a special high position in the Japanese society. And it also reflects one of Japanese cultural product which is very unique and characteristic. Such tradition and culture later on reconstructed in a novel because novel is a replica reflecting the culture and civilization of a society. 83 In this research, the writer is going to analyze deeper the other sides of geisha in Memoirs of a Geisha written by Arthur Golden by using the theory of representation. Ordinary people consider geisha simply as prostitutes serving sex to their customers. In fact, many other positive things and great qualifications including hard work, though trainings and hard rituals which common people will find it very hard to accomplish, geisha are required to possess as described in the above explanation. Based on the background of the study, this research will be focused on the exploring of the concept of representation reflected in the main character of Arthur Golden’s novel Memoirs of a Geisha, Sayuri and other geisha as the supporting characters. The spirit and work ethos of being discipline, hard-working, and high dedication owned by most Japans generally and the characters of the novel particularly reflects the concept of representation of a society in the period of 1930 -1940. Furthermore, through this novel, the writer is eager to analyze more deeply the representation concept found on geisha particularly Sayuri, the main character of the novel whose profession is more than a profession correlating with simply sexual interaction . A geisha is required to possess qualifications of high intelligence and wide knowledge by accomplishing a number of hard, complicated and challenging rituals which common people will find it very hard to accomplish. And Japan has admitted geisha as a precious profession representing deeply rooted tradition and high social statues in Japanese society. Based on the background of study above, the writer makes research questions as follows:

1. How are geisha through the main character and supporting characters

represented in Arthur Golden’s novel Memoirs of a Geisha? 2. Why geisha in Arthur Golden’s novel Memoirs of a Geisha are represented as the sex commodity? 84