How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
Couldn't the wrong sort of living turn anyone mean? (8.8)
This quote raises a bit of a geisha-or-the-egg situation. Is a person turned mean because of a bad situation, or does a mean person cause bad situations? Sayuri thinks it is the former.
Quote #5
The point wasn't to become a geisha, but to be one. To become a geisha…well, that was hardly a purpose in life. But to be a geisha…I could see it now as a stepping-stone to something else. (9.57)
What's the difference between being a geisha and becoming a geisha? Perhaps becoming one is to fake-it-til-you-make-it, but finally making it means being a geisha.
Quote #6
My new name came from "sa," meaning "together," "yu," from the zodiac sign for the Hen—in order to balance other elements in my personality—and "ri," meaning "understanding." (14.20)
A geisha's name can be chosen to define her identity, or to change it—or, in Sayuri's case, a little of both. She is understanding, but the "yu" balances out her personality. And what about "together"? What could that mean? Sayuri has to learn to be comfortable by herself most of the time.