Essay on Sayo Masuda’s Autobiography of a Geisha - 765 Words

Sayo Masuda’s Autobiography of a Geisha Autobiography of a Geisha was originally written for a memoir competition run by the Japanese magazine Housewife’s Companion. Sayo Masuda wrote and submitted her manuscript in hopes of winning the monetary prize offered. She won second place in the competition and came to the attention of an editor who helped her expand her story and publish it as a book. Riding on the wave of interest stirred by Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha, G. G. Rowley translated Sayo Masuda’s tale for the American market. Rowley did an excellent job of capturing Masuda’s voice in his translation. If English had been Masuda’s native language, the result might easily have been Rowley’s translation. Masuda’s tale†¦show more content†¦Readers will also come away with an understanding of the hot-spring geisha’s life, but caution should be taken. It is easy, as many critics have done, to presume that Masuda’s tale is the unvarnished truth about the entire geisha world, rather than merely the unvarnished truth about a part of it. Reviewer Kimberly Shearer Palmer wrote that Autobiography of a Geisha â€Å"resolves the ambiguity over whether or not geisha are prostitutes†¦ [Masuda] leaves little doubt in the reader’s mind that even the most talented geisha are forced to sleep with men for money, a fact glossed over in many accounts of the profession.† (14). Palmer leaves little doubt in the minds of those who read her review that she takes M asuda’s experiences of geisha life as true for all classes of geisha, regarding sources such as Mineko Iwasaki’s Geisha, A Life as tainted. Many other reviewers follow in the same vein, calling reports of higher-class geisha’s lives â€Å"romanticized† (Napier) and â€Å"Hollywood version[s]† (Gavin). Perhaps these attitudes stem from a culture clash which prevents many Americans from understanding the differences between Japanese prostitutes and geisha, and the gradations within the flower and willow world. The tendency seems to be to lump all geisha together with the term â€Å"prostitute,† an attitude which is all too eager to use Masuda’s biography to support generalized, culturally skewed assumptions about geisha. Kirkus Reviews gets it right inShow MoreRelatedThe Geisha1551 Words   |  6 PagesGeisha The geisha has been the subject of innumerable books and films focusing on the myth of the profession and the culture in which she represented. Various portrayals of the geisha have focused on different aspects of their lifestyle and the different versions also have varying degrees of accuracy in their depictions. In three different films and one book, four different groups try to explain exactly what it was like for people who lived as geishas or alongside these women. Some versions of

The Pending Penalty Essay - 887 Words

With the falling prices of cell phones more and more people have the luxury of owning one. This also affects the ever growing number of people who text each other, but sadly these people do not realize that if they cannot put down their phone they could die. Convicted drunk drivers who present a constant danger to the safety of others have to take a special class, and due to fact that texting and driving ultimately creates crashes it should have similar consequences. Statistics show that texting and driving has a higher chance to causes accidents than intoxicated drivers. The reason that texting has such a high chance to create an accident lies in the fact that the person texting focuses on the phone instead of the road. On the other†¦show more content†¦These numbers should have people at least consider the idea that sending one message to a friend should not be as important as to risk one’s own life. People caught driving while intoxicated receive a specific punishm ent to help prevent further offences. People caught drinking and driving can suffer a large number of penalties even at the first offence. Some of the penalties include â€Å"fines, license restrictions, mandatory attendance at alcohol education classes or counseling, or community service† (Drunk). The reason the class is required is because alcohol has proven to be addicting to some individuals. These individuals need help if they can hope to avoid drinking and driving. The class generally will consist of a program for all addicts not just those who are charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI). The idea works for both people who abuse alcohol regularly and those who only abuse it occasionally. For the moderate to rare abusers the program will force them to see and interact with people who have a serious addiction, and seeing the addicts can help scare them away from bad choices regarding alcohol for a while. The addicted people can not only benefit from the class, but they can also receive more help if they desire or require it. Considering the punishments that drunk drivers receive, people caught texting and driving should acquire a similar punishment. Sending texts varies greatly from drinking andShow MoreRelatedTexas 85th Legislative Session1630 Words   |  7 Pagesdescribed. Some of the bills only affect only a few people, but there are a good number of bills that are very controversial and will affect a great number of individuals. This paper will examine bills in the Texas 85th Legislature session that are pending, have passed, or have failed. There are some very controversial and intense bills that are making their way through the legislature. One of these bills is Senate Bill 6. The main author of this bill is Senator Lois Kolkhorst who is a republicanRead MoreThe Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act1823 Words   |  7 Pagesup with this ever evolving crime, those laws include The Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, The Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, and The Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act of 2008. In addition to these, several states have pending legislation out there to either pass new state laws or revise current ones. In this paper, theses laws and the pending legislation in some of those states will be discussed in detail. Before 1998, identity theft crimes were charged under statutesRead MoreCase Study Of Criminal Law976 Words   |  4 Pageslegally sufficient. A disciplinary action is legally sufficient only if: 1) the alleged unacceptable conduct is proven by a preponderance of the evidence; 2) a nexus exists between a legitimate government interest and the alleged misconduct; and 3) the penalty is reasonable. Preponderance of the evidence is defined as â€Å"[t]hat degree of relevant evidence which a reasonable mind, considering the record a s a whole, might accept as sufficient to support a conclusion that the matter asserted is more likelyRead MoreThe Debate Of Capital Punishment1313 Words   |  6 Pageson their knowledge in criminology) (Radelet Akers, 1996, 6). The results showed that based on their own personal knowledge and research, death penalty does not have a deterrence effect (Radelet Akers, 1996, 9). In the same survey experts (two-thirds) said that the death penalty increased mur der rates in the state. This indicated that the death penalty does not deter crime (Radelet Akers, 1996, 11). History in California Under the Criminal Practices Act of 1851, legal executions in CaliforniaRead MoreAssets Under And Pending Contract Case Study1191 Words   |  5 PagesAssets Under or Pending Contract When reviewing the population of 11 assets in â€Å"under or pending contract† status as of July 31, 2017, 5 of 11 had a variance (sales price compared to the initial list price) outside of what RMS believes is an acceptable range. †¢ 2 assets were under or pending contract for more than 15% below the initial list price. The sales price for the 2 under or pending contract assets ranged from 76.2% to 81.8% of the original list price. Both are under contract as a traditionalRead MoreDeath Penalty As A Form Of Capital Punishment895 Words   |  4 Pages In some states they practice death penalty as a form of capital punishment. The death penalty has been around since the country has been founded and is defined as the punishment of execution, administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime. Legally there are only a number of ways one can be executed here in the U.S, those include; lethal injection, electrocution, gas chamber, hanging, and firing squad, with lethal injection being the most common form. For centuries people have arguedRead MoreThe Death Penalty And The Penalty1005 Words   |  5 Pageshow I felt about the death penalty. Growing up in the 70 s and 80 s, it was always an eye f or an eye, if someone killed another and was proven guilty then he or she would get the death penalty. In high school, I learned that if a person was convicted of the death penalty then they were allowed 13 appeals. Not sure where the 13 appeals came from because I cannot prove that today. The research I have found, is that there is no limit of appeals for the death penalty due to finality of the punishmentRead MoreWays For Closing A Company India With Fast Track Mode Essay1506 Words   |  7 Pagestaken up or where completed prosecutions arising out of such inspection or investigation are pending in the court; 6. Companies where order of investigation under section 234 of the Companies Act, 1956 has been issued by the Registrar of Companies and reply thereto is pending or where prosecution if any, is pending in the court; 7. Companies against which prosecution for a non-compoundable offence is pending in court; 8. Companies which have accepted public deposits which are either outstanding orRead MoreCase Study : Miracle Cough Syrup 1616 Words   |  7 Pagesposted online. With these issues behind them there were able to move the business forward and growth has been exponential. However, more recently two issues have been brought to light; Fred’s appearance on a talk show promoting his cough syrup and a pending sex discrimination lawsuit. Past Issues The past issues with Jane’s embezzlement and the online posting of the cough syrup recipe were terrible events that almost ended the business altogether. As luck would have it both issues were resolved withoutRead MoreEssay on employment laws compliance plan819 Words   |  4 Pagesemploy approximately 25 employees during the first year of service. The memorandum will discuss various local, state, and federal employment laws that affect the hiring and employment of individuals for the company. The memorandum will include the penalties and repercussions associated with violating any of the employment laws. Mr. Stonefield must adhere to all federal employment laws. However, some of the primary employment laws relevant to the company, the city of Austin, and the state of Texas have

Culture and Anthropology Free Essays

Evidently culture is difficult to be defined from a single definition. E. B. We will write a custom essay sample on Culture and Anthropology or any similar topic only for you Order Now Tylor, in 1871 described culture as â€Å"that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society† this explanation however, is just a wide collection of different categories that all combined together give rise to the term. A much more accurate term of culture is the one suggested by Ralph Linton, as â€Å"the configuration of learned behavior and results of behavior whose component elements are shared and transmitted by the members of a particular society†. In this term we observe an obvious behaviorist approach which connects culture with the concept of learned behavior and more precisely with the importance of language. Finally Victor Barnouw, based on the previous behaviorist definition, names culture as â€Å"the way of life of a group of people, the configuration of all of the more or less stereotyped patterns of learned behavior which are handed down from one generation to the next through the means of language and imitation† (Victor Barnouw, 1963). Throughout investigating various definitions of culture we accomplished a correlation between learning (mostly through language) and enculturation. Enculturation is a lifelong unconscious process and each child learns the language of its community by imitation, instruction, and from the verbal behavior of others. The capacity of human beings to enlarge and transmit complex cultural patterns is dependent upon language. Then the idea of learning a language is equivalent with the idea of learning a culture. In most of the cases, no individual is aware of all the elements that create his culture but by the time he is grown, he has most probably learned the universal beliefs shared by the members of his community. Cultures vary from the importance they put on formal education as opposed to informal learning. Formal education is present in complex societies with the form of teaching institutes; nevertheless informal education is present within the family and peer group that have equally important role in enculturation. In addition to the importance of language, many societies give great significance even in the vocabulary used by very young children. Charles Ferguson has made a comparative study of infant talk in various societies and the results were fascinating similarities in phonology and morphology as well as the repetition of syllables (â€Å"bye-bye†, â€Å"pee-pee†). The most important reason why anthropologists should study young children’s speech is because it indicates a great deal about the child’s world, as well as its cultural perspective (Philip K. Bock, 1974). From the wide-ranging area of culture to the much more defined function of language, the sphere of research around the study of a particular group of people within the same boarder lines of a city is easier understood if the researcher (anthropologist) concentrates the interest of his attention, around a variety of traits with a common base the formal teaching or the informal learning from the inner community, always through the usage of language as an unconscious procedure. When you live in city like Athens and in general into a comparatively small country like Greece, an idea of universality is created in the individual. This might be the result of the modern-informational ages we are living or the outcomes of globalization that puts pressure on the individual to think always â€Å"big† and fast and not to stop in small details or differences. But in the end, those small differences compose our everyday lives and our everyday morality and finally time is needed to reveal those differences that the most of us wrongly take for granted. How to cite Culture and Anthropology, Papers

Beginnings free essay sample

All great things in life start with an even greater beginning. When I was 12 years old I joined my first competitive swim team; I swam for the downtown Suffolk YMCA. At first I only swam because of all of my friends that swam and I wanted to spend more time with them, but then realized how much more potential I had In swimming. After that moment I started to become more and more dedicated to swimming. I began to realize the true competitive nature of swimming and I liked It.Swimming has become a big part of my life since then and the beginning Is the most Important art to all good decisions. I first started swimming to be with friends and to make new friends. After we were on the same team we started to challenge each other and race one another to see who was the fastest. Thats how I began to see the competitive nature of slamming. We will write a custom essay sample on Beginnings or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Nick Burton and Joey Kauffman are two guys I started racing me near the beginning of my swimming career and I soul race them now to get better. My family always supported me when I went to my meets.My brother would be swimming in the same et, he could be in the next event, but he always took time to cheer for me: Then, I started to do the same for him. My mom is the only reason I could even do swimming, without her I would never have had a ride to any practices. Karen Keenan was my first coach on ODDS; she is the reason I am where I am at today. The first team I ever Joined the YMCA cancelled the entire swimming team program. I had a choice put in front of me: stop sports all together,Join ODDS, or find another mediocre swim team. I chose to Join ODDS; ODDS stands for Old DominionAquatic Club. Once I Joined ODDS I began to practice more and more. I spent more and more and more energy on practices and I could feel myself getting better, so it was equivalent to a new beginning in my eyes. I was more prepared to race on a higher level and I wanted to. After I got my first tastes of true competition, all I wanted was more of it. I began to practice harder than I ever had before in order to get to the next level. The next level for me was to get 3 state championship time standards and make it to the high performance group.Once I made t there I did not stop I still wanted to get better and try my hardest; there is always a higher goal. My next goal was to make national standards; I did not stop there, my new goal Is to make the US Open and race against the top athletes in this country. In Conclusion, Swimming Is one of my greatest achievements; I only made It this far because of how I began In swimming. Beginnings are one of the most Important parts of beginning something new, along with Influential people, A lot of dedication, and a strive to do more than you ever have before.Those key factors are the reasons some people get so good at what they do. Just always remember, Beginnings are Important. Beginnings By loosing old I Joined my first competitive swim team; I swam for the downtown Suffolk YMCA. More time with them, but then realized how much more potential I had in swimming. Began to realize the true competitive nature of swimming and I liked it. Swimming has become a big part of my life since then and the beginning is the most important who was the fastest. Thats how I began to see the competitive nature of swimming.Nick Burton and Joey Kauffman are two guys I started racing me near the beginning of my swimming career and I still race them now to get better. My family always meet, he could be in the next event, but he always took time to cheer for me; Then, I program. I had a choice put in front of me: stop sports all together, Join ODDS, or find standards; I did not stop there, my new goal is to make the US Open and race against In Conclusion, Swimming is one of my greatest achievements; I only made it this far because of how I began in swimming. Beginnings are one of the most important important.