Prostitute or Artist? : Stereotype and Authenticity in Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha

This essay will explore the writer Arthur Golden’s attitude towards the figure of the geisha in the novel Memoirs of a Geisha. Does he present a positive view of a geisha or is his attitude critical? In addition, I will attempt to answer the question of whether the novel challenges or reinforces the received stereotypes about the geisha and their unique way of life. For these purposes, a comparison to John Gallagher’s research on the history of the geisha and Davidson OʼConnell’s sociological insights about prostitution and brothels. This essay will show, that Golden does not entirely follow the stereotypes the West has of this unique culture. Rather, he surprises the readers by including some accurate historical facts about the geisha and their unique lifestyle in his novel. In this sense, arguments occurs, of Golden playing around with the received stereotypes