“Every man has his destiny”
The narrator believes that her destiny is to be a simple maiden but then she meets a person who changes her view on her life. Sayuri’s destiny was to become a geisha, it was what she had been born for. And only then a person can be successful when she fulfills what she has been destined to fulfill. Geishas have been considered nothing more but “whores”, but Sayuri has proven this conception wrong; she has proven that a geisha might be more than just an object of men’s desires, this was her destiny. Destiny is not something obscure and unclear and it is not a topic for lofty questions. Destiny is a whirlwind of all those different things which construct our lives. It includes a family we are born in, people who surround us and - what is more important- goals we pursue.
“Stumbling along in life is a poor way to proceed”
The protagonist comes to a conclusion that as soon as you get a chance to fulfill your dreams you are obliged not to waste it. Starting her training later than other apprentice geishas, Sayuri manages to outdo them all, just because she knows how scary it is to be left behind. Although she has many obstacles to overcome, Sayuri manages not to spoil her heart and be always loyal to herself and her love. If a life is a road, then no one should expect it to be smooth and flawless. Proceeding doesn’t presuppose stumbling; it is constant movement ahead, in spite of grief, loss, or betrayal.
“I expect you to go through life with your eyes open! If you keep your destiny in mind, every moment in life becomes an opportunity for moving closer to it.”
When trying to achieve one’s goals it is important not to miss an opportunity to get closer to that goal. It is what Nobu-san advises Sayuri. He still considers her a girl, even though she seems to be an adult. And it is her uniqueness – when growing up she has managed to save this child’s innocence that make the other admire her and fight for her virginity. Even if Nobu-san tries to direct her, Sayuri is the one who needs these direction less of all, she has become a self-sufficient and confident woman capable of making men go crazy.
“When a stone is dropped into a pond, the water continues quivering even after the stone has sunk to the bottom.”
Emotions are such things that tend not to ease so quickly. Sayuri has endured a lot since the moment she had arrived in Kyoto, and she describes those experiences with a stone thrown into the water, meaning that even though it is in the past, like the stone is in the bottom, feelings still are up there, like waves quivering on the surface of the water.
