DESTINY vs. SELF-DETERMINATION

In the few chapters I have read so far, I found this to be one of the main themes. The story begins the Sayuri talking about her transformation from the girl Chiyo to becoming the woman Sayuri. She immediately introduces the symbol of the eyes, how her blue eyes indicated that you have a lot of water in your personality. She describes herself as a river, a metaphor that represents destiny and self-determination in her life. Sayuri goes on to talk about her childhood, how her father sold her and her sister Satsu to an okiya (a geisha boarding house). Her sister Satsu takes control of her fate and her life by running away to start a life with the boy she loves. On the other hand, Sayuri accepts her fate, learning the arts of being a geisha. Regarding destiny and fate, Sayuri states the "We don't become geisha because we want our lives to be happy; we become geisha because we have no choice." She elaborates how she believes that she does not possess the power to make a better life for herself, but has to follow her destiny. Sayuri says "We lead our lives like water flowing down a hill, going more or less in one direction until we splash into something that forces us to find a new course." To me, this indicates how Sayuri goes with the flow, the river symbolizing the destiny, as the river already exists, without many possibilities to change direction. Her life is like a river, that is guided by the banks and whose path is already drawn out. She continues by saying that finding a new course is something you are forced to do, not a decision you take. However, throughout the first few chapters, it is very clear that, although Sayuri generally believes in destiny, the temptation of deciding over life is constantly present, her biggest inner conflict throughout what I have read so far.