What does Happy Mean?

     So I just finished reading Memoirs of A Geisha. 
I've read lots of books--good books, bad books, ok books--but this one tops them all off in terms of vivid imagination and beautiful scenery that burns in the back of the mind. I noticed this as I would force myself to stop reading once in a while so as not to get too ahead of myself. I would be washing the dishes, or walking in class, and my mind would procure an image so intricate in detail, such as a geisha gliding in a garden with a beautiful red kimono, that I'd trick my mind into believing I've seen this scene from an old movie. Nevertheless, this scene--and so many more--come from simple words on paper. It's never been any easier to imagine the setting, the actions, and the characters moving, speaking, and emoting while I read this book, and I loved every moment of it.

But like all good things, they all come to an end. I don't know how I really felt as I read the last page of Chiyo's memoir; should I feel happy or disappointed in Chiyo? There's no doubt that she's happy with what she's done in her life; she manages to stay with the Chairman after the 15-year dance into his life, despite all the obstacles. She's moderately wealthy, and in terms of status she's partying with the same ranks as the wealthiest men of Japan, from Generals to presidents to art directors. When I try to find Chiyo's true happiness, however, I realize that she's never truly happy until she ends up with the Chairman, and this doesn't happen until the ending chapters! How do you judge her quality of life when she's miserable for more than 3/4 of the novel? It makes me question whether or not Chiyo had the better life over Satsu; our literature group acknowledged this question, but didn't have enough time to discuss it. On one hand we have Chiyo, who has a definitely higher quality of life than a majority of Japanese citizens during this time period; she may have been treated like trash for the first couple of years in the okiya, but she was more-or-less guaranteed a bed to sleep in every night, food to eat, and some type of education that gavel her skills to use in the future. Later on, she's treated like royalty when she becomes a famous geisha and daughter of the okiya owner, and anything she asks, she will receive. She is the breadwinner of the whole house, making more money than we could ever imagine, in the form of jewels, donations, kimono, makeup…anything, really. What's really sad is that Chiyo never realizes how much of a better life--socioeconomically, at least--she has in comparison to other people. She gets a small taste, an inkling of it, when the war hits, of course. She burdens some of the harsh realities that Japanese citizens had to face in the wake of the war (rations, working, poverty), but what she had to endure in a mere 4-5 years, other Japanese have been struggling against their whole lives. It's almost shameful to say that Chiyo doesn't see how lucky she is to have a pretty face and extraordinary eyes, for they are what push her to become a famous geisha, not just her drive to become one.

Satsu, on the other hand, got the short end of the stick. Through first impressions, or perhaps solely by luck, she ends up in a whore house instead of an okiya, and this leads her to take drastic measures to escape such a hellhole. She could never afford such a life as her geisha sister unless she married into wealth (which I doubt she did). Her living conditions were probably sub-par to Chiyo's rich lifestyle. But what does this say about Satsu's happiness? Sure, she can't afford to wear thousands of dollars' worth of kimono, but does this put her emotional quality of life above Chiyo's? After escaping alone from Kyoto, we only have one other connection back to Satsu in the book, which is when Chiyo gets a letter from Mr. Ichiro who brings bad news of her parents' health. He mentions that Satsu ran off with the village boy, and that's that. It opens up a variety possibilities as to her whereabouts, and I can't definitively say that Chiyo led the happier life instead of her sister. She may have had the easier life, sure; but if Satsu really loved that boy and they got married, despite the troubles of everyday life and poverty, wouldn't she be the happier sister instead of Chiyo, who spends half her life chasing another man? This is what really depresses me, that the protagonist is forced to accept her geisha life, putting her happiness in the backseat for later. What's the point of all her wealth and parties if it's all for nothing? It may look like fun and games to put makeup on and entertain men all your life, but it's a wonder to me how Chiyo didn't end up like Hatsumomo, or even Mameha (who was forced into 3 abortions by her donna). Chiyo is considered extremely lucky even now, as she puts aside her happiness until the very end. This was what made the book such a struggle to read, because all I wanted was to see Chiyo happy, but now that she's happy in the end of the book I'm disappointed that her happiness wasn't discussed further in the book.