Memoirs of a Geisha Chapter 26 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • The General becomes Sayuri's danna.
  • With him, she has to undergo an "unpleasant twice-weekly routine" (26.4).
  • One night, Sayuri has a secret one-night stand with another man, so she can experience sex as something actually enjoyable for a change.
  • Weeks later at a party, Sayuri encounters the Chairman.
  • She tells him that she hasn't seen Nobu in a long time.
  • He advises her where to find Nobu and says she should repair their friendship.
  • One night, she bumps into Nobu outside a teahouse.
  • He says he is angry with her because her danna is "a little man in a uniform whom no one admires" (26.77).
  • She says she has no choice who her danna would be.
  • They argue a bit about fate and free will, and he refuses to ask for her. He is still angry that he could not have her, like a kid at a toy store where what he wants is sold out.