Crossing the Threshold

The event that I think best represents the character Sayuri's call to adventure is when she begins to be auctioned. (Before I jump into this, I want it to be known that I don't agree with the way of the geisha however, this would be considered crossing the threshold from a geisha's point of view).

Hatsumomo, another geisha in Sayuri's okiya, continually tries to ruin Sayuri's career as a geisha. One thing Hatsumomo does to bring Sayuri down to her ordinary world is by building up Sayuri's debt to the okiya. This debt includes feeding costs, doctor appointments, etc. Now that Sayuri has been auctioned off, for a large sum of money, she has more than enough to pay back her debts. Now, Sayuri has also become the daughter of her okiya, taking the chance away for Pumpkin, Hatsumomo's sister geisha. Since Sayuri is now the daughter of her okiya, Hatsumomo cannot treat her so roughly as before and must show Sayuri respect. Sayuri is also now a full-fledged geisha, and a very famous, and popular one. Sayuri has reached her new special world successfully.

As of yet, I do not know what happens when Sayuri crosses this new, special world. However, it has been mentioned in the text that she may soon have a danna. A danna is someone a geisha more or less becomes the mistress of, and she is paid very well by them and usually receives many gifts from them.

Predictions I can make as to the success of Sayuri as she embarks on her journey are that she will continue to be a successful geisha for a long while, and will not fade into obscurity like some geisha. Sayuri may also change her mind about the ways of the geisha and may think it unjust for her to stay in the field. I know that later on she will move to New York but as of yet I don't know whether she went there to flee her life as a geisha or not. However, I think it is very likely Sayuri went there for sanctuary, I just don't know what she needed sanctuary from.