"I wish I could believe life really is something more than a stream that carries us along , belly-up.'
'All right, if it's a stream , you're still free to be in this part of it or that part, aren't you? The water will divide again and again. If you bump, and tussle, and fight, and make use of whatever advantages you might have-'" (page 367 Memoirs of a Geisha)
Sometimes people's lifes seem to be very controled weither it's by there families or there professions, but theres always enough freedom to take advantage of and make it there own. This is like the profession Chiyo is pursuing as a Geisha. She was sold as a child and forced to go to a geisha house, but instead of excepting her fait and going along with it, she has to influence the decisions 'mother' is making for her. Chiyo is being brought down the stream of becoming a successful geisha and she now realizes she has to take advantage of the little freedom she has.
This quote is an example of what many people do in their lives. When stuck in a controled family or path, it is easy for someone to just go where ever the stream takes them, but it's important to take control and have an influence on their own lives. People don't realize the difficulties they could face if they leave they're lifes in someone elses hands, but it seems to be the easier thing to do rather then fighting what seems to be fait. Fate isn't something someone else decides to bring you to though, fate is what someone brings upon themself and if they want to leave fate for where the river takes them, that's fine, but then they can't expect anything for their future.
