Alondra Sanchez
Mrs.Jarrell
AP English III
16 November 2016
Insanity in The Woman Warrior When we hear the word insanity, we tend to adhere a state of pity for whoever is living with it. Many people are set aside or seen differently because they somehow adopted this state of mind. Maxine Hong Kingston depicts the struggles of several women that managed to live through this in: The Woman Warrior. Through symbolism, conflict, and characterization, Kingston establishes a clear picture of when insanity takes over women's lives. The struggle to become accepted and wanted in the family, was always defeated by the insanity that was always taking place. Symbolism plays a major role in The Woman Warrior and as a matter of fact, is one of the …show more content…
This provoked the rise of everyday conflict between Kingston and her mother. Brave Orchid saw it as a rebellious act towards the culture to give up her beliefs for the benefit of her children. She never knew that holding on to those profound beliefs were inducing her daughter into insanity and nothing else. Conflict would rise every time Maxine felt like speaking about anything personal with her mother, “Senseless gabbings every night. I wish you would stop...I don’t feel like hearing your craziness” (200) making Kingston seek refuge in silence and complete subjection. Subjecting to her mother’s will with such magnitude, caused Maxine to view almost everything with a perspective that was never her …show more content…
This lead to being characterized as something that they were not even close to being. Brave Orchid thought that “ Her American children had no feelings and no memory” (115) just like any normal American. She had always accused her children of being abnormal just because they had failed to represent a genuine Chinese. Brave Orchid never quite understood Maxine when she exclaimed to her “We belong to the planet now, Mama...wherever we happen to be standing, why, that spot belongs to us as much as any other spot” (107). Maxine was tired of having to live with Chinese ideals, “I felt sick already. She’d make me swing stinky censers...throw dog blood...I couldn’t stand her plans” (170) when clearly, they were born into an American society. To Maxine, it was not a matter of race what characterized her, but a true sense of character and individuality. Even though Kingston had been told who and how to be; she managed to design and live up to her own character. The truth is Maxine had lived every moment of her life in a maze that just revolved around insanity. For Kingston life revolved around ghosts, native ideals, undesirable role models, and uncomprehending parents. This and more had to face Maxine, yet came to realize that the ending had always belonged to her. Yes, living implied overcoming
Mrs.Jarrell
AP English III
16 November 2016
Insanity in The Woman Warrior When we hear the word insanity, we tend to adhere a state of pity for whoever is living with it. Many people are set aside or seen differently because they somehow adopted this state of mind. Maxine Hong Kingston depicts the struggles of several women that managed to live through this in: The Woman Warrior. Through symbolism, conflict, and characterization, Kingston establishes a clear picture of when insanity takes over women's lives. The struggle to become accepted and wanted in the family, was always defeated by the insanity that was always taking place. Symbolism plays a major role in The Woman Warrior and as a matter of fact, is one of the …show more content…
This provoked the rise of everyday conflict between Kingston and her mother. Brave Orchid saw it as a rebellious act towards the culture to give up her beliefs for the benefit of her children. She never knew that holding on to those profound beliefs were inducing her daughter into insanity and nothing else. Conflict would rise every time Maxine felt like speaking about anything personal with her mother, “Senseless gabbings every night. I wish you would stop...I don’t feel like hearing your craziness” (200) making Kingston seek refuge in silence and complete subjection. Subjecting to her mother’s will with such magnitude, caused Maxine to view almost everything with a perspective that was never her …show more content…
This lead to being characterized as something that they were not even close to being. Brave Orchid thought that “ Her American children had no feelings and no memory” (115) just like any normal American. She had always accused her children of being abnormal just because they had failed to represent a genuine Chinese. Brave Orchid never quite understood Maxine when she exclaimed to her “We belong to the planet now, Mama...wherever we happen to be standing, why, that spot belongs to us as much as any other spot” (107). Maxine was tired of having to live with Chinese ideals, “I felt sick already. She’d make me swing stinky censers...throw dog blood...I couldn’t stand her plans” (170) when clearly, they were born into an American society. To Maxine, it was not a matter of race what characterized her, but a true sense of character and individuality. Even though Kingston had been told who and how to be; she managed to design and live up to her own character. The truth is Maxine had lived every moment of her life in a maze that just revolved around insanity. For Kingston life revolved around ghosts, native ideals, undesirable role models, and uncomprehending parents. This and more had to face Maxine, yet came to realize that the ending had always belonged to her. Yes, living implied overcoming