In The Woman Warrior, Kingston projects her anger onto the young, quiet girl from her Chinese school in order to illustrate the silence Kingston experienced and how she does not want the little girl to experience the same. As a child, Kingston's mother cut her tongue so she would not be reluctant to speak and move her tongue in any language, which only makes things worse for Kingston because she is not able to speak normally in class. When Kingston found out she had to talk in school, it became misery for her. Every time she spoke she sounded like a "crippled animal running on broken legs" (Kingston 169). In school, Kingston notices the young girl who does not talk to anyone, hence why Kingston hated the girl because she reminded Kingston
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Kingston refers to her experiences being silenced when she tells the girl she is inferior to others since she wishes not to talk. Seeing someone petrified to talk angers Kingston and initiates her to confront the girl. Furthermore, Kingston indirectly characterizes herself as a caring person because she does not want to see another Chinese-American be brought down simply because they cannot speak like an American. The inexpressibility of Kingston's Chinese voice fades her voice into a whisper. In addition, she knew the silence had to do with being a Chinese girl. As a result, girls her age at the time, were expected to have an 'American-feminine' voice. For example, in class Kingston was required to read aloud, and when she did, it sounded like "little squeaks" coming out of her throat; whenever the teacher would say "louder", it would scare her voice away and thus silencing her voice. This is one of the many experiences she had causing her to go silent. Never again in her life would she let someone mute her true voice. Kingston thought if she pressured this girl to speak she would keep her from being mute forever. By forcing the girl to talk, Kingston hoped she would keep her from becoming dumb and frail; mainly, she did not want to see herself in another
Kingston refers to her experiences being silenced when she tells the girl she is inferior to others since she wishes not to talk. Seeing someone petrified to talk angers Kingston and initiates her to confront the girl. Furthermore, Kingston indirectly characterizes herself as a caring person because she does not want to see another Chinese-American be brought down simply because they cannot speak like an American. The inexpressibility of Kingston's Chinese voice fades her voice into a whisper. In addition, she knew the silence had to do with being a Chinese girl. As a result, girls her age at the time, were expected to have an 'American-feminine' voice. For example, in class Kingston was required to read aloud, and when she did, it sounded like "little squeaks" coming out of her throat; whenever the teacher would say "louder", it would scare her voice away and thus silencing her voice. This is one of the many experiences she had causing her to go silent. Never again in her life would she let someone mute her true voice. Kingston thought if she pressured this girl to speak she would keep her from being mute forever. By forcing the girl to talk, Kingston hoped she would keep her from becoming dumb and frail; mainly, she did not want to see herself in another