The Woman Warrior

such as being made fun of and the pressures from her father to be a “girl.” For Hong Kingston, she struggles to find her own voice and identity growing up in a strict Chinese-American family and what it means to be a strong woman. Bechdel’s Fun Home and Kingston’s Woman Warrior come to terms differently with how women (and men) are treated, but they both aim to break the heteronormative, patriarchal stereotypes by embracing their identity and their…

Mulan and the Woman Warrior both tell a story about a Chinese woman who couldn't find her place in the world, but finally did after becoming a warrior in war. The book, Woman Warrior, and the movie, Mulan, both teach us a little about women traditions in China. Mulan and The Woman Warrior were both compelling stories about a women who found her place in the world as a warrior. Mulans training, battles, and relationships all helped her find her way in the world and become the women she became.…

Kingston measures her success against her mother’s tale of a woman who learns the ways of a warrior and grows up to save her village; and feels dissatisfied with her achievements due to the unattainable greatness she strives for. While Kingston is growing up, her mother tells her stories of the past, and paint a picture of the warriors that walked before her. Growing up, she looked up to the legendary heroine, the woman warrior, who saved her village; bringing greatness to herself, and pride to…

In The Woman Warrior, Kingston provides a detailed description of a talk-story, told to her by her mother, about a woman warrior in order to illustrate that ideas transform behavior, and ideas provide humans with the ability to defy stereotypes and self-actualize. Kingston recalls the talk-stories her mother told her as a young child. Kingston’s adult mind fathoms the great power which her mother held with these stories. Specifically, Kingston recalls the story of Fa Mu Lan, a woman warrior who…

Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior is an autobiography based on her childhood memories; even so, she uses techniques of characterization as if it is a fictional piece. She introduces memorable characters with unique personalities. These characters are the many people who have an impact on her childhood. After being introduced, Kingston fleshes them out through their dialogue and manner of speaking, and develops them through their interactions with others and changes to their surroundings.…

In The Woman Warrior, Kingston illustrates Moon Orchid's submissiveness and helplessness towards her husband in order to show the male dominance aspect of the Chinese culture and how this differs from the American culture. Brave Orchid leaves for America thirty years before Moon Orchid herself moved there. Her husband never sends for Moon Orchid to come join him in the new country, instead chooses to forget about her and marry another woman. Moon Orchid's sister, Brave Orchid, saves money to…

Maxine Hong Kingston shows that one can form an identity through silence in The Woman Warrior; Kingston develops this theme through different stories her mother tells her. Throughout The Woman Warrior, Kingston slowly finds her own identity by examining heavily weighted talk-stories, stories containing the mores and values of society through many generations. These stories are relayed to Kingston through her mother, Brave Orchid. Convinced by her mother’s stories, Kingston grew up believing, “we…

Maxine Hong Kingston shows that one can form an identity by breaking silence in The Woman Warrior; Kingston develops this theme through different talk-stories stories her mother tells her. Throughout The Woman Warrior, Kingston gradually finds her own identity by examining heavily weighted talk-stories. Through these stories told to her by her mother and her aunt, she is able to express a part of her which her own experiences cannot explain as a Chinese-American female. Convinced by her mother’s…

within Woman Warrior and Sula Within various cultures, males are highlighted as the epitome of power. Society has always characterized the males as the breadwinners, while women stay at home care for the children and clean. This is still relevant within society today, some cultures more apparent than others. Within Sula Males are, “Viewed collectively, Morrison’s male characters reveal that issues of gender, race, and class cannot be separated,” (Mayberry 519). In comparison, Women Warrior uses…

In the Chapter “No Name Woman” from the novel The Woman Warrior, author Maxine Hong Kingston discusses the stories she discovered about her aunt who passed away. Kingston discovered much about her aunt through her previous relationships. “No Name Woman” starts off by explaining how her aunt was pregnant due to rape. Kingston explains how their home village was raided and how the raid was planned once her aunt to the man “I think I am pregnant.” Her husband and the following man that she dated…