The Western Palace begins with Brave Orchid’s sister coming from China to America. She leaves all that is familiar to come to California. She has a Chinese husband who came to America a long time ago. Brave Orchid convinces her sister Moon Orchid to confront her husband after 30 years, who has a new wife in America. In China it is accustom for husbands to have more than one wife. “ A long time ago,” began Brave Orchid “the emperors had four wives, one at each point of the compass, and they lived in four palaces. The Empress of the West would connive for power, but the Empress of the East was good and kind and full of light. You are the Empress of the East, and the Empress of the West has imprisoned the Earth’s Emperor in the Western Palace(pg 143)”. Brave Orchid uses her stories from China to convince her sister to seek out her husband and, come to America. Unfortunately for her sister things did not turn out in her best interests. She ends up confronting her husband and finding out that customs are the not the same in America. Her husband is not happy to see her and says, “It’s a mistake for you to be here. You can’t belong. You don’t have the hardness for this country. I have a new life(pg. 153)”. This sends Moon Orchid into a downward spiral where she looses her sanity and ends up in a mental facility. Although I do not think Brave Orchid’s intention was to hurt her sister. She is living in America, and is stubborn with her beliefs. She forced her sister into doing something she was not comfortable with in the first place, because it was her will. Which in conclusion ended up being her sisters demise. The Empress of the East in the first text is Moon Orchid, she is good because she is the first wife. The Empress of the Western palace is the second wife, the one that has connived for power and is keeping the husband captive. These talk stories that brave Orchid is using to guide her decisions might not be the most reasonable, but they are how she is holding on to her Chinese culture and guide her in her life and her family’s choices. It is strange how the Western palace became the Western cage, and things did not turn out for her sister as she imagined they would.
13 Replies to “The Western Palace?”
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Stephanie,
When I read your blog post, it brought me back to No-Name Woman, the first chapter of the memoir. It brought me back to the section about where Kingston talked about what the husband did to his wife when they left to explore America and that the women never personally knew who their husbands were because of it. Kingston wrote, “Then he left for America. She had almost forgotten what he looked like” (Kingston 7). The men never cared about women because they were practically property to them until they left to go to America and then once they got to America they would remarry.
Stephanie,
This was a great blog post! I loved the analysis on the emotion behind the Brave Orchid’s decision to cast Moon Orchid away. When I first read this section of the novel I remember thinking that was a very harsh way to tell your own family to go away, but it seems Brave Orchid was trying to do this for the good of their sister. Kingston writes, “Brave Orchid sat opposite Moon Orchid, and I sat beside my mother, feeling much more safe than when I was with Moon Orchid, whose skin felt like skimming a slimy egg” (Kingston 93). This helps us understand the dynamic between the two sisters, its clear Brave Orchid is the strong and confident woman who has adjusted to America and is tending to her sisters affairs. From the very beginning of this chapter we are swayed to believe Brave Orchid is probably the smarter one of the two. Hence the idea that it is possible she did this for their own good. Overall, This was a great blog post good job!!
Stephanie,
I really enjoyed your blog post! I especially love the fact that you bring up the culture of their Chinese lifestyles. While reading your blog post, this really made me think of how important it is to understand that everyone has different ways to their costumes and could be important to learn for future references. I do believe that Orchid is using these stories to help guide her through her life. Her Chinese culture is very important to her and never wants to disappoint her family or make any life changing mistakes. These talk stories help her and other family members by teaching them lessons that can benefit them in the future. For example, “Brave Orchid’s daughters decided fiercely that they would never let men be unfaithful to them.”(p.160) Orchid’s daughters learned a very valuable lesson from her stories that can also shape them to be a better person for themselves.
Stephanie, I really agree with some points you made in your blog post. Yes, Brave Orchid did not mean to get her sister hurt. However, I believe she should have let her make her own choices about what she was going to do once she got to America. It was clear that Moon Orchid really did not want to go to her husband’s house, and the thought of going made her very uncomfortable. She kept defending him to Brave Orchid, saying things like, “He didn’t abandon me. He’s given me so much money. I’ve had all the food and clothes and servants I’ve ever wanted. And he’s supported our daughter too, even though she’s only a girl. He sent her to college. I cant bother him. I mustn’t bother him” (Kingston 125). However, Brave Orchid could not understand how Moon Orchid could defend him and let him get away with leaving her. Brave Orchid was only looking out for her sister who she worked hard to get to America, but in the end I think it was just too much. She pushed Moon Orchid to see her husband, and it did not work out in Moon Orchid’s favor.
Hi Stephanie I really enjoyed your blog post! I really enjoyed reading about the Chinese lifestyles and how their culture ties into them. After reading this chapter I was taken aback when Orchard convinced her sister to stand up to her husband and confront him. After reading this chapter I also felt that Brave Orchard is trying to protect Mood Orchard at any cost she can. “Brave Orchard did not see her sister anywhere. She stood there for four hours. Her children left and came back.” (Kingston 114) This chapter shows how Brave Orchard is very protective and caring over Moon Orchard. Even though it is so hard to tell your own family to go away, Brave Orchard is trying to do what is best for Moon Orchard. Overall I really enjoyed your blog post, great job!
Hi Stephanie! You did a really great job with your blog post. I didn’t realize this at first but, you are definitely right about Brave Orchid using her stories to convince her sister to come to America. I also agree that Brave Orchid was being selfish for hounding Moon Orchid on coming to America when she really did not want to. It becomes clear with how Brave Orchid speaks to Moon Orchid that she feels she has control and power over her sister. For example, “‘We’re leaving on Friday,’ said Brave Orchid” (Kingston 143). The way I read this is in a tone where she basically wasn’t giving her any choice and was forcing it upon Moon Orchid. The fact that nothing turned out how Brave Orchid promised was the saddest part. I think this supports how you said Brave Orchid is stubborn with her beliefs. She didn’t even show much guilt for what happened to her sister after it was her fault for dragging her to America.
Hey Stephanie! Great blog post and great writing. I think it’s important that you mentioned just how different customs are in the United States and China. this is an important detail. Moon Childs transition to America really shows the difference in culture and customs. I also feel that it is really important to mention the difference in struggle between countries. In Chapter 4, when Moon Child is confronting her husband, he says “You don’t have the hardness for this country.” (Kingston, 153) There is something to be said about this as after this encounter, we see the effects her husbands words as well as the environment around her has had on her mental state. After this, she goes further down the rabbit hole of insanity and gets committed to a mental institution. I don’t believe Brave meant to hurt her sister, but give her closure with her husband. And that is something Moon could not handle.
Hi Stephanie, I really enjoyed reading your blog post. I like how you focused your blog post about Brave Orchid and her sister Moon Orchid. After reading the chapter The Western Palace I was shocked how Moon Orchids husband could move to America and start a new family and forget about his wife and family from China. Moon Orchid made the trip to America to see and confront her husband. When Moon Orchid went to go see her husband, he makes it clear to her that he is not happy and does not want to see her. Her husband says “It’s a mistake for you to be here. You can’t belong. You don’t have the hardness for this country. I have a new life.” (pg. 153). Moon Orchid replies back to her husband with “What about me?” (pg. 153). Her husband replies back with “I have a new wife,” (pg. 153). I thought that this comment from her husband was sad and crazy. How could her husband have a family with her and then move to American and completely start a new family and forget about his other family.
Hi Stephanie! I liked this chapter because it shows the difference between the sisters. Moon Child shows how hard it is to keep the same traditions for people who come to a different country. This is shown through Moon Child’s husband who has only sent her money from America. Brave Orchid tries to influence Moon Child to show up to his house. Brave Orchid states, “he’s living in Los Angeles with his second wife, and they have three children. Claim your rights. Those are your children” (Kingston 125). In their heritage, it is accustomed for people to have multiple lives but in America it is not. After they finally find her husband, the difference in traditions is apparent. He came to America and assimilated into American culture. The husband tells Moon Child, “in this country a man may have just one wife” (Kingston 153). This is Moon Child’s custom shock. She was influenced by Brave Orchid that she was going to have a place in his house once she appeared. This also shows how immigrating to a country changes people. The husband even tells Brave Orchid, “she’d never fit into an American household” (Kingston 153). Her husband knows that Moon Child would not be able to live a normal American life because of her time in China. Moon Child living her adult life in China shows that keeping traditions from your old country can cause hardships in the end.
Hey Stephanie, I really enjoyed reading your blog post. You did a great job really focusing on Moon and Brave’s relationship. You are definitely able to see who the more dominant or outgoing sister is. While Moon is a much more passive person.“Brave Orchid sat opposite Moon Orchid, and I sat beside my mother, feeling much more safe than when I was with Moon Orchid, whose skin felt like skimming a slimy egg” (Kingston pg 93). This really does emote the differences between them. Something this chapter really made me think about is the theme of sisters within this book. You have Moon, and then Kingstons other aunt (the no name woman). There’s one sister who was shunned and exiled while you have another sister, Brave, who raised money so she could finally get her sister to America. Both are widely different from one another.
Hey Stephanie! I really enjoyed reading your blog post and think it had a very interesting take regarding the relationship between Brave Orchid and Moon Orchid. I appreciate your analysis into why Brave Orchid told her sister to “Claim your rights. Those are your children. He’s got two sons, You have two sons. You take them away from her. You become their mother (Kingston). I think this quote argues your point really well in that Brave Orchid is still very traditional in her beliefs despite being in America. Overall, very great job!
Hello Stephanie, Your blog post was a good read, what was intriguing in your post was when you were talking about Brave and Moon. It was crazy how back then men in china could have more than one wife. As you said the Emperors had multiple wives in different palaces. Another point was how weird it was that moons husband could run away from his wife in china and start a new life with a new wife in America. In this book, I thought this exchange was important “You can’t. It’s too late. You’ve sold your apartment. See here. We know his address. He’s living in Los Angeles with his second wife, and they have three children. Claim your rights. Those are your children. He’s got two sons, You have two sons. You take them away from her. You become their mother.” “Do you really think I can be a mother of sons? Don’t you think they’ll be loyal to her, since she gave birth to them?” “The children will go to their true mother—you,” said Brave Orchid. “That’s the way it is with mothers and children.” (Pg 110-111)This exchange between Brave and Moon is from the trip to Los Angeles to find Moon’s husband, who came to America 30 years before and left moon back in china. Brave thinks her sister is with her husband and welcoming her into his new home. Brave Made it so the moon has no other choice as she has sold her apartment and has moved to America for good. THis is important because they are trying to find her husband as he left them in china.
Hi stephanie
I really enjoyed your blogpost and how you tied in amnt of the cultural aspects into it in order to relate to the story at large. The part that enjoyed the most of your blogpost is how you pointed out how things were different in America and how there are different cultural practices compared to the ones that have been held for some time back in china. One of the things is how difficult life is here compared to back in china. I found the line of how she should have come because of how difficult things are, similar to the one on page 98 when it’s stated “Human beings don’t work like this in China.”(Kingston 98). They aren’t used to the grueling and contant work that is required by a person of color to make it in America when things cme much easier back in China, and this is a culture shock to many.