In the novel The Woman Warrior, Maxine Hing Kingston writes about the Chinese stories that her mother told her growing up. Her mother tells her all of these stories so that Kingston does not make poor life choices. These stories focus on the Chinese tradition, but Kingston wants to focus more on the American tradition. The first two stories that are told in the novel have an impact on Kingston’s life and the way she makes choices in her life according to the Chinese tradition.
The first talk-story we read about is about Kingston’s aunt, but she is referred to as No-Name Woman because she is not spoken about in their family because of a decision she made in life. Her mother is telling her this story because Kingston is starting to menstruate, and she does not want her hormones and emotions to get in her way of making a poor life decision. Kingston wrote, “Whenever she had to warn us about a life, my mother told stories that ran like this one, a story to grow up on” (Kingston p.5). Instead of just having a talk about a certain situation, Kingston’s mother used horrific stories like the one about No-Name Woman so it would have a different effect on her. Stories like this one can haunt a person if it is told aggressively like Kingston’s mother did, especially since she emphasized the pigsty that the villagers left after breaking into the house and killing all of their livestock. After this story, I think that Kingston is cautious about some of her life decisions, especially after she gets married. In addition, Kingston also is torn between wanting to live the Chinese tradition or both American Chinese traditions. Her mother obviously wants her to live the Chinese tradition because of the stories that she keeps telling her, but they live in America now, so Kingston wants to also live the American tradition. Kingston described, “Walking erect (knees straight, toes pointed forward, not pigeon-toed, which is Chinese feminine) and speaking in an inaudible voice, I have tried to turn myself American-feminine” (Kingston p.11). Kingston described both the Chinese way and then the American way because she wants to fit in with everyone else, but the stories that her mother is telling her are affecting the way she wants to live. Kingston also wrote, “If I made myself American pretty…” (Kingston p.12). She is again comparing the American to the Chinese tradition and it is making it hard for her to make decisions and it is impacting her way of living.
The second talk-story is about a woman warrior named Fa Mu Lan, a heroic warrior. When we read this story, Kingston is dreaming/living this story personally as her mother tells it to her. This story impacts her a lot more than the first one because she wants to be different like the Fa Mu Lan, she does not want to be the typical traditional Chinese woman. Kingston said, “I did not plan ever to have a husband” (Kingston p.47). She did not want a husband like her mother wants her to have. She wants to be independent and strong like a woman warrior. She does not like to do traditional women’s roles like cook and cleaning. Whenever Kingston would bring up something other than being a wife her mother would change the subject and talk about something different. Here is an example from when Kingston and her mother were talking, “My American life has been such a disappointment. ‘I got straight A’s Mama.’ ‘Let me tell you a true story…” (Kingston p.45). Her mother did not care that she got straight A’s because it was only for the good of her future husband’s family. Her mother wanted her to focus so she could succeed on become a great wife to her future husband, but like said before, Kingston does not want a husband. Kingston wanted to make her American life work, so she was different than the original Chinese woman. She wanted to be different like Fa Mu Lan and become that woman warrior that is different than everyone else.
Kingston wrote about stories that her mother told her growing up to help her make good decisions and these stories impacted some of her life choices. Kingston had some tough choices to make throughout her life and impacting it was making the Chinese tradition choice and the American tradition choice. Both had huge impacts on her life because she did not want to disappoint her mother; however, she also wanted to be different and not be the traditional Chinese woman.
Discussion Questions:
- Do you think that the title The Woman Warrior was from Fa Mu Lan or the person that Kingston is going to be?
- Do you think that Kingston will follow the Chinese tradition, American tradition, or both? Why?
Work Cited
Kingston, M. H. (1985). The woman warrior. Vintage International.
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