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The piece entitle Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghost by Maxine Hong Kingston describes the trials and tribulations of a female Chinese American growing up in Calfornia. Maxine Kingston ponderes about her childhood memories. Within these memories, she integrates her mother's stories told to her as a child. Kingston's piece containes five sections, which describes and examines her memories.
In the first section entitle No Name Woman Kingston writes about the tragedy her unknown aunt experiences. She describes why and how her aunt's becomes an outcast within the small Chinese village. The Chinese culture of honor is a part of her aunt's culture. The aunt's actions are considered dishonorable. The seriousness of the act of betrayal affects her whole being. Her life paralles "No Name Woman". She becomes an outcast in every aspect.
The next section entitle White Tiger explores the mighty power of the woman warrior. Kingston interwines childhood memories with a marvelous myth about a swordswoman. The child within the myth eventually grows to a woman warrior who lives to protect her family and village. Kingston also describes her reality as a female child living in the Chinese culture. Females in this culture have no real existence. She clearly writes about many incidents in which this non-existence is evident.
The third section is entitle Shaman. The Shaman examines Kingston's mother's life. Within this section, the supernatural ghost is explored. The ghost in Kingston's piece developes more meaning. The ghost represents a battle between the two cultures. Brave Orchid, Kingston's mother, attmepts to conquer the ghost.
The fourth section entitle At the Western Palace describes the earlier years of Brave Orchid and, her sister, Moon Orchid. Finally, the last section entitle A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe describes Kingston's childhood school memoirs. Her school memories presents the clash of the American and Chinese culture. It shows how the cultural differences affects Kingston. It also brings out the identity and cultural barriers which prevents her complete acceptance. In conclusion, Kingston's piece entails more than just memories. It describes how culture and identity can be lost within the reality of the world. It also describes the cultural clash of her mother's and her own views.
ANALYSIS OF: WOMAN WARRIOR: MEMOIRS OF A GIRLHOOD AMONG GHOST
Maxine Hong Kingston, the author of Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, writes a powerful autobiographical masterpiece which deals with many complex issues. Her autobiography recounts memroies about her childhood and her mother's, Brave Orchid, tales. The piece integrates myth and truth which gives life to Kingston's work. Kingston presents her book in five parts. Each part is intertwined with tale and memoirs.
Many critics praise the work of Maxine Hong Kingston. One critic, John Leonard of The New York Times states "A remarkable book... As an account of growing up female and Chinese-American in California, in a laundry of course, it is antinostalgic; it burns the fat right out of the mind. As a dream of the 'female avenger' it is dazzying, elemental, a poem turned into a sword." Another critic, William McPherson of The Washington Post says "An intense, fierce, and disturbing book ... a strange sometimes savagely terrifying and , in the literal sense, wonderful story." These are just two of the many critics who praise her work.
Elements such as dialect, imagery, and language barrier predominate in Woman Warrior. Kingston sets her purpose through these elements, and through these elements Kingston brings up issues of culture and assimilation. Kingston brings the reader right into the culture of the Chinese with No Name Woman. This section describes the bandishment of Kingston's immoral aunt. When her boyfriend is told about the pregenacy, he leads a raid against her. As a result, she becomes an outcast to the community. Her whole life becomes a nightmare. She is an outcast in every sense of the word. Kingston uses language and images to portray the tragic fall of her aunt. The images create vivid pictures of her lonley aunt's state of being. Her selection of words like forbidden, alone, and separate brings about this image. The Chinese culture of commensal tradition (forbidden to eat at the table) further defines the seriousness of her act of betrayal. Her actions were unforgiveable. She became No Name Woman to her family. In the end she killed herself. The reality of honor in the Chinese culture is completely different from the American view. Honor held more importance than life. The American view of honor is far from the Chinese way. Honor is their whole philosophy. It bears great meaning. In an interview of Maxine Hong Kingston she states that she gives life to her aunt's memory through this section of her book. Her aunt will live forever through Kingston's words.
The cultural status of girls in China are very low. The section White Tiger describes several examples of the values of girls compared to boys. One excerpt states, "There is no profit in raising girls. Better to raise geese than girls (Kingston, 54)." Kingston feels the effects of being discriminated against because of her sex. The villagers adds spark to the flame. They ridicule her parents for having girls until her brother is born. The cultural differences is eminent. Girls, in the Chinese culture, are looked down upon. They are the sex of shame. Kingston feels and despises that shame. She also points out many incidents in which this shame is evident. In one comment she states, "The Chinese word for the female I (meant) slave (Kingston 100). How ironic because girls are treated as slaves. In other cultural standards less than a slave, they are in fact nothing. In her peice Kingston replies that she would "March to change the world (56)." Woman in our country have come a long way. Hopefully, Kingston has helped the woman in her country attain a quality status.
Language as a barrier is also dominate through Kingston's book. Slience is why she flunks kindergarten. Malini Schuller, author of, "Questioning Race and Gender Definitions: Dialogic Subversions in the Woman Warrior" states: "Kingston's voicelessness is a symbolic expression of the culture's refusal to give her ligitimacy (Schuller 424)." The language difference of the American and Chinese culture affect Kingston immensely. The pronounciation of the American words is so diverse that it is hard for her to figure it out. Kingston states that, "It was when when I found out I had to talk that school became a misery( 101). Talking which many take for granted becomes fearful. The form of the American letters also is a mystery. Coming form a different country is not easy. It takes hard word to overcome many barriers.
In conclusion, acceptance is hard to achieve when there are so many barriers blocking your path. Kingston writes about cultural barriers in her own culture and the American culture. She also includes how the cultures differ from each other. Her books entails more than just words. It entails her struggle through life. It also introduces serious realities which affect thousands of people everyday. Lastly, her memories describe the life of another culture. Maxine Hong Kingston is truly a great writer.
GHOST ANALYSIS
The image of the ghost dominates throughout Kingston's book. The ghost represents the American culture. Kingston is trapped between the American and Chinese culture. In the section, "A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe" Kingston describes herself as ghost like. She is trapped bewteen the two worlds. She is assimilating into the American culture, but feels obligated to the Chinese culture. Her mother, Brave Orchid, is a strong woman who is a strong part of the Chinese culture. Brave Orchid constantly refers to the Americans as ghost. They are many examples of this association of the ghost. In one excerpt, the delivery ghost brings medicine to the wrong house. Brave Orchids believes the delievery ghost has cast an omen on their house. Kingston has to ammend this omen by asking for candy. Kingston replies they would not understand. The clash of her mother's views and the American views bump heads. Kingston is right in the middle of this clash.
The image of the ghost is very effective. It shows the separation of the two views. It also gives the book supernatural spark. Malini Schueller, the author of the article "Questioning Race and Gender Definitions: Dialogic Subversions in the Woman Warrior" states: Ghost are perhaps the most dialogically used term in the book because it describes the experience of living within both Chinese and American cultures. Kingston has said that ghost are "shadowy figures from the past or unanswered questions about unexplained actions of Chinese, Whites, and Chinese in America. Ghost is the appelation used for any concept that defies clear interpretation. The narrator lives in a double ghost world that of the China of legends. rumor, history, ancestors she does not know and that of an American world full of its own ritual ghosts. (Schueller 430)
The image of the ghost plays an integral part in Kingston's book. It helps divide the bridge of the American and Chinese culture. It also gives the readers a sense of the battle of assimilation
she must try and overcome. It brings forth the two different realities in which Kingston and her mother must face. Kingston is a greater writer. Her book entails more than meets the eyes. It describes
about a woman's struggle to find herself in a new world. It also brings forth issues that people tend to disregard. Kingston memories teaches her readers many lessons, and it will contine to teach about
culture and struggle for many years to come.
