Critical Analysis of "The Woman Warrior"
Critical Analysis of "The Woman Warrior"
The Woman Warrior, by Maxine Hong Kingston, illustrates the story of a girl trapped between the culture of her surroundings and the traditions her mother forces upon her. The collection of memoirs is non-linear because Kingston goes back and forth between childhood and adulthood, instead of beginning as a child and proceeding through her adulthood into middle age. Kingston acts as the character-narrator in each section, and all the sections together build the total plot. Kingston writes about her conflicts as she struggles to differentiate herself from her mother and to gain her own sense of voice and identity. This is an autobiography of Kingston’s life, as she presents her journey and makes apparent the conflict with her mother, Brave Orchid. Through her mother’s stories and the strong influence of the American culture, Kingston’s life and imagination spin off in a new direction.
She is confronted by many complications that cause problems with her mother and with her attempt to discover her personal self as well. Although Kingston’s adaptation to American culture causes many conflicts with her mother, she is able to overcome misfortune and become a Chinese-American with the help of Brave Orchid’s tales. In Kingston’s first story, “No Name Woman,” the stories of the narrator’s mother are first introduced. Kingston is totally under the control of her mother as she listens against her will to Brave Orchid’s confusing and disturbing stories. The first account of her aunt’s suicide and infanticide teaches her how careful a young woman must be when growing up in the Chinese culture. She learns from her aunt’s failure to be faithful to her husband and never commit adultery. However, Kingston feels an intense connection with the outcast of her family. Kingston senses this bond because she feels completely divided from her family and never will be entirely linked to her Chinese heritage. The reason she senses this is because she already feels separated from her traditional Chinese customs. The plot progresses when Kingston finds ways to challenge her mother’s power. Brave Orchid tells her to participate in the family’s punishment of the no-name aunt by never speaking her name. Nevertheless, Kingston not only speaks it but also writes about her aunt touchingly and compassionately. Kingston writes, “My aunt haunts me- her ghost...