"The Woman Warrior"

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     "The Woman Warrior" is a memoir by Maxine Hong Kingston, which tells the story of her life growing up as a Chinese-American woman. The book is an autobiography and Kingston’s memoir explores themes of identity, culture, and the experiences of immigrant women. Throughout the memoir, Kingston explores the various ways in which the women in her family, as well as herself, have been silenced and oppressed by the traditional Chinese culture in which they lived. The book highlights the difficulties of being a woman in a society where women are expected to be submissive and obedient, and where their voices and perspectives are often ignored.

     The memoir also tells the story of the "No-Name Woman", Kingston's aunt, who was disowned by her family for becoming pregnant out of wedlock. In the first chapter, Kingston writes about her aunt who committed suicide due to having an illegitimate child. Kingston writes about how her aunt was ostracized and seen as someone who would only bring bad luck to the family. This shows the treatment of women who did not conform to the traditional gender roles and how they were punished for it. The pregnancy first started with denial, where Kingston’s mother did not believe that her sister could be pregnant. Later, it was confirmed that she was pregnant and after being noticed by the village, the village raided her and her family’s home. The raid ended in Kingston’s house being destroyed and the death of her aunt and the baby.The baby was also specified to be a baby girl, which emphasizes that the child would not be able to contribute to the village even if she had survived. 

     Kingston writes about her experiences about living as a woman and an immigrant in China and the US. In chapter 2 of the memoir, Kingston learns that girls were never favored by her Chinese family. For instance, she writes about how her uncle only allowed the boys from the family to go out with him, hiding away the girls he had in his family. After Kingston realizes this, she goes on to try to defy the feminine chores she does. For example, she broke the dishes when washing them but instead of being upset about her mother calling her a bad girl, she was rather happy about it. She believed that like Mu Lan, who changed herself to be more like a man, she would seem more like a boy if she acted against doing expected feminine things.

     In the chapter “The Shaman,” Kingston dedicates this chapter to her mother. The title also refers to her mother because in the chapter, Kingston describes the journey her mother takes during her adulthood. Kingston's mother, (Orchid) is a strong and independent woman who has to navigate the cultural expectations of being a Chinese woman in America. She faces discrimination and racism, and she has to fight to be heard and respected. Brave Orchid attends a medical school after her children died, using the money her husband had sent her to pay the tuition. In China, Brave Orchid is a respected doctor within her community. However, she is also forced to confront the traditional gender roles of Chinese culture, which limit the opportunities of women. Despite this, she stands up against societal expectations by becoming a doctor in her community. When Brave Orchid immigrated to America, she faced both racism and gender inequality. She is forced to work as a laundress, a job that is beneath her qualifications.

     This memoir dives into highlighting the systemic injustices that are present, such as racial discrimination and gender inequality. The memoir also does an excellent job at emphasizing the impact that tradition holds against livelihood. In addition, the memoir also explores the concept of the "woman warrior" who is described as a powerful and independent woman who stands up against society’s expectations of women and fights for her own rights. Kingston writes about her experiences in detail and her perspective on how she and the members of her family have withstood the burden of societal expectations.