Diversity Issues in the The Woman Warrior

In Chinese culture it is common to "talk-story" and in such a way pass on folk tales that contain moral teachings to the listener. A great deal of Kingston's book relates these talk-stories to the reader and then Kingston goes on to write about a portion of her own past (Analysis).

"Don’t let your father know that I told you. He denies her. Now that you have started to menstruate, what happened to her could happen to you. Don’t humiliate us. You wouldn’t like to be a forgotten as if you had never been born. The villagers are watchful (p3)."

Warrior Woman opens with the first talk-story, "No Name Woman", the story of the shame Kingston's aunt brought to the family by having a child while her

In chapter three Shaman, this chapter tells Brave Orchid's story. Kingston tells of her mother's documents, her diploma, her class picture, and a scroll of words. In reading the Shaman I came across a section in Kingston story that stood out not only in words, but in truth. “The women who had arrived early did not offer to help unpack, not wanting to interfere with the pleasure and the privacy of it. Not many women got to live out the daydream of women-to have a room, even a section of a room that only gets messed up when she messes it up herself. The book would stay open at the very page she had pressed flat with her hand, and no one would complain about the field not being plowed or the leak in the rook. She would clean her own bowl and a small, limited area; she would have one drawer to sort, one bed to make. To shut the door at the end of a workday, which does not spill over into the evening. To throw away books after reading them so they don’t have to be dusted. Sometimes for the extravagance to pick a bunch of flowers for the one table. Other women beside me must have this daydream about carefree life. I’ve seen Communist pictures showing a contended woman sitting on her bunk sewing. Above her head is her one box on a shelf. The words stenciled on the box mean “Fragile”, but literally say, “Use a little hearts”. The woman looks very pleased. The Revolution put an end to prostitution by giving women what they wanted: a job and a room of their own (p61).” This reminded of my own mother who for so many years lived without speaking, yet following a pattern that was laid before her. When she became free, she was able to speak her mind. She could be her won person. She could make her own decisions. If she wanted to make a mess she could and there would be no one around to tell her different.

Kingston, Maxine Hong (1975,1976) The Woman Warrior Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts

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