The Woman Warrior
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| The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood among Ghosts | |
 Cover of the Vintage International 1989 hardcover edition |
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| Author | Maxine Hong Kingston |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | fictional memoir |
| Publisher | Vintage International |
| Publication date | 1975 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 209 |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-679-72188-6 |
The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts is a fictional memoir by Maxine Hong Kingston, published by Vintage Books in 1975. It is semi-autobiographical, incorporating many elements of fiction. It is an example of postmodernism in American literature, demonstrated by the fact that it can maintain interest despite lacking any kind of continuous storyline. Through the book, Kingston explores ethnicity and gender roles, especially in the context of her experience as a Chinese-American woman.
The Woman Warrior has been reported by the Modern Language Association as the most commonly taught text in modern university education, used in disciplines that include American literature, anthropology, Asian studies, composition, education, psychology, sociology, and women's studies. Though widely praised by critics, including winning the 1976 National Book Critics Circle Award, the book has been criticized by fellow Chinese American author Frank Chin as perpetuating racist stereotypes. [1]
Contents |
[edit] Plot Summary
The book is divided into five interconnected stories. In the first story, "No Name Woman", Kingston's narrator describes the suicide of her aunt, as told by her mother, after she gave birth to an illegitimate child. The narrator is warned to never again speak of her un-named aunt, but still creates an history for her in her memoir. In the second story, "White Tigers", the narrator creates a fantastic allegory to describe her childhood. She imagines herself as a version of the legendary Chinese woman warrior, Fa Mulan, who, having learned the warrior's arts from an elderly couple who are hundreds of years old, raises an army and overthrows the corrupt government. After her battles, she takes up the traditional woman's roles of mother and wife. In "Shaman", the third story, the narrator describes her mother's experience in Chinese medical school. Mixing fantasy and autobiography, she details her mother's physical and mental battles with spirits and ghosts. In the fourth chapter, "At the Western Palace", she describes her aunt Moon Orchid's mental breakdown after she emigrates to the United States from China in order to find her estranged husband. In the final story, "A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe", she describes her childhood experiences in the California public school system, and her parents' attitudes toward her. She closes the book with a reinterpretation of the story of early third century Chinese poet Ts'ai Yen, who, like the narrator, had to learn to sing in a foreign tongue.
[edit] Notes
[edit] Further Reading
- Fonesca, Anthony J. "Maxine Hong Kingston." Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 312: Asian American Writers. Ed. Deborah L. Madsen. Gale, 2005. 163-180.
[edit] See also
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