Exploring Identity Through Silence: The Role of No-Name Woman in Woman Warrior Maxine Hong Kingston opens The Woman Warrior with the tale of her nameless aunt, a woman who has been silenced and forgotten by her village after giving birth to an illegitimate child, known only as the “no name woman” (Kingston 7). On the night that “no name woman” gives birth, villagers raid her family house to “show her a personal, physical representation of the break she had made in the ‘roundness’” (13). She later commits a “spite suicide” (19), drowning both herself and her child. The No-Name Woman serves as an embodiment of silence that allows the narrator to imaginatively develop her story, as well as her identity. The narrator also draws a connection between her aunt’s story and her own experience as the daughter of immigrants, demonstrating a disconnect between what she sees as traditional Chinese culture and American culture. No-Name Woman’s story is first introduced under a veil of threatening …show more content…
Growing up, she is repeatedly told by relatives that “There's no profit in raising girls. Better to raise geese than girls” and that “feeding girls is like feeding cowbirds” (54), comparisons that strip female children of their humanity and monetize their worth. Even as the narrator tries to assert that she is “not a bad girl” (55), the very structure of the language is gendered and works against her: “There is a Chinese word for the female I-which is 'slave.' Break the women with their own tongues!” (56). Eventually, she is reduced to thrashing on the floor and screaming incoherently, the power of speech having been stripped away from her. Since the narrator is unable to be anything other than a girl, despite going to college and marching “to change the world” (33), she has no way to act other than through speech, but her speech is perpetually
I read the book, Bound, written by Donna Jo Napoli. The book is about a young chinese woman, who is bound to her father’s second wife. This is because he passed away and, back in 17th century china, young woman had very little power or say in situations. Also woman were thought to less value of worth then their livestock. Throughout the day’s of dealing with her step mom she, loves to do poetry and calligraphy.
In Bone, Ng commentates on the fragility of an immigrant’s position through the experiences of a Chinese immigrant, Leila. Fractured by time before and after Ona’s suicide; colored in perception by historical discrepancies in identity; torn in position between inside and outside Chinatown; Leila must repair semblances of two lives to save herself from becoming nothing. Moreover, Ng captures the vulnerability of immigrants by employing ambiguous language, multifaceted layers of translation, and applying elusive qualities to constitute an individual fully immersed in American or Chinese culture. On the edge of nothing and otherness, Leila’s expression of her experiences allows her to find her identity within the context of America. Ng utilizes
"The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford is a captivating coming-of-age story that follows the life of Henry Lee, a Chinese-American boy growing up in Seattle during World War II. Throughout the novel, Henry experiences profound personal growth and self-discovery as he navigates the complexities of racial tensions, family expectations, and first love. This essay will explore how four quotes from the book exemplify the transformative journey of Henry's coming of age. Paragraph 1: In the early stages of the novel, a young Henry grapples with his dual identity as an American-born Chinese.
The young girl is prevented from entering the church where her grandmother has prayers. As a person from the old world, the young girl is not allowed to play with boys from the new world. On the other hand, “in response to executive order” by Dwight Okita is about Americans of Japanese origins that were supposed to report to relocation
Maxine Hong Kingston's use of talk stories in The Woman Warrior emphasizes that individuals will find a more fulfilling life if they defy the traditional gender norms place on them by society. While contemplating beauty standards in Chinese society in “No Name Woman” Maxine Kingston thinks, “Sister used to sit on their beds and cry together… as their mothers or their slaves removed the bandages for a few minutes each night and let the blood gush back into their veins” (9). From a young age girls are expected to be binding their feet and are told that it is to look beautiful, but in reality that is not why. When a womans feet are bound they are restrained and silenced. These girls could be free and happy but they are restrained by men through this binding.
Qian Julie Wang’s memoir, “Beautiful Country” portrays her experiences immigrating from China to the United States at a young age. She discusses her challenges in adapting to a new culture and school system, changes in her family’s financial situation, and the constant fear of deportation as an undocumented immigrant. Through her personal story, the author sheds light on the struggles faced by immigrants in the United States, particularly those who are undocumented, and the emotional toll these experiences can have on individuals and families. In her memoir, Wang describes several biographical disruptions she experienced as an immigrant to the United States. These include the sudden switch in the family’s economic status, Julie’s transition
Even as a young child, she was incredibly observant and noted that other Chinese girls did not speak either, and so she drew the conclusion that “the silence had to do with being a Chinese girl” (166). Kingston does not say that all Chinese children found themselves in silence – only the girls did. She does not only have to find her identity as a Chinese American, but as a girl, and to figure out how these two facets of her identity work together to define her. Brave Orchid’s cutting her daughter’s tongue resulted in a physiological change; however, Kingston’s issue with speaking proves to be more psychological.
In The Woman Warrior, it states that “Women in the old China did not choose. Some man had commanded her to lie with him and be his secret evil” (6). This quote shows the interpersonal relationships that enforce the ideology of women being inferior to men. Women in China didn’t get to choose their paths. They were forced into adultery if a man wanted them, which could even be along the lines of rape.
Also, once girls grow up they are forced to marry young and to do whatever their husbands say, even if he is abusive. According to KaYing Yang this serious issue that often goes unknown and unmentioned. The message of KaYing Yang’s lecture affects me personally because I am a female. Although I don’t live according to an incredibly sexist culture, I still see the importance of helping other women overcome sexual injustices.
Tan expresses the life experiences of Chinese immigrants to the United States and attempts to depict the relationship of a mother and daughter through her significant piece of writing ‘The Joy Club’. Therefore, all these authors somehow portrayed their early struggles and their view point towards life from their literary
The book and the movie possess similar qualities. First, in both the movie and the book, all the mothers left their old lives in China for a new one in America. ” My mother could sense that the woman of these families also had
Throughout the entire novel, the mothers and daughters face inner struggles, family conflict, and societal collision. The divergence of cultures produces tension and miscommunication, which effectively causes the collision of American morals, beliefs, and priorities with Chinese culture which
There is a distinguished balance in the relationship of women and men and it is visible in coexisting and procreating beyond themselves. In making decisions that are influenced by mistakes sometimes, one person gets the short end of the stick. In Hills Like White Elephants, the feminine role is displayed by a woman named Jig, whose feelings and thoughts get pushed aside to cater to the main male character’s wants and needs. In this case the “operation,” that cannot even be called by it’s true name or else the objective to persuade would not be met and ruin their lives. Masculine and feminine attributes have been visible in literature from the beginning of language, with the response of love and forcing one’s self to put aside: “me” for “you.”
In the essay “The No Name Woman” by Maxine Hong Kingston, the story of living in a traditionally male-dominated Chinese society with a very dysfunctional family structure is told. The villages would look upon the men as useful, and women as useless to their society. Kingston, the main character, learns this first hand from how her aunt was treated. Kingston’s aunt, The No Name Woman, is victimized by a male-dominated society by being shunned for an illegitimate child. As a woman, the odds were automatically against you in their society.
The Confucian perspective of woman is distinctly stated: “The female was inferior by nature, she was dark as the moon and changeable as water, jealous, narrow-minded and insinuating. She was indiscreet, unintelligent, and dominated by emotion. Her beauty was a snare for the unwary male, the ruination of states”(Guisso, 1981). In Chinese culture, girls mostly marry into the husband 's family, depart from their home, and concentrate on the well-being of their husband 's parents. China 's feudal tradition ceaselessly subjected women to submissiveness by their father, husband, and even their son owing to a patriarchal and patrilineal system.