The Woman Warrior

The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston was a rather interesting excerpt. The narrator was being told a story by her mother about her father’s sister who had disgraced their family by having another man’s baby -- and then committed suicide due to the harshness from her family. I thought the story was rather bizarre; it was a little extreme for a talk about the birds and the bees. Specifically, I thought it was interesting how the narrator had certain views about American-Chinese culture and said some interesting things.

One thing is her view on relationships later in life. “I use to add ‘brother’ silently to boys’ names. It hexed the boys, who would or would not ask me to dance. . . I hexed myself also--no dates. I should have stood up, both arms waving, and shouted across libraries, ‘Hey, you! Love me back’” (1512-1513). It seemed that the story had resonated in her; she would have rather been sisterly than something more like a girlfriend. She was also concerned about the way she held herself and spoke, “Walking erect (knees straight, toes pointed forward, not pigeon-toed, which is Chinese-feminine) and speaking in an inaudible voice, I have tried to turn myself American-feminine” (1512). She seemed more concerned with visually being American and ignoring her inner-Chinese heritage.

The patriarchal society then was much more harsh than it is today. The narrator made several references to women giving up things for marriage, “All the married women blunt-cut their hair in flaps about their ears or pulled it back in tight buns. . . And at their weddings they displayed themselves in their long hair for the last time” (1511). Not only did they sacrifice their long, flowing hair, but succumbed to the pain of hair removal and other things to maintain their beauty. “Once my aunt found a freckle on her chin. . . She dug it out with a hot needle and washed the wound with peroxide” (1511). The women were concerned about their appearances, even then. It seems not much in society changes.

Society today tends to give boys the benefit of the doubt by referring to the “boys will be boys” phrase, and the narrator here refers to something very similar to this: “It was probably a girl; there is some hope of forgiveness for boys” (1515). This quote was referring to her aunt and the baby she gave birth to. When she gave birth, she nursed it, and then took it into well with her where she committed suicide. The narrator says that her aunt also killed the baby because it was a girl and it would eventually suffered great shame, whereas if it were a boy it would have had a better chance of receiving forgiveness for his mother’s “atrocities”. Even though this was published in 1976, I think most of the things she said are relatable. The culture has obviously changed in a way where having children out of wedlock isn’t a dishonorable event anymore, but the rituals women go through (appearance wise) and “boys will be boys” is still relevant.