Analysis of Woman Warrior

Jordan C.

‘‘You must not tell anyone,’" my mother said, "what I am about to tell you" (3). Maxine Hong Kingston’s memoir The Woman Warrior’s opening lines convey the overarching theme of identity shaped by silence present in the book. This silence has the most dramatic and devastating affects on the lives of Kingston, her no-name aunt, and her mother. But through her trials and tribulations, Kingston is able to learn from her quest for identity by encouraging other silent girls to speak their minds and fight for what is just.

The overarching theme of silence is revealed in Kingston’s relationship with her mother. As Kingston reveals her disillusionment with the cultural expectations to Brave Orchid, she tells her mother, in an attempt to assert her individuality, “When I get to college, it won’t matter if I’m not charming. And it doesn’t matter if a person is ugly; she can still do schoolwork” (201). Brave Orchid responds by saying that Kingston is not ugly. When Kingston replies that Brave Orchid has always said Kingston is ugly, her mother replies, “That’s what we’re supposed to say. That’s what Chinese say. We like to say the opposite” (203). The silence expected of Brave Orchid causes Kingston pain. As a young woman developing her identity, Kingston believes herself ugly because of her mother’s silence and emotional reservations. Indeed, because Brave Orchid was taught to be silent, Kingston believes herself as inadequate. The expectation of silence not only shapes Kingston, but also Brave Orchid herself. Kingston notes that “It seemed to hurt her to tell me that” (203). The cultural expectation that women remain silent concerning personal matter forced Brave Orchid to tell her own daughter she is ugly, causing both the

Clark 2

mother and daughter pain. This silence, however, forces Kingston to evaluate both her cultural expectations and roles and ultimately...