Maxines mother told her a story from her chinese culture that stood out from the rest of the stories she told. No name woman in maxine hong kingston s the woman warrior. Maxine hong kingston the woman warrior maxine hong kingston is senior lecturer for creative writing at the university of california, berkeley. The woman warrior is divided into five chapters which mainly narrate the stories of five chinese women, who are the inspirational figures of the woman warrior to the young kingston in her childhood memories. You must not tell anyone, my mother said, what i am about to tell you. In the woman warrior, what does the ghost of the no name woman symbolize for maxine hong kingston the ghost of the no name woman symbolizes the shame maxine hong kingston has felt as a girl and as a woman in a culture that devalues girls and limits female roles. The womans husband had left the country years before, so the villagers knew that the child was illegitimate.
Kingstons real autobiography, in which she tries to map her own place between the past of her chinese ancestors and her own chinese. Kingston faces the scary stories, the spite suicide and illmeaning ghosts, in her past, reminding us that we, too, may have scary stories behind us. The national book critics circle read by kimchai lam i just did a reading of pages 17, and ill be. No name woman, which is the name that kingston grants her shamed aunt, had the baby in the early summer, according to brave orchid. Literary analysis of no name woman 6151 words bartleby. The villagers had been counting the months from the time no name womans husband left until she got pregnant. Kingston learns from her mother that she once had an aunt who killed herself and her newborn baby by jumping into the family well in china. Starting from old china, kingston begins to tell about the tragic life story of her silent aunt no name woman who is. Kingston uses her own experiences with chinese tradition and culture to substantiate alternate versions of the tale.
Essay no name woman from the woman warrior by maxine hong kingston grade 2. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those. Scribd is the worlds largest social reading and publishing site. She is a sister her father does not acknowledge as ever having been born because of the humiliation she brought to the family. Using the illustration of the chinese family as a starting place, consider kingston s depiction of womanhood, especially for her own character and for no name woman. Kingston, a firstgeneration chineseamerican, was born in stockton, california, in 1940.
The middle portion of this chapter is kingston s retelling of the no name woman story. The first is the story of no name woman, as maxine calls. The woman warrior no name woman summary course hero. Maxine hong kingston, an eminent memoirist and a celebrated chineseamerican autobiographer, is best known for the woman warrior. Through this story, kingston immediately lays out the influence of her mother as a storyteller, as well as the themes that this memoir will continue to dance around women, family, and the power of storytelling. A short literary analysis of maxine kingston s classic no name woman as part of the first generation of chineseamericans, maxine hong kingston writes about her struggle to distinguish her cultural identity through an impartial analysis of her aunts denied existence.
Kingston s work, yuan shu, writing from historicalpost colonial school of criticism, argues that kingston s representation of the villagers in the story, no name woman as mischievous, inhuman, and irrational fuels orientalist discour ses with a. A literary analysis of no name woman by maxine hong kingston. Analysis of maxine hong kingston no name woman essay. Using the images of the footbinding shoes and the seated woman with bound feet, consider the practice. Those that committed adultery were tortured and persecuted publicly, just like maxine hong kingston s aunt in her story no name woman. Kingstons noname aunt is the first person we hear a story about in the woman warrior. Maxine hong kingstons no name woman essay examples bartleby.
First published in 1976, it has become a classic in its innovative portrayal of multiple and intersecting identitiesimmigrant, female. The story of her aunt is told by her mother and kingston recreates the events into an exploratory story to help herself figure out what part of her existence is chinese and help her better understand the chinese culture. No name woman by maxine hong kingston 878 words bartleby. Maxine hong kingston s no name woman a persons identity cannot be given to her, instead a person must achieve a sense of her character through personal experience and selfreflection. Although kingston honors her aunt by retelling no name woman s story in the woman warrior, she blames herself for having kept silent about this woman for more than twenty years. Chineseamerican, maxine hong kingston is familiar with this dilemma. If she and her aunt have similar notions about desire, then maybe kingston can understand her aunt, despite their differences in time and place. Dec 22, 2019 no name woman is a short story written by maxine hong kingston and was included in her book the woman warrior,with the first publication date in 1975. Acclaimed author maxine hong kingston s the woman warrior broke new ground when it was first published 35 years ago, weaving autobiography, history, folklore, and fantasy in to a candid and revelatory story about the daughter of chinese immigrants in mid20th century california now in audio for the first time, the woman warrior is read by television and movie star ming. The woman warrior won the national book critics circle award in 1976 for nonfiction, and china men was awarded the 1980 american. The woman warrior by maxine hong kingston the best book of nonfiction published in 1976. What does it mean to be a woman in the woman warrior.
Brave orchid erases her first two children, just as her husbands family erased no name woman. For her memoirs and ction, the fifth book of peace, the woman warrior, china men, tripmaster monkey. The aunt was pregnant, had her house raided by angry. Kingston in the woman warrior is largely figuring out what it means for her to be a chinese american women by way of considering the lives of great chinese women before her. The book uses recurring consideration of voices, stories, and ghosts to develop its various themes, including the transmission of culture across generations and the importance. A short literary analysis of maxine kingstons classic no name woman as part of the first generation of chineseamericans, maxine hong kingston writes about her struggle to distinguish her cultural identity through an impartial analysis of her aunts denied existence. Following kingston s lead, i will also refer to the woman warrior as a memoir in spite of the considerable and widespread doubt that exists on that front see, for instance, wong, quinby, lidoff, and nishime.
Free download or read online the woman warrior pdf epub book. Jun 07, 2007 two chapters of the woman warrior, no name woman and white tigers, contain two stories that effectively summarize the advice that brave orchid wants to give to her daughters. No name woman by maxine hong kingston 1046 words 5 pages. Pdf no name woman kingston iryna pavlenco academia. Analysis of maxine hong kingston no name woman 1670 words 7 pages. Maxine hong kingstons no name women introduces students to the power of words. Those that committed adultery were tortured and persecuted publicly, just like maxine hong kingstons aunt in her story no name woman. It is seen as a huge disgrace to the family in their culture to commit adultery.
Carefully read your groups assigned question, take 5 minutes to discuss the response among your groups. Maxine hong kingston, american writer, much of whose work is rooted in her experiences as a firstgeneration chinese american. No name woman contd read by kimchai lam im not the best reader, but i like novels and reading anyway. No name woman as a means of exploring her identity. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. No name woman is a short story written by maxine hong kingston and was included in her book the woman warrior,with the first publication date in 1975.
The woman is called a no name woman as the family has disowned her. Acclaimed author maxine hong kingstons the woman warrior broke new ground when it was first published 35 years ago, weaving autobiography, history, folklore, and fantasy in to a candid and revelatory story about the daughter of chinese immigrants in mid20th century california. Pdf the woman warrior book by maxine hong kingston free. Also by maxine hong kingston china men tripmaster monkey hawaii one summer the fifth book of peace to mother and father contents no name. Who am i examining maxine hong kingstons racial identity as. In another sense, she is too powerful to be named or remembered. At the end of no name woman, kingston reflects on the importance of her mothers story. Although kingston never learns what her aunts real name is, she alleviates her ancestors long suffering by giving her the only name she can.
No name woman by maxine hong kingston hcc learning web. The first edition of the novel was published in 1975, and was written by maxine hong kingston. Kingstons mother tells kingston this story as she is reaching sexual maturity, and wants her to know the consequences that can come of her actions if she is irresponsible. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. No name woman first person we hear a story about in the woman warrior. The woman is called a noname woman as the family has disowned her. Noname woman is one of the more frequently anthologized sections of the woman warrior because it encapsulates so many of the rest of the texts themes.
Interpreting silence and voice in maxine hong kingstons. Pdf on jan 1, 1985, john rothfork and others published ghosts and genealogy in maxine hong kingstons the woman warrior find, read. The second theme hong kingston introduces in no name woman is that of female power. In no name woman, maxine hong kingston recalls the events of her aunts life in the vague world of her chinese. The main characters of this autobiography, memoir story are. Memoirs of a girlhood among ghosts 1976 and its companion volume, china men 1980. When maxines mother warned her about life, she told stories that tested her strength to establish realities. In one sense the aunt is a powerless character, so powerless that she is given no name and no right to have existed. Following kingstons lead, i will also refer to the woman warrior as a memoir in spite of the considerable and widespread doubt that exists on that front see, for instance, wong, quinby, lidoff, and nishime. Summary of no name woman by maxine hong kingston free. Background of study adultery defined as a sex relationship between a married woman and a man other than her spouse or a sex relationship that usually happened also between unmarried couples in their relationship.
Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the woman warrior and what it means. Pdf ghosts and genealogy in maxine hong kingstons the. In her piece no name woman, kingston explores this struggle by sharing the tragic story of her aunts pregnancy. Be sure to jot down ideas to share with the class later. No name woman by maxine hong kingston freebooksummary. Maxine hong kingston begins her search for a personal identity with the story of an aunt, to whom this first. Kingston commences the novel by arguing that all myths and tales are contingent on specific cultural necessities. Kingston considers no name woman within the context of 1970s sexual liberation, whose notions of sexual freedom do not fit kingston any more than they would have fit her aunt. Jul 08, 2010 the woman warrior by maxine hong kingston the best book of nonfiction published in 1976. Analysis of maxine hong kingston no name woman essay 1677. Glossary contracts labor contracts, specifying the length and wages of work. Rhetorical analysis of no name woman analysis of rhetorical techniques of no name woman in maxine hong kingston story, no name woman, the author told a story of her aunt who was punished for committing adultery and died in order to express her thought and spirit of revolt of the patriarchal oppression in the old chinese society. Her notable books included the memoirs the woman warrior, china men, and i love a broad margin to my life. In no name woman, a chapter in her written memoirs, kingston analyzes the possible reasons.
We say that your father has all brothers because it is as if she had never been born. Discussion questions for no name woman eeadamsdotme. Kingston s no name aunt is the first person we hear a story about in the woman warrior. No name woman analysis essayas part of the first generation of chineseamericans, maxine hong kingston writes about her struggle to distinguish her cultural identity through an impartial analysis of her aunts denied existence. No name woman by maxine hong kingston you must not tell anyone, my mother said, what i am about to tell you.
No name woman rhetorical analysis essay example for free newyorkessays database with more than 65000 college essays for studying. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. No name woman by maxine hong kingston setting structure jumps from stockton, california where she lives to her parents home village in china represents how the narrator feels maxine hong kingston whenever she had to warn us about life, my mother told stories that ran like. Kingston, a first generation chineseamerican woman, shares the saddening story no name woman of her aunt to explore the communitygender roles, as well as the cultural morals and motifs of her ancestors.
In her awardwinning book the woman warrior, maxine hong kingston created an entirely new forman exhilarating blend of autobiography and mythology, of world and self, of hot rage and cool analysis. Shaman in maxine hong kingston s the woman warrior. This essay is a beautiful, striking piece of nonfiction writing. Maxine hong kingston begins her search for a personal identity with th. The woman warrior full text pdf a chinese american woman tells of the chinese myths, family stories and events of her california childhood that have shaped her identity. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 204 pages and is available in paperback format. Kingston s work, yuan shu, writing from historicalpost colonial school of criticism, argues that kingston s representation of the villagers in the story, no name woman as mischievous, inhuman, and irrational fuels orientalist discour ses with a confirmation of white stereotypes 203. It is actually the same as stated in oxford advanced learners dictionary.
The woman warrior opens with the story of maxine hong kingston s forgotten aunt, the no name woman. Jul 09, 2010 celeste ng and maxine hong kingston answer your questions about the woman warrior. In china your father had a sister who killed herself. Maxine hong kingstons no name woman essay examples. The aunt was pregnant, had her house raided by angry villagers, birthed her baby in a muddy pigsty, and then committed suicide by jumping into the family well with her newborn.
In no name woman, maxine hong kingston recalls the events of her aunts life in the elusive world of her chinese roots. Kingston commences the novel by arguing that all myths and tales are. Ethnicity and diversity in american literature, 1950 2000 am20. Kingston s mother tells kingston this story as she is reaching sexual maturity, and wants her to know the consequences that can come of her actions if she is irresponsible. Essay no name woman from the woman warrior by maxine. No name woman by maxine hong kingston to print or download this file, click the link below.
Summary of no name woman by maxine hong kingston free essays. The woman warrior audiobook by maxine hong kingston. The first is the story of no name woman, as maxine calls the aunt whose name she does not even know. No name woman, by maxine hong kingston, is a story of maxines family who are chineseamericans. Pdf maxine hong kingston the woman warrior eduardo.
1539 1026 751 543 1039 729 847 1343 1548 1095 211 902 496 1520 971 216 228 521 516 1387 407 1067 732 835 1110 93 1493 661 1419 571 525 968 1104 1231 414 220 120 369 600 46 1347