The chapter begins, you must not tell anyone what i am about to tell you. In her piece no name woman, kingston explores this struggle by sharing the tragic story of her aunts pregnancy. Silence both begins and ends no name woman, which balances kingston s mother s opening sentence with kingston s own thoughts about how fearfully powerful silence can be. Maxine hong kingstons 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. May 01, 2010 kingstons narrative is a story of her life, as she remembers it and believes it can be most effectively conveyed to others. To print or download this file, click the link below. In no name woman, a chapter in her written memoirs, kingston analyzes the possible reasons. Kingston learned from her mother about a forgotten aunt of hers. In no name woman, a chapter in her written memoirs, kingston analyzes the possible reasons behind her. While the grantors of several critical awards labeled them nonfiction, their format is that of traditional short. The fact that she committed adultery made her a nobody to her family, as they wish to forget her.
It is possible that no name woman, in actuality, is the symbolic representation of kingstons family migration away from china, and into. Sheretrieves biographies of her family, which intersect with her own autobiography, thus. Kingstons memoir, the woman warrior, turned 40 an anniversary that slipped by silently. American author on college campuses moyers, and her work no name. Pdf downloads of all 1282 litcharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. The woman warrior is in essence the autobiographical tale of one womans life and serves as an indirect commentary on the dichotomy of truth and deceit. You must not tell anyone, my mother said, what i am about to tell you. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Analysis of maxine hong kingston no name woman essay. No name woman by maxine hong kingston 1046 words 5 pages. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. Through this story, kingston immediately lays out the influence of her. Maxine graduated from berkeley in 1962 and married actor earll kingston the same year. The communalism among inhabitants of her village made all relations seem incestuous as well as public.
Kingstons method of merging real experience and fiction is deceptively simple, so much so that the reader hardly notices it as it happens. Starting from old china, kingston begins to tell about the tragic life story of her silent aunt no name woman who is. The best american essays of the century edited by joyce carol oates. Kingstons no name aunt is the first person we hear a story about in the woman warrior. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. A bridging of autobiography and fiction deborah homsher reading the woman warrior, one gets an immediate impression that its writer has worked hard to form the book. Silence at dinner may have been a way to avoid the casual talk that leads to revelations. The middle portion of this chapter is kingstons retelling of the no name woman story. Though we are told no name woman is the aunt of kingston, metaphorically she seems to mean so much more. Following kingstons lead, i will also refer to the woman warrior as a memoir. Maxine hong kingston, an eminent memoirist and a celebrated chineseamerican autobiographer, is best known for the woman warrior. Those that committed adultery were tortured and persecuted publicly, just like maxine hong kingstons aunt in her story no name woman. Kingston ceases the familyimposed silence that surrounds the secret of an aunt, whom she names no name woman.
Adrienne rich, of woman born 247 adrienne rich writes in of woman born that there comes a time in a. 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. How did maxine hong kingston rebel by writing the woman warrior, and what did she achieve through. No name woman by maxine hong kingston hcc learning web. Maxine hong kingston begins her search for a personal identity with the story of an aunt, to whom this first. 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. How is this mythological woman warrior integrated into kingston s narrative. In addition to having a unique writing style, kingston also uses an unusual structure in her organization of.
You remember, the girl who kingston more or less beats up in the kitchen. Example research essay topic maxine hong kingston woman. 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. Kingston narrates her audience with vivid description of a story and reflects on the story to reveal her thoughts about her own chinese culture and herself. Some communities instill this order by legal codes, and other communities use moral or social codes to keep their communities in check. No name woman maxine hong kingston essay 553 words. The author imagines that this already married no name woman was pressured into having sex with an anonymous villager who promptly led a village attack against her when he found out she got pregnant. In no name woman, maxine hong kingston recalls the events of her aunts life in the vague world of her chinese. Members of the chinese and chinese american community.
No name woman in the first part of this chapter, the narrator is recounting how her mother once told her the story of the no name woman. No name woman what other stories does kingston create to fill in the gaps of no name woman s story she was raped, she was a wild woman who payed extra attention to her looks. Apr 02, 2014 no name woman, by maxine hong kingston is the first chapter from kingstons collection of memoirs in the woman warrior. Ethnicity in maxine hong kingstons the woman warrior linda hunt feminist theorists have argued about the extent to which women share a common culture.
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. Analysis of maxine hong kingston no name woman analysis of maxine hong kingston no name woman 1670 words 7 pages. Discussion questions for no name woman eeadamsdotme. Summary and analysis no name woman by maxine hong kingston. Memoirs of a girlhood among ghosts 1976 and its companion volume, china men 1980. It is actually the same as stated in oxford advanced learners dictionary. What is the mothers attitude toward the aunt, as revealed in her story retold by. Her mother tells her the story of her no name aunt as a means of warning her away from premarital sex.
The anonymous aunt was isolated and shunned by her village when she became pregnant out. Maxine hong kingstons no name woman essay examples bartleby. In china your father had a sister who killed herself. Start studying no name woman by maxine hong kingston. Memoirs of a girlhood among ghosts 1976, was not only to give remembrance to her aunt after fifty years of neglect but also to establish her cultural identity as both an american and chinese woman. I later learned the essay is the first section of maxine hong kingstons beloved 1976. No name woman ends up drowning herself in the well. Sense of self in the warrior woman by maxine hong kingston.
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. Point of view participant point of view first person major character non reliable syntax begins with a quotation long periodic sentences dashes pacing long sentence structure creates a felling of eternity diction formal informative shameful disgrace imagery she would have to. First published in 1976, it has become a classic in its innovative portrayal of multiple and intersecting identitiesimmigrant, female, chinese, american. An essay is presented on the narrative and interpretative strategies of maxine hong kingston in the short story no name woman. What does it mean to be a woman in the world kingston presents. What role does fa mu lan play in the woman warrior. No name woman s silence may have been a way to protect her lover, or she may have remained quiet because it would not have mattered who he was. The purpose of kingstons inclusion of no name woman in her more elaborate piece, woman warrior. Maxine hong kingston has been lauded as the most widely taught living. The chinese are always very frightened of the drowned one, whose weeping ghost, wet hair hanging and skin bloated, waits silently by the water to pull down a substitute. 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. No name woman in maxine hong kingstons the woman warrior. Monkeynotesthe woman warrior by maxine hong kingston.
Kingston says she grew up in a girlhood among ghosts, the chinese being ghosts for not fitting in with the society. No name woman by maxine hong kingston to print or download this file, click the link below. How closely they guarded their lives, those chineseamericans pressing the clothes, so that we were never able to focus on them or comprehend their outlook. No name woman quotes in the village structure, spirits shimmered among the live creatures, balanced and held in equilibrium by time and land.
Analysis of maxine hong kingston no name woman 1670. Why are names important and what would it mean not to have a name. What are some of the similarities between kingston and no name woman. Community in maxine hong kingstons no name woman and everyday use by alice walker. Kingston tells the secret story her mom told her about a forgotten aunt, the sister of kingstons dad in china. Her notable books included the memoirs the woman warrior, china men, and i love a broad margin to my life. In the autobiographical essay no name woman, by maxine kingston, kingston s aunt disrupts her tight knit community by having an illegitimate child as a result of an affair.
The no name woman is a very quiescent character without any say or control over what happens to her. Maxine hong kingston woman warrior no name woman genius. Maxine hong kingston, american writer, much of whose work is rooted in her experiences as a firstgeneration chinese american. Memoirs of a girlhood among ghosts is a book written by chinese american author maxine hong kingston and published by alfred a. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. The considering series is a place to focus on one particularly amazing essay or short piece of nonfiction. In the essay no name woman we are told the cautionary tale of the death of kingstons aunt. The narrator is a girl who has just reached puberty.
In three guineas virginia woolf has a character assert, as a woman i have no country. In white tigers, what is significant about the rabbit s selfimmolating itself for fa mu lan. Kingston has captured contradictory images of women that are presented within traditional chinese culture. Maxine hong kingstons first two novels, the woman warrior and china men are retrospective prose narratives. I came across no name woman in my current favourite essay collection. Kingstons centralized placement of chinese american characters in the woman warrior and the allusions to cantonese language complicate the blackwhite racial paradigm. The woman warrior em bodies at least three different viewpoints of immigrant chinese andor chinese americans. The look into chinese culture in no name woman was very interesting to say the least. Summary and analysis no name woman by maxine hong kingston, both aint i a woman by sojourner truth and no name woman both aint i a woman by sojourner truth and no name woman by maxine hong kingston deal with the costs of being a woman, especially a woman of color or a woman in a deeply patriarchal society. No name woman contd read by kimchai lam im not the best reader, but i like novels and reading anyway. Codes of speaking and chinese american immigrant generational conflict in maxine hong kingstons the woman warrior.
Interpreting silence and voice in maxine hong kingstons. 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. Carefully read your groups assigned question, take 5 minutes to discuss the response among your groups. The book blends autobiography with what kingston purports to be old chinese folktales, although several scholars have questioned the accuracy and authenticity of these folktales. No name woman the narrator is a girl who has just reached puberty. Her memories of a chinese american girlhood in california are spliced with myths and anecdotes told by her imposing and thoroughly. It asserts that the narrative is created as the true narrative and in this composes the aforementioned fiction. This young aunt, married to a man who had emi grated to the u.
This study guide consists of approximately 78 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the woman warrior. 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. Maxine hong kingstons first two books defied conventional categorization. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the woman warrior and what it means. Chineseamerican, maxine hong kingston is familiar with this dilemma. Who am i examining maxine hong kingstons racial identity as.
In no name woman, maxine hong kingston recalls the events of her aunt s life in the vague world of her chinese. Be sure to jot down ideas to share with the class later. The image of the passive, dependent, and servile women is a juxtaposed against that of. In six pages this paper examines kingstons autobiography in terms of how a woman s sense of self is bolstered by the author throu. This essay presents information about maxine hong kingstons memoir no name woman. The very last sentence of the chapter summed up the imposedimplied culture of silence and shame within a traditional chinese chineseamerican family. Maxine hong kingstons no name woman in maxine hong kingstons no name woman she argues how stories can be diluted into simple myths and points out how her chinese heritage affected her, being able to have relationships with other people outside her village. Free essays on no name woman by maxine hong kingston. The woman warrior in food poisoning the first chapter no name woman of maxine hong kingstons the woman warrior. The woman warrior begins with the story of the narrators aunt, no name woman, who is shunned and attacked by her village after becoming pregnant while her husband is away.
This essay presents information about maxine hong kingston s memoir no name woman. 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. I had to reread some parts, but that was mostly because i struggled to understand things and not so much due to the actual story. While kingstons mother reflects on the story of her welldrowned aunt, kingston associates the. Maxine hong kingston s no name woman a person s identity cannot be given to her, instead a person must achieve a sense of her character through personal experience and selfreflection. 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. Kingston learns from her mother that she once had an aunt who killed herself. Quiet girl in chinese class in the woman warrior shmoop. But america has been full of machines and ghosts taxi ghosts, bus ghosts, police ghosts, fire ghosts, meter reader ghosts, tree trimming ghosts, fiveanddime ghosts. The woman warrior by maxine hong kingston goodreads. Research papers based on no name woman can be custom written and ordered to focus on any aspect of the memoir by maxine hong kingston. The chapter essentially opens as a vignette told from the mothers point of view. 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. After becoming involved in the anti war protests of the late sixties, the kingstons moved to hawaii, where maxine taught english and began composing her two memoirs, the woman warrior 1976 and china men 1980. Kingston uses her own experiences with chinese tradition and culture to. First published in 1976, it has become a classic in its innovative portrayal of multiple and intersecting identitiesimmigrant, female. We say that your father has all brothers because it is as if she had never been born.
Probably most intriguing about the structure of maxine hong kingstons woman warrior, beginning with no name woman and ending in a song for a barbarian reed pipe, is that it characterizes maxine hong kingstons memoir, told in the interesting format of nonsequential episodes, as one that begins in oppressed silence but ends in universal song. No name woman as a means of exploring her identity. A classic, for a reason celeste ng via twitter 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. The woman warrior won the national book critics circle award in 1976 for nonfiction, and china men was awarded the 1980 american. No name woman research papers no name woman research papers delve into female autonomy and sexual identity in maxine hong kingston s work, the woman warrior. 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. Maxine hong kingston writing styles in the woman warrior.
The woman warrior by maxine hong kingston white tigers pp. These stories are relayed to kingston through her mother, brave orchid. Like the no name woman, the quiet girl in kingston s chinese class is not given a proper name. Kingstons mother was a woman powered by necessity and only told her the story of her aunt in order to help her daughter avoid a similar fate. The aunt was pregnant, had her house raided by angry villagers, birthed her baby in a muddy pigsty, and then committed suicide by jumping. This girl is significant because we see how kingston s insecurities about being a chinese girl surface. While reading the woman warrior there was one sentence that really came out to me and represented the theme of instilled fear and silence within the first chapter no name woman.
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