PlotOverview

AbouttheAuthor

Kingstonstartsoffthefirstchapterandbegins
thestorywithanuntoldstoryonlyhermom
knewabout.Hermothertoldhertheforgotten
storywhichshewasneveraloudtorepeat
again.ThestorywasaboutNoName
Woman,theauthorsunknownauntshe
becameadisgracetoherfamilybybecoming
pregnantbyanothermanwhowasnother
husbandandafteranunfortunateseriesof
events,shethrewherselfandherbornbaby
intothefamilywell.Throughoutthestory,
Kingston,thenarrator,imaginesallofthe
certainabouthowherauntmighthave
attractedhersuitorwhichcausedhertohavea
miserabletoherlife.FaMuLan,awoman
warriorentersthestoryduringthesecond
chapter,WhiteTigersandthemysticalfemale
warriortrainstobecomeawarriorsinceshe
wassevenyearsoldandthenlaterleadsan
armyofmenwhilepretendingtobeaman
herself.Throughoutthestory,Kingstonrealizes
thatthestoryalsoreflectsuponherlifeinthe
U.S.Thethirdchapterfocusesontheauthors
mom,BraveOrchidandherlifeinChina.Brave
Orchidwasadoctor,midwife,andaccordingto
thestory,adestroyerifghostsbackinher
Chinesevillage.Thethirdchapterreferstoa
characterinBraveOrchidsstories,hersister,
MoonOrchid.MoonOrchidssuccessful
husbandhadremarriedinLosAngelesandleft
hiswife,MoonOrchidinChina.MoonOrchid
laterongoescrazyanddiesinamental
asylum.InthefinalChapter,theauthorwrites
aboutherselfandthechapterfocusesonher
teenageyears,andshowsherangerand
frustrationupontryingtopleasehermom.

MaxineHongKingstonwasbornonOctober
27,1940inStockton,Californiaandenrolledin
theUniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley.Herfirst
bookwas
TheWomanWarrior
.Shewona
NationalBookCriticsCircleAwardin1976.

NovelNotes

TheWomen
Warrior
MaxineHong
Kingston

HistoricalContext

Duringthenineteenthandtwentiethcenturiesthe
ChineseMayFourthMovementof1919and1949
CommunisttakeoverofChinaandtheChinese
ExclusionActpassedbytheUnitedStates
Congressin1882

ShiLeeBautista

May23,2016

EssentialQuotes

Myaunthauntsmeherghostdrawntome
becausenow,afterfiftyyearsofneglect,I
alonedevotepagesofpapertoher,thoughnot
origamiintohousesandclothes(Kingston49).

WhenIdreamthatIamwirewithoutflesh,
thereisaletteronblueairmailpaperthatfloats
abovethenightoceanbetweenhereand
China(183).

AddWorkCitedHere:
Ashley,Ms."TheWomanWarrior."
Ms.AshleyYap.

Weebly,n.d.Web.19May2016.

CharacterAnalysis

Themes

BraveOrchidAnintelligentwomanandproud
womanwhoatfirstcomesoffasintelligentand
cruel.InbooksheisaShamanwhichrepresents
herlifeinChinaasadoctorandawomenof

almostmagicalpowerswhodestroystheghostsin
hervillage.

FaMuLanAwomanwarriorfromatraditional
ChineseLegendandsherepresentedtheideal
Chinesewomanasalovingmotherandwife.

MoonOrchidMoonOrchidisBraveOrchidssister
wholatercomestoAmericainthe1960sinattempt
tofindherhusbandwhoremarriedandleftherin
China.SheisunabletoadjusttothelifeinAmerica
andlaterongoesinsane.

NoNameWomanTheauthorsunknownaunt
whokilledherselfandherbornbabybyjumping
intothefamilywell.Sheiskeptasecretbecause
shegotimpregnatedbyamanwhowasnother
husband.

TheOldCoupleTheelderlycouplethattrainedFa
MuLaninmartialartsandsurvivalskillsonthetop
ofthemountain.FaMuLanseesthemasher
parentsmorethanherbiologicalparents.TheSilent
GirlOneofkingstonsoldclassmateswhomshe
tormentedwhenshewasyoung.Kingstonhatesthe
girlbecausesheremindedherofherown
weaknesses.

WomenintheSocietyofChina
BeingChineseAmerican
LifeLessons

MotifsandSymbols

RoundCirclesShowshowafamilymustbea
whole,faithfullykeepingthedescentlineby
havingsonstofeedtheoldandthedead,who
inturnlookafterthefamily.

BirdsRepresentsthebraveryofachildand
alsodeathinanotherstory.

GhostsBothAmericanandChinese,animals
andhumans,thelivingandthedead.

LanternsLanternsshowedapathwaytoward
home.

BoundFeetTherestrictionplacedupon
womeninthetraditionalChinesesociety.The

WarriorThestrugglebetweenmotherand
daughter.

MountainsIsolation,safety,fortune,and
possibility.