THE WOMAN WARRIER BY MAXINE HONG KINGSTON MA ENGLISH 1st SM

1. ..The woman warrior..
Maxine Hong Kingston

2. DONE BY : TIYASHA ROY
COURSE : MA ENGLISH
SESSION : 2020 – 2022
SUBJECT : AMERICAN LITERATURE
SUBJECT TEACHER : ANUPAMA MA’AM
ACHARYA INSTITUTE
OF
GRADUATE STUDIES

3. IN THEPRESENTWORLDOF COMPETITIONTHEREIS A
RACEOF EXISTENCEIN WHICHTHOSEAREHAVINGWILL
TO COME FORWARDSUCCEED.ASSIGNMENTIS LIKEA
BRIDGEBETWEENTHEORETICALANDPRACTICAL
WORKING. WITHTHISWILLI COMPLETEDTHIS
PARTICULARASSIGNMENT.
FIRST OF ALL I WANTTO THANKANUPAMAMAAMWHO
GUIDEDUS SO MUCHTO COMPLETETHESYLLABUSIN
THISSHORTPERIODOF TIME.
NEXT TO MY PARENTSWHOMI AM GREATLYINDEBTED
FORME BROUGHTUP WITHLOVEAND
ENCOURAGEMENTTO THISSTAGE.
MORE OVERI AMTHANKFULTO ALL THETEACHERS
WHOHAVESUPPORTEDUS IN THEPANDEMIC(COVID-
19). I HAVENO VALUABLEWORDSTO EXPRESSMY
THANKS,BUT MY HEARIS STILL FULLOF THE FLAVORS
RECEIVEDFROMEVERYPERSON.
THANKYOUMA’AM..
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

4. Maxine Hong
Kingston
MaxineHongKingston, (born October 27,
1940, Stockton, California, U.S.), American
writer, much of whose work is rooted in her
experience as a first-generation Chinese
American.
Maxine Hong was the eldest of six American-born children of Chinese immigrant
parents. Hong’s father, a scholar, had left China in 1924 and immigrated to New York
City; unable to find work as a poet or calligrapher, he took a job in a laundry. Hong’s
mother had remained behind in China and joined him in the United States in 1939. In
1976 Kingston published her first book, The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood
Among Ghosts. It combines myth, family history, folktales, and memories of the
experience of growing up within two conflicting cultures.

5. CHARACTER
SKETCH:

6. Maxine Hong Kingston
The author and narrator of The Woman Warrior. Kingston relates both
her own memoir and the stories of women related or linked to her in some
way: her mother, her aunt (Moon Orchid), No-Name Woman, and
mythical characters such as Fa Mu Lan. Though Kingston is the narrator,
she shares the protagonist role with her mother. Her memories of own life
do not figure prominently until the final chapter, "A Song for a Barbarian
Reed Pipe," in which she grows out of the frustrations of her childhood
and finds her own voice.

7. No-NameWoman
Kingston's unnamed aunt, who kills herself and her illegitimate child in
China by jumping into the family well. Kingston knows nothing about
aunt and must make up stories in "No-Name Woman." Kingston portrays
her aunt as a timid woman who gave into a forbidden passion and was
then driven to suicide when she was cast out from the village.

8. BraveOrchid
Kingston's mother, whose "talk-stories" about Chinese life and
traditions haunt Kingston like ghosts from another world. Brave
Orchid is a proud and intelligent woman who comes off as both
gentle and cruel in equal parts in the memoir. She appears
throughout the book but figures most prominently in "Shaman,"
which depicts her life in China as a doctor and a woman of almost
magical powers. Along with her sister, Moon Orchid, Brave Orchid is
a main focus of "At the Western Palace."

9. MoonOrchid
Brave Orchid's sister, who comes to America in her 1960s. Moon
Orchid emigrates—at Brave Orchid's encouragement—in an
attempt to find her estranged husband, who left China thirty
years earlier. Whereas Brave Orchid is forceful and capable and
determined, Moon Orchid is timid and incapable of completing
even the easiest tasks. She is largely unable to adjust to life in
America.

10. Thesilentgirl
A classmate whom Kingston torments when she is
young, as related in "A Song for a Barbarian Reed
Pipe." Both Kingston and the girl are quiet and
unpopular, so Kingston hates the girl for reminding
her of her own weaknesses.

11. FaMuLan
A heroic female warrior from a traditional Chinese legend, whom Brave Orchid originally
described to Kingston in a talk-story. Fa Mu Lan represents both the Chinese female
ideal—as a loving mother and wife—and a source of great power and independence.
Kingston feels a kinship with the woman warrior and, in "White Tigers," re-imagines her
story in the first person, as if she were the warrior herself. Kingston also contrasts Fa Mu
Lan's great accomplishments and victories with the disappointments of her own life.

12. Ts'aiYen
A Chinese poetess born in 175 A.D., the source of the title of the final
chapter. Ts'ai Yen was captured by barbarians and forced to fight
their battles, and brought back to her people, the Han, a song called
"Eighteen Stanzas for a Barbarian Reed Pipe." She serves a metaphor
for both Kingston's own project in writing her memoir—bringing
her songs to her people back from "savage lands"—and for the act
of talk-story in general.

13. MoonOrchid'shusband
A successful doctor in Los Angeles, he had not seen Moon
Orchid in thirty years before the confrontation described in
"At the Western Palace." He is typical of many emigrant
Chinese who find new lives in America and try to forget their
old responsibilities.

14. Theoldcouple
An elderly couple who, in "White Tigers," train Fa Mu
Lan in martial arts and survival skills on top of the
mountain. The old couple are quasi-deities—Fa Mu
Lan sees that they are hundreds of years old—and,
significantly, are more like parents to the woman
warrior than her own parents are.

15. Kingston'sfather
Kingston's father, who runs the laundry in America with
Brave Orchid, appears in the book only rarely. In both "No-
Name Woman" and "Shaman," he has already left for
America, and in "At the Western Palace," he disappears
quickly after Moon Orchid's arrival. Kingston's father is the
main character of her second memoir, China Men.

16. No Name Woman
CHAPTER : 1

17. Kingstonlearns fromher motherthat she oncehad an auntwho killedherself and her newborn baby
by jumping intothe familywellin China.The woman'shusbandhad left thecountryyearsbefore,so
the villagersknewthat the childwasillegitimate.The night that the babywasborn,the villagersraided
and destroyedthe familyhouse,and thewoman gavebirthin a pigsty.The next morning themother
found her sister-in-lawand thebabypluggingup the well.The womanhad brought suchdisgrace
uponher familythat theydecidedto pretendthat she had never beenborn.
Kingston'smothertellsher thestoryas a cautionarytale,in the yearsKingstonbeginsto menstruate.
Her mother warns her to be carefullest thesame fatefall uponher.Kingston,looking backon the story
later,thinks aboutthe worldin which she wasraised,an "invisible world" of ghoststransposedfrom
Chinese rural life intothe emigrants' new homesin America.

18. BecauseKingstoncannotaskaboutherunnamedaunt—whois referredto onlyas "No-
NameWoman"—sheinventsherownfantasiesaboutwhyherauntgaveinto her
forbiddenpassions.In onesuchscenario,herauntis a timidwomanorderedinto
submissionby a rapist.Inanother,herauntharborsa slowlyblossomingpassion,
attemptingto attracta man'sattentionby carefullytendingto herappearance.Kingston's
fantasiesmusthavedirectbearingon herownlife:sherejects, forexample, theideathather
auntwasa wildwomanof loosemorals.Instead,heraunt'sgreatestcrime—onewithwhich
Kingstonidentifies—wasactingonherprivateinterests,steppingout of theroleChinese
societyandtraditionshadproscribedforher.Suchtraditions,Kingstonsays,werethought
of asnecessaryto ensurevillagestability,especiallywhenthevillagerswereallrelatedin
someway.Any sexualpassioncouldleadto adulteryor incestandthereforethreatenedthe
socialorder.

19. Ina particularlyvividsectionof thechapter,Kingstonimaginesthe timewhenheraunt's
familycastsherauntout. Alone,herauntislostinthewilderness,andwhenthebabycomes,
sheresortsto givingbirthina pigsty.Kingstonbelievesthatherauntdecidesto killherself
andherbabytogetherin orderto sparethechilda lifewithoutfamilyor purpose. Kingston
alsonotesthatthebabywasprobablya girl,andas suchwouldalreadyhavebeenconsidered
practicallyuselessto society—athemethatreappearsthroughoutTheWomanWarrior.At
theendof thechapter,Kingstonimaginesherauntasa lonely,wanderingghost,beggingfor
scrapsfromthegiftsgivenotherghostsby theirlovingrelatives.

20. White Tigers
CHAPTER : 2

21. Kingstonopensthissectionwith,"Whenwe Chinesegirlslistenedto theadultstalk-story, we learnedthatwe failedif we grew up to be but
wivesor slaves. We couldbe heroines, swordswomen." A swordswomandoesanythingto getevenwiththose who hurther family.
Kingstonrecallsthatit was a womanwho inventedtheartof whitecrane boxing, oneof themaritalartstwo hundredyearsago. She
happenedto see a whitecraneone morningandteasedit withher pole, butthebirdremainedimmobileon itsperch. Sheasked thewhite
crane to teachher how to fight.Laterthebirdtransformedintoa manand taughther boxingfor yearsto come. Kingstonthen tellsof her
mother'sstoriesof otherwomanwarriors. She remembersthechantof Fa Mu Lan, whichtellsthestoryof a girlwho tookher father'splace
in battle. As a child, Kingstonwouldfollowher motheraboutthehouse "the two of us singingabouthow Fa Mu Lanfoughtgloriously.”
Buther mothertoldKingstonthat"I wouldgrowup a wife and a slave.”
Kingstonthenbeginsto tellthestoryof thechildwho wouldbecome thewomanwarrior. She picturesa girlof sevenwho followsthecallof
a birdintothemountains. Eventhoughthebramblestearher clothesand therockscuther feet, shekeepsclimbingup themountainand
followingthebird. She climbsso high thatshecannotsee her villagebelow. Soonthebirdalightson theroofof a hut,and the dooropens.
An oldwomanand mancomeout and offerthegirlfood,but sherefusesoutof politeness. (The authoraddsthatan Americangirlwould
haveaskedfor somechocolate chipcookies.)The oldpeople inviteher to spendthenightin theirspacioushut and offerher a bed thatis
exactlyher size. Throughher windowshenoticestheoldpeoplego outsideand pulla rope whichopenstheroof, so theycan sleepwiththe
moonand stars. Whensheawakes, theoldwomanasksher to staywiththemfor fifteenyearsto trainas a warrior. Whensheworries
abouther motherand father,theoldmanshowsher a magicgourdfullof waterthatshowsa picture of them. Herparentsare sayingthat
theyhaveknownall her life thatshe wouldbe takenfortraining. The oldman asksher againif she wouldlike to stay, the alternativebeing
to go backhomeand pull sweetpotatoes.She choosesto stayand train.

22. Herfirstlessonisin howto be quiet.Theyleaveherbesidestreamsuntilshecankneelalldayso quietly
thatthesquirrelswillburytheirhoardingsunderherskirt'shem.The oldpeoplealsoleadherin
exercisesfrommorningtillevening.Shelearnsto walkandcarryherbodycorrectly,pigeon-toed.After
fiveyearsof training,herbodyisso strongshecancontrolthedilationsof herpupilsandcopythe
soundsof batsandowls.Aftersixyears, shecanrunasswiftlyas thedeerandjumptwentyfeetinthe
air. Shelearnsthat"everycreaturehasa hidinganda fightingskilla warriorcanuse."Duringthe
seventhyear,at theageof fourteen,theoldpeopletakeherblindfoldedto themountainsof the white
tigers.Theyshoutto herto runandshedoes, successfullyavoidingsteppingoffa cliffor hittingher
headona wall.Theoldpeopleleaveherto survive,barehandedamongstthetigers.
Shegatherswood,digswheresquirrelshavelefttheirnuts,andsavesallgatheredfoodforthehard
climbswherenothinggrows.Onthethirdday,fastingbecomesdifficultassheremembershermother's
deliciousmeals.Ontheforthandfifthdays,hereyesightis sharpenedby hunger,andshefollowsdeer
trailsandgathers"thefungusof immortality."On thetenthday,sheusesa hollowedout rockto boil
waterandcookherroots, nuts, andfungusandeatsthebestmealof herlife.Soonafterwards, she
realizesshe hasstartedwalkinglightlyliketheanimalsandhasarrivedin“thedeadland.”Shehasalso
lostcountof thedaysandgrowshomesickforherparents.Sheeatsthelastof herfoodandstartsa fire.
A whiterabbithopsclose,looksat her,andjumpsintothe fire.Therabbitmeatbecomesperfectly
cooked,andinspiteof beinga vegetarian, sheeatsthe meat,"knowingtherabbithadsacrificeditself
forme.”

23. She leavesthe dead land and walks throughthe forest.She beginsto imaginevisionsin thedarkness.She sees"twopeople
made of golddancingthe earth'sdances.Theyturnedso perfectlythat togethertheywere the axisof theearth'sturning."
The dancersthen"dance the future--amachine future."She watchesas the next centuriespassbeforeher eyesin a matterof
momentsand seesthe manand the woman growbiggerand sproutwingson their backs.Whenshe cannotbear the
brightness,she covers her eyes.Whenshe uncoversthem,she seesthe oldmanand oldwomanfromthe hut coming to her.
The oldpeople feed her and ask her to talk-storyabout her experiencesin themountainswith the whitetigers.She tells
themthat the white tigersstalkedher, butshe fought themoff withburning branches,and that she had met a rabbit who
taught her about "self-immolation and howto speedup transmigration.”The oldpeoplelaugh at her talk-storiesand
indicateshe is a goodstoryteller.
She is next trainedin dragon ways,a processthat takeseight years.Unlike learning fromthetigers,learning aboutdragons
requiresadultwisdom.She learns that "Youhave to infer thewhole dragon fromthe partsyou can see and touch."She
imaginesthat the mountaintopis the topof thedragon'shead,and the soilis itsflesh.She alsocomesto understandher
place in the universe and seesherselfas a "bugridingon a dragon'sforehead.”She alsolearnsto expand her thinking,“to
make my mind large,as the universe is large,so that thereis roomfor paradoxes."

24. She workseveryday, even in the rain, grateful not to be pullingsweet potatoes. On New
Year's mornings, she is allowed to takea break and lookintothe water gourd to see her
parents. She also seesin the gourd the men she will have to executein the future. She
watchespowerful men and starvingmen count their money. She sees whichvillagers disguise
themselvesas banditsand steal from their neighbors. Shelearnsthe facesof generals and
rebels. She watches battlesto learn strategy. She sees one warrior being attackedfrom
behind. The old man assures her this will not happen to her because she can see behind her
like a bat. Shealso sees her weddingin the gourd; her husband is her playmatefrom
childhood. Whilewatchingher husband's face, she sees the approachof armoredmen. The
villagerstry to fight themoff withskillets and pans, but theysoon realize theyare
outnumbered. Her husband and her brother are forcedto go and fight.Sheis anxious to
help her fellowvillagers, but the old man tells her she willnot be ready for eight more years,
when she is twenty-two. Theyassure her,however, that afterher trainingis complete, she will
be able to defeat armies.

25. Hertrainingisfinishedandsheis readyto leavethemountains,whensheisfinallyableto “pointat the
skyandmakea swordappear, a silverboltinthesunlight,andcontrolitsslashing."Shelooksintothe
gourdforthe lasttimeandseestheevilbaron'smessengerorderingherfatherto go andfight.She
dressesin men'sclothesandarmor.The oldpeoplesendherawaywithfifteenmagicbeadsthatwill
protectherwhenshe isinterribledanger.Shedepartsandfollowsthebirddownthemountainto her
village,whereherfamilywithgreatlovegreetsher,“asif theywerewelcominghomea son.”Shetellsher
father,whoisnowaged,thatshewilltakehisplaceinthearmydraft.
Whensheawakensthe nextmorning,herparentstakeherto thefamilyhall.Hermotherasksherto
kneelandtakeoff hershirt.Herfathertellsher,"Wearegoingto carverevengeon yourback.We'll
writeout oathsandnames."Hermothertellsherthatwhateverhappensto her,peoplewillknowher.
Thewomanwarriorknowsthathermothermeansherdeadbodywillbe a messageto people.Firsther
fatherbrushesout thewordsin inkandthenbeginscutting;butshedoesnot cryout eventhough"the
listof grievanceswentonandon.”Whenthewritingonherbackisfinished,herparentssingout what
theyhavewritten,andthewomanwarriorlooksina mirrorto seethatherbackis"coveredentirelywith
wordsinredandblackfiles,likean army,my army."

26. SHAMAN
CHAPTER : 3

27. "Shaman"focuses on Kingston's mother, BraveOrchid, tracing her life in
Chinafromthe time Kingston's father left for America. After her first two
childrendiedin China, Brave Orchiddecided to use the moneyher
husband sent her to become a doctor. Sheattended a medical school in the
city of Canton. Looking at her mother'sdiplomas and graduation
photographs, Kingston recreates the experience from bothher imagination
and her mother's talk-stories.
In Kingston's narration, her motherfinds independence and success at the
To KeungSchool of Midwifery. Awayfromthe NewSocietyVillage,she is
responsible for no one but herself, and quicklymakesherself known as one
of the more brilliant students in her class. Shealso impresses her
classmates when she fights and destroys a maliciousghost and then hunts
down the ghost and destroysit.

28. WhenBrave Orchidreturns to her village, she is treated like a magician or shaman,
withan amazing abilitybothto heal the sicknesses of others and to destroyor scare
awayghosts. She fools ghosts that seek to prey on newborn babiesand scaresawayan
"ape-man" that runs loose in the village. Kingston, who wasalsotoldtalk-stories about
ghost-killers that vanquishedmonstersby eating them, believesthat her mother's
abilities are linkedto her abilityto eat any sort of beast. She vividlyrecalls one
particulartalk-storyin whichChinese people eat brains out of the head of a living
monkey.
Manyof Brave Orchid's talk-stories are upsettingto Kingston. Brave Orchid bought a
slave-nurse when she wasin China, and one time,Kingston remembers, her mother
bitterlycomplainedto her that Kingston's birthhad cost her $200at a time when they
were giving awayslave girls in Chinafor free. Other talk-stories provide Kingston with
her own ghosts, whichcause her to have nightmares. In one talk-story, BraveOrchid
delivers a childwithno anus, and the familydecidesto leave it in the outhouse to
perish. In another, the villagers stone a crazywomanto deathbecause theythink she is
a spy for the Japanese.

29. In America, Brave Orchidteaches her daughter to thinkthat all the white people
aroundthemare ghosts:"NewsboyGhost," "GarbageGhost,"and so on. Still, Kingston
prefersher Californian surroundings to the places in Chinaher mother tells talk-
stories about,where "the ghosts tookshapes nothinglike our own."
The last section of the chapter takes place in the present,during one of Kingston's
visitsto her see her parents. Brave Orchid sits by the bedand complains about lifein
America, howhardher work in the laundry and nowin the tomato fields is, how time
passes too quicklyin America. BraveOrchidtells Kingston that theyhave finallygiven
awaytheir remaining landsin Chinaand nowwill never go back—althoughKingston
knows theynever would have returned anyway. BraveOrchidalso begs her daughter
to come and live withthemagain, but Kingston saysshe gets too sick whenshe is
home, as there are too manyghosts that botherher. In the end, Kingstonis surprised
and relieved that her motherseems to understand, calling her by her affectionate
nickname "Little Dog."

30. At the Western
Palace
CHAPTER : 4

31. Brave Orchid,age 68, goes to the San Franciscoairport to pickup MoonOrchid,a sistershe hasn'tseenin thirty
years.She has beenwaiting at the airportfor nine hours,concentrating on wishing the flightwell.
Brave Orchid'sniece,MoonOrchid'sdaughter,is waiting withher.Brave Orchid'stwo childrenare off looking at gift
shopsand such.
Brave Orchid has brought bagsof foodfor everyone,butonlythe niece sitsand eatswithher.
She noticeslotsof young menat the airportto flyto Vietnamto fight.She remembersthat her sonis fightingin
Vietnam,too.She now splitsher well-wishesto include theshiphe'son. Brave Orchid'skids tellher that her sonis in
the Philippines,butshe doesn'tbelievethem.She wantedhimto escape to Canada.
Brave Orchid'ssonand daughterrun up,announcing that the flight'scome in early.
Brave Orchid runs upto the arrivalsarea,and waitsand waits.She waitsfor fourhours.
She thinks back to the immigration processback in the EllisIslanddays.Thingshave changed.
SuddenlyBrave Orchid thinks she seesher sister,but it'sonlysomeone who lookslike MoonOrchiddid thirtyyears
ago.Then she seesanotherMoon Orchid,but she'sgreetedby a young man.
Moon Orchid'sdaughter spots her momfinally.Brave Orchidis shockedat howoldthiswomanis. This woman,her
sister?
As she goesthroughsecurity,or the Suitcase Inspector Ghost,Moon Orchiddoesnot lookat the windowswhere her
familywaits.Instead,she looksat the tissue pulledout of her suitcase.BraveOrchidis all in a frenzythat her sister
has yet to notice her.
Moon Orchid'sdaughter continuesto call"Mama!"Finally,Moon Orchidlooksup and runsoverbefore she is called
back by the securityofficer.

32. Moon Orchidlooksup to see her sister.The twohave "faceslike mirrors"
The twosistersmeetand one-upeach otheron howoldthe otherlooks.
The twosistersand their three childrendrive home.The sistersmarvelat one anotherall the wayhome.
Whentheyarrive Moon Orchid meetsher brother-in-lawfor the firsttime.Theyexchangegreetingsin English.
Moon Orchidpresentsgiftsfor everyone: shoesfor her niecesand nephewsfromLovelyOrchid(the youngestaunt,
who runsa shoe factory),jeweledearringsfor her nieces,and blackpapercutoutsof bothCommunistsand Fa Mu
Lan.
Brave Orchid doesn'tlike howexcitedthe kidsare aboutthe papercutouts; it'srude to playwithgiftsin front of
the giver.She offers everyone rockcandyso that the beginningof their time is sweet.
Brave Orchid does thisthing she oftendoes,which is openthe front door and openthe back door while mumbling
stuff.Her kids ask her what'sup butshe never tellsthem.Theystopasking.
Brave Orchid is irkedby the fact that her sisteris putting stuffall overthe room.Adultsshouldknowhowto put
thingsaway,thinksBraveOrchid.
Moon Orchidpresentsher sister witha warmsilkgreendress.Brave Orchidinsiststhat she givethe dressto oneof
the kids.
Moon Orchidnoticesthe pictureof theirparent up onthe wall.She alsonoticesa picture of Brave Orchidand her
husband.Brave Orchid has putit up becauseshe fearsher kidswon'thave the goodsense to pay tribute on their
own.Moon Orchid pokesaround the room,asking about things,like why Brave Orchid'shusband has lockedsome
of the cabinets.

33. Brave Orchid and her sister cooka huge dinnerfor everyone.Brave Orchiddoesn'tletanyone talkduring dinner,
butseemsto letthe kidstalkin English.
Brave Orchid seems to want to talkwith her sisterabout something important.Moon Orchidand her daughter
insist that she'stootiredand the talkshouldwait until morning.
Moon Orchid'shusband is in Americabuthe doesnot knowthat Moon Orchidhas arrived.Brave Orchidhas
beentrying for yearsto bring her sisterto America,butMoon Orchid'sown husbandnever brought it up.Brave
Orchidfounda Chinese Americanhusbandfor MoonOrchid'sdaughter,finallyallowing MoonOrchidto be
brought over.
Moon Orchidis uncomfortable with theprospect of seeing her husbandagain.Her husbandhas takena second
wife and theyhave three children.Moon Orchiddoesn'twant to botherhim.Brave Orchidinsiststhat she has a
right to,as his firstwife.
MoonOrchid'sdaughter has never seenher father,and she wouldlike to.
Brave Orchidurgesher sister to go to her husband'shouse and say "I am the firstwife,and [your secondwife]is
ourservant“.She alsoencourages her to geta jobin a hotelor restaurant.She realizesthat Moon Orchidhas lived
a pamperedlife in Hong Kong fromher husband'ssentmoney.But Brave Orchid is a self-starter,a go-getter,
and she urgesher sisterto be one,too.
Aftera lotof this pressure fromher sister,Moon Orchidagreesto confrontingher husband.Moon Orchid's
daughter sitsby her mom'sside throughall this,happyto be reunited.The husbandBrave Orchidset her up
with is kindof a jerk.MoonOrchidhas yet to meether grandchildren.BraveOrchidshowsMoon Orchidthe
displaycase of all of her kids' awards.Brave Orchidcan hardlybelieve that her kids werebrilliant enoughto have
won them.

34. Thoughstillinthirdperson,thenarrativegoesmoreintoMoonOrchid'sperspectivefora littlebit.
Shefindsit hardto keeptrackof allof BraveOrchid'skids.Theyallseemratherunfriendlyto her,
thoughsheis anaunttheyhaveneverseen.However, shethinksthatthekidsaren'tdemureenough;
it'srudehowtheylookherstraightin theeyesandalwaysacceptcompliments.
BraveOrchidtakesMoonOrchidto the laundryby wayof Chinatown. MoonOrchidthinksthat
Chinatownis whatallof Americais like.BraveOrchidcontinuesto be shockedby hersister's
foolishness.
BraveOrchidassignsMoonOrchidthe job of ironing,butit'snotlongbeforeshe'syellowinga shirt
andgigglingaboutit.BraveOrchid,exasperated,sendshersisterona walk.MoonOrchidisafraidto
walkwithouthersister,though.So, BraveOrchidgivesherthe easytaskof windingthe awningdown.
BraveOrchidtakeshersisterto a restaurantinChinatownandintroducessomeladyfriendsto her.
Whentheladiesrestarta gameof mahjong,BraveOrchidandhersisterleave.
Eventually,MoonOrchid'sroleat thelaundryisto foldhandkerchiefs.Sheonlyworksinthe
afternoons, whenthereiscleanlaundryto foldandthefansareblastingto keepthetemperature
bearable.
MoonOrchidstartsdoingthisthingin theevenings– she followsherniecesandnephewsaround,
narratingwhatthey'redoingasthey'redoingit.It drivesthe"children"(they'readults)crazy.
MoonOrchidkeepsputtingoff findingherhusband. BraveOrchidkeepsbringingit up. Moon
Orchidsaysshe'shappybeingwithBraveOrchid'sfamily.

35. MoonOrchid'sdaughtersaysshe needsto returnto herfamilyinLosAngeles. BraveOrchidinsiststhat
they'llmakea tripout of it,bringingMoonOrchidto herhusbandalongtheway.
Thewhole500-miledrivedown,BraveOrchidnagsMoonOrchidabouthow thehubbymeetingis goingto
go down.BraveOrchidinsiststhatMoonOrchidmakeherpresenceaggressiveandbold. Shesaysher
sistershouldsitinthemostimportantchairinthehouseand"takeoff [her]shoesbecause[shebelongs]"
MoonOrchidisscaredandworriesthattheUnitedStatesdoesn'tallowfortwowives.ShewantsBrave
Orchidto go withherto talkto herhusband.
BraveOrchidsuggestsa bunchof possibilitiesfora dramaticentrance.Forexample,MoonOrchidcould
dressupina wigand"disguise[herself]asa beautifullady“.Forsomereason,thisfreaksouthersister
morethanit comfortsher.
WelearnthatBraveOrchidconvincedherniece(MoonOrchid'sdaughter,inthecarwiththem)to write
herfatherfiveyearsago, suggestingthattheymeetup. Hedidnot wantto seeher.
ThefamilydropsoffMoonOrchid'sdaughterat herhomeinLosAngeles.BraveOrchiddoesn'tlether
sistergetout of thecarto seehergrandchildren.
MoonOrchid,BraveOrchidandBraveOrchid'sson(thedriver)arriveoutsideof a skyscraperin
downtownLosAngeles.

36. BraveOrchidgetsoutof thecarandscopesout thebuilding. Sherealizesthatthisis theoffice
buildingof MoonOrchid'shusband.WelearnthatBraveOrchid'sdadhadtwowives.
BraveOrchidgoesintothewaitingroom.MoonOrchid'shusbandis a doctor.BraveOrchidtalks
withthereceptionist,whoturnsout to be thesecondwife.HerChineselanguageskillsarebad. Brave
Orchidpretendsto havetheflu;thereceptionisttellsherthatherhusbandisbookedsolidfora
month. WelearnthatMoonOrchid'shusbandisa brainsurgeon.
BraveOrchidrealizesthathersister'shusbandmustbe reallycleversincehe'sableto practiceinthe
UnitedStates,whereasshecouldnot.Shealsofiguresthathe'sprettywell-off.Thisof coursemeans
thatmoneydidn'tkeephimfromsendingforMoonOrchid.He couldhavesentforMoonOrchidto
cometo theUnitedStatesat anytime,but chosenotto.
BraveOrchidreturnsto thecarandtellsMoonOrchidthatsheneedsto lookreallyhotin orderto
competewithherhusband'syoungcutewife.
MoonOrchidinsiststhatshecannotgo upto confrontherhusband.BraveOrchidmakesherson
runupto the doctorandpretendthatoneof thewomenhashurtherleg. Hersonbegrudgingly
obliges.
Whenthedoctorrushesdown,we'retoldhe looksandsmells"likeanAmerican".Of course,he soon
realizesthatno one hasbrokenherleg.BraveOrchiddoesallof thedivulgingandconfrontingas
MoonOrchidsitscrumpledandsilent.

37. ThedoctortellsMoonOrchidthatshewasn't"supposedto comehere"andthatshe"can'tbelong".
Heinsiststhathe hasa newlifewithhiswife,an AmericanlifethatMoonOrchiddoesn'tfit into.
Thenurse(thesecondwife)hasarrivedto checkif everything'sOK.The doctorandthenursespeak
to oneanotherinEnglish.
BraveOrchidisoutragedthatthedoctorwouldleavetheminthismannerandinsiststhathe take
themto lunch.Hedoes.
BraveOrchidandhersondriveMoonOrchidto herdaughter'shouseinL.A.Welearnshewillnever
seeherhusbandagain.
MoonOrchiddoesn'twriteBraveOrchida letterformonths.Thisisa bigdealsincesheusedto write
everyotherweekfromChina.BraveOrchidcallshersisterto seewhat'sup, but MoonOrchidquickly
getsoffthephone, paranoidthatpeoplearespyingon her.
MoonOrchid'sdaughterwritesBraveOrchid.Shetellsherthathermomhasbecomeafraid,really
afraid,conspiracytheory-style.She'sconvincedthat"Mexicanghosts"areoutforherlifeandspying
onhereverymove.
BraveOrchidsendsforhersister,whoarrivesviaGreyhoundbus.Thewaysheholdsherselfis
different.She dressesinbaggyclothesfordisguise. BraveOrchidholdshersister'shandon thewalk
home.
BraveOrchidtriesto convincehersisterthatno oneisafterher. Shemakeshersisterherbal
medicinesandfood.Shesleepsnextto MoonOrchidso shecanrestwitha senseof security.

38. MoonOrchidcontinuesto followher niecesand nephewsaround, narrating their every
move.Shedoesn't go outside. She turnsoff all of the lights inside,as thoughan air raid
is goingon.
MoonOrchidwon't let the kids leave the house, afraidthat theywill never return.
Theyclose theirbedroomdoorson their bizarre aunt.Moon Orchid'sparanoia
mounts, and even Brave Orchidcan't handle it. She callsher niece,who hasMoon
Orchidput in an insane asylum. Brave Orchid's house returnsto normal.
Brave Orchidgoes to visit her sister twice. Moon Orchidseems happy in the asylum,
happywiththe rest of the patientsas her daughters. She claims that theyunderstand
one another.
Brave Orchidseems to think that Moon Orchid's stateis a result of her husband's
infidelity. Shemakes her kids promise to keep their father fromtakingon another
woman. Brave Orchiddoesn't think she'd take an affair anybetter thanher sister.
Kingstonwrites that Brave Orchid's daughters (meaning her sistersand she) vowed to
never"let men be unfaithful to them" andto "major in science or mathematics“. Well,
that last one definitelyworked out.

39. A Song for a
Barbarian Reed
Pipe
CHAPTER : 5

40. BraveOrchidoncetoldKingstonthatshehadslicedherfrenum,thelowerpartof hertongue,when
Kingstonwasa baby,to preventherfrombecomingtongue-tied.If the storyistrue,Kingstonthinks
hermotherdidnot do a goodenoughjob. Shedescribesherdifficultiescommunicatingwithothersas
a littlegirl, beginningwiththetimein gradeschoolwhenshewouldpaintoverherowndrawingsin
thickblackpaint.WhereasBraveOrchidwasaggressivelyoutspokenandloud,likemanyChinese
women, Kingstonwasa shyandtimidgirl,hervoice"broken"andcrackedwithshame.Shetriedto
makeherselfseem"American-feminine"by talkingaslittleas possible.
Ingradeschool, Kingstonfixatesona silentChinesegirlinherclasswhohardlyspeaksat all,exceptto
readaloud. Kingstonfiercelyhatesthisgirl,in largepartbecausetheyrankso closeto eachotheron
theclasspopularityscale—prettymuchlastandnextto last—andalsobecausetheybothfollowthe
silentgirl'soldersisteraround.Onetime,whiletheyareplaying,Kingstonfindsherselfalonewiththe
quietgirl.Shebeginsto tormentthegirl—pullingon herhair,pinchinghercheek,callingher
names—ina desperateattemptto getthegirlto speak.Thegirldoesnot speak,onlystandsthereand
criesasKingstoncruellyteasesherforwhatseemsto bean incrediblylongtime.Kingstonispunished
forhercruelty,shebelieves, whenshecomesdownwitha strangeillnessthatkeepsherina hospital
bedin herhousedayandnightforthenextyearanda half.

41. Kingstonwrites about some of the other eccentrics in her community: "CrazyMary," a
girl wholost her mind afterher parentsleft her behindin China; "Pee-A-Nah," the
village idiot and witchwhoterrorizes Kingston and the other children; and an
intellectuallydisabled boy whofollows her around, hangingaroundher parents'
laundry whenever Kingston is workingthere.Kingstonis obsessive about these
personalities because she herself feelslike the crazyperson in her house—hearing and
answeringvoices in her mind and constantlyhaving baddreams. She fears her parents'
designs to betrothher to an "FOB,"or "fresh-off-the-boat" Chinese man. She therefore
deliberatelymakes herself seemeven weirderwhenthese suitors are aroundthe
house—breaking dishes, spilling the soup, pretendingto limp. Soon, however,
Kingstonbecomes paranoidthat the communitywilltry to matchher up withthe
intellectuallydisabled boy.

42. Kingston'sintroversionas a littlegirlleadsherto buildinherminda listof thingsthatsheyearnsto
tellhermother.Sheresolvesto tellhermotherthislistina methodicalfashion,oneitema dayfor
nearlya year. However,afteronlythefirstcoupleof "confessions"—sheonce killeda spider,for
instance—hermotherlosespatienceandtellsherto be quiet.Finally, whenKingstoncanno longer
keepherlistbottledin—herthroatfeelsterrible,asif hervocalchordsareaboutto burstfromallof
thewordsstuckin there—sheletsgo a torrentof verbalabuseuponhermother.Sheaccusesher
motherof lyingwhenshetalk-stories, of tryingto makeher"a wifeanda slave,"of tryingto keepher
fromtalking.Hermotherrespondsby angrilycallinghera "HoChi Kuei"(HoChiGhost),a name
Kingstoncannotfigureout,butbelievescouldmeana "GoodFoundationGhost"—apersonwhohas
alltheadvantagesof beingborninAmerica.
At theendof thechapter,Kingstonlooksbackon herchildhoodwitha criticaldistancethatcanonly
comefrommaturity.Sheproudlycombinesone of hermother'stalk-stories,abouthergrandmother,
withherown:the storyof thepoetessTs'aiYen,whowascapturedby barbariansandbroughtbackthe
popularChinesehymn"A Songfora BarbarianReedPipe."

43. THANK YOU SO MUCH