Plot OverviewWord格式文档下载.docx

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（1988）afterreturningtoCaliforniawithherhusband.In1990,KingstonbeganteachingatBerkeley.

receivedwidepraisedfromcriticsandwontheNationalBookCriticsCircleAwardfornonfiction.Itsappealcutacrossawidevarietyacademicdisciplines,attractingboththoseinterestedinpostmoderntechniquesofautobiographyandthoseinterestedinstoriesofculturaldisplacementandalienation.Forscholarsofautobiography,Kingston'

sstoryrepresentsanimportantbreakfrompastwritings;

hercomplex,multi-layeredandquasi-fictionalnarrativefliesinthefaceoftraditionalautobiographies,whichtendtofollowalinear-chronologicalpatternandmaintainastablenarrator—an"

I"

—throughout.Kingston'

smemoir,ontheotherhand,isablendingofvoicesandstyles,oftencontradictory,thatusemanyofthetechniquesofpostmodernism:

ambiguity,incoherence,pluralism,andirony.

Kingstonhasreceivedsomecriticismforpurportingtorepresentthe"

typical"

experienceofChinese-Americans,andinothercasesfortakingtraditionalmaterialandchangingittosuitherownneeds.OnesourceofthelattercriticismisthestoryofFaMuLan,atraditionalChinesemythaboutagirlwhotooktheplaceofherfatherinbattle.Inthe"

WhiteTigers"

sectionof 

TheWomanWarriorKingstonaddsandincorporateselementsfromothermythstocreateanentirelynewfantasyfromthestoryofFaMuLan.Forherpart,Kingstonclaimsthatsheneverintendedsuchstoriestobeeitherrepresentativeoraccurate.Furthermore,wemustkeepinmindthat 

isnotachronicleofChinesecultureortraditions,butsimplyareflectionoftheexperienceofoneChinese-Americanfarremovedfromthecultureandtraditionsaboutwhichsheiswriting.

ThoughKingston'

sworkmaynotbeuniversallyrepresentative,itdoesofferaglimpseintotherealitiesoflifeformanyChineseemigrantstoAmericaandtheirchildren.Asearlyasthe1840s,ChineseimmigrantshadbeenarrivinginAmericainsearchofbetterlives,drivenfromtheirhomecountrybywidespreadpovertyandattractedbypossibilitiesinthenewAmericanWest.However,likemanyotherethnicgroupsenteringAmericaatthetime,theimmigrantsfacedsocial,economic,andlegaldiscriminationthatlimitedtheirrightsandopportunities,keepingmostofthemlivingtogetherinpocketsofChinesecommunitiessuchastheareainStocktonwhereKingstongrewup.WomensuchasBraveOrchid,whohadoncebeenadoctorinherowncountry,wereforcedtotoilinsweatshopsorbecomelaundryworkers—someofthefewjobsavailabletoChinese-Americanswellintothetwentiethcentury.

Kingston'

smemoirfindsitswayontothesyllabiofmanywomen'

sstudiescoursesforthegenderissuesitraises,especiallyregardingtheroleofwomenintraditionalChinesesociety.BraveOrchidembodiesanarchetypalChineseattitudeofself-denialandself-abnegationforthegoodofthecommunity—theveryqualitiesthat"

No-NameWoman"

lacks.Kingston'

smemoirisfurtherpepperedwithreferencestothesubjugationofwomeninChinesecultureandtradition,suchastheoft-repeatedphrase"

bettertohavegeesethangirls."

isasmuchaboutKingston'

sfindingvoiceandstrengthasanindependentwomanwithinthistradition,andhowtoreconcilethenotionofChinesewife-slavewiththetalk-storiesaboutswordswomenandshamans.

Though 

easilystandsonitsown,Kingstondidintendittobereadinconjunctionwith 

ChinaMen, 

hercompanionpiecepublishedfouryearslater.WhilethefirstworktellsthestoriesoftheimportantwomeninKingston'

slife,withthemenrelegatedtothebackground,thesecondfocusesonKingston'

sfather,andthuscompletingthepictureofKingston'

schildhood.Kingstonalsobelievesthatshefindsmoreofavoicein 

andthatinordertoappreciate 

itishelpfultoreadwhatshefeelsishermoreaccomplishedtext.Still,itisthefirstmemoirthatusuallyappearsonhighschoolandcollegesyllabiorinanthologies.Themostpopularchaptersinanthologiestendtobethefirsttwo,"

and"

WhiteTigers."

focusesonthestoriesoffivewomen—Kingston'

slong-deadaunt,"

;

amythicalfemalewarrior,FaMuLan;

Kingston'

smother,BraveOrchid;

saunt,MoonOrchid;

andfinallyKingstonherself—toldinfivechapters.ThechaptersintegrateKingston'

slivedexperiencewithaseriesoftalk-stories—spokenstoriesthatcombineChinesehistory,myths,andbeliefs—hermothertellsher.

Thefirstchapter,"

No-NameWoman,"

beginswithonesuchtalk-story,aboutanauntKingstonneverknewshehad.Becausethisaunthadbroughtdisgraceuponherfamilybyhavinganillegitimatechild,shekilledherselfandherbabybyjumpingintothefamilywellinChina.Afterhearingthestory,whichistoldtoherasawarning,Kingstonisneverallowedtomentionherauntaloudagain,soshedecidestocreateahistoryofherauntinhermemoir.Sheimaginesthewaysthatherauntattractedasuitor,comparingheraunt'

sactionsofquietrebellionagainstthecommunitytoherownrebellion.Kingstonalsorecreatesheraunt'

shorribleexperienceofgivingbirthinapigstyandimaginesheraunt'

sghostwalkingaroundwithnoonetogiveitgifts,aswasChinesecustom.Intheend,Kingstonisunsurewhethersheisdoingjusticetoheraunt'

smemoryorjustservingherownneeds.

"

isbasedonanothertalk-story,oneaboutthemythicalfemalewarriorFaMuLan.FaMuLan,whosestoryistoldthroughKingston'

sfirst-personnarrative,trainstobecomeawarriorfromthetimesheissevenyearsold,thenleadsanarmyofmen—evenpretendingtobeamanherself—againsttheforcesofacorruptbaronandemperor.Afterherbattlesareover,shereturnstobeawifeandmother.ThestoryofFaMuLaniscontrastedsharplywithKingston'

sownlifeinAmerica,inwhichshecanbarelystanduptoherracistbosses.Kingstonrealizes,however,thatherweaponsareherwords.

Shaman"

focusesonKingston'

smother,BraveOrchid,andheroldlifebackinChina.BraveOrchidwasapowerfuldoctor,midwife,and,accordingtothetalk-story,destroyerofghostsbackinhervillage.ToayoungKingston,BraveOrchid'

spastisasastoundingasitisterrifying,andmanyoftheimagesfromhermother'

stalk-story—Chinesebabieslefttodie,slavegirlsbeingboughtandsold,awomanstonedtodeathbyhervillagers—hauntKingston'

sdreamsforyearstocome.Attheendofthechapter,Maxinevisitshermotherafterbeingawayformanyyears.Thetwoarriveatsomekindofunderstandingaftermanyyearsofdisagreementandconflict,andBraveOrchidiswarmandaffectionatetowardsherdaughterforthefirsttimeinthememoir.

Thetitleof"

AttheWesternPalace"

referstoanotherofBraveOrchid'

stalk-stories,aboutanemperorwhohadfourwives.ItisananalogyforhersisterMoonOrchid'

ssituation:

MoonOrchid'

shusband,nowasuccessfulLosAngelesdoctor,hadleftherbehindinChinaandremarriedinAmerica.BraveOrchidurgeshersisterintoadisastrousconfrontationwiththemantodemandherdueashiswife.Asaresult,MoonOrchid,whodoesnotspeakawordofEnglish,islefttofendforherselfinAmerica.SheeventuallygoescrazyanddiesinaCaliforniastatementalasylum.

Thefinalchapterofthememoir,"

ASongforaBarbarianReedPipe,"

isaboutKingstonherself.Thissectionfocusesmainlyonherchildhoodandteenageyears,depictingherangerandfrustrationintryingtoexpressherselfandattemptingtopleaseanunappreciativemother.ThereareanumberofcharacterswhosepersonalitieshighlightmanyofherKingston'

sowncharacteristics,includingasilentChinesegirlwhomKingstontormentsasalittlegirl.Inapivotalmomentinthechapter,Kingston,afterunsuccessfullytryingtoexpressherfeelingsoneatatime,eruptsathermotherwithatorrentofcomplaintsandcriticisms.Laterinherlife,however,Kingstoncomestoappreciatehermother'

stalk-stories.Attheendofthechaptersheeventellsoneherself:

thestoryofTs'

aiYen,awarriorpoetesscapturedbybarbarianswhoreturnstotheChinesewithsongsfromanotherland.ItisafittingconclusiontoatextinwhichKingstoncombinesverydifferentworldsandculturesandcreateaharmonyofherown.

CharacterList

MaxineHongKingston 

- 

Theauthorandnarratorof 

TheWomanWarrior.Kingstonrelatesbothherownmemoirandthestoriesofwomenrelatedorlinkedtoherinsomeway:

hermother,heraunt（MoonOrchid）,No-NameWoman,andmythicalcharacterssuchasFaMuLan.ThoughKingstonisthenarrator,shesharestheprotagonistrolewithhermother.Hermemoriesofownlifedonotfigureprominentlyuntilthefinalchapter,"

inwhichshegrowsoutofthefrustrationsofherchildhoodandfindsherownvoice.

BraveOrchid 

smother,whose"

talk-stories"

aboutChineselifeandtraditionshauntKingstonlikeghostsfromanotherworld.BraveOrchidisaproudandintelligentwomanwhocomesoffasbothgentleandcruelinequalpartsinthememoir.Sheappearsthroughoutthebookbutfiguresmostprominentlyin"

Shaman,"

whichdepictsherlifeinChinaasadoctorandawoman