From The "Other" To The "Warrior" -Interpretation Of Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior

The Woman Warrior-Memoirs of a Girlhood among Ghosts was the first great success of Maxine Hong Kingston, the famous Chinese American writer. The book has been drawing considerable attention among a great number of critics and readers, since its publication in 1976.The Woman Warrior has gained a reputation as a classical literary text, and it has been introduced at the college level in courses in literature, anthropology, women studies and ethnic studies. This thesis is devoted to understanding how this book discloses the realities of the life of Chinese American women and Chinese Americans in a patriarchal and white-dominated society and to exploring the meaning implied in the "woman warrior" and the "memoirs of a girlhood among ghosts", based on the points of view in women's writing and ethnic writing using a detailed reading and contextual analysis.The first part of this thesis addresses the issue of gender oppression and racial discrimination exposed in the talk-stories by applying the term "Other". Since women in a male-dominated society, and colored minorities are usually regarded as the silent, disadvantaged and marginalized groups, and are often thought of as being outside of the mainstream of society, the term "Other" is applied to both groups indicate the common bond of the disadvantaged women and Chinese Americans. The ghost image in the unusual subtitle also hints at their difficult situation: a frightened psychology in a frightening and unfamiliar world.The second part focuses on an analysis of the implications of "the woman warrior": how the meaning of "woman warrior" is revealed in each chapter, and who the warrior is in each story inside and outside of the book. Placing the attribute "woman" in front of "warrior" changes the meaning of each andemphasizes the distinctive images of a female warrior. The sense of how the words "woman warrior" are used is revealed by the context. The designation "Woman Warrior" conveys a profound meaning. Compared to the "ghost" in the subtitle which stimulates a kind of frightening and depressing psychology, the "warrior" in the title impresses its readers with a sense of bravery, persistence and intelligence.A woman warrior in the book shoulders the tasks of fighting against gender oppression and racial discrimination, as well as shouldering the task of saving a nation, as male heroes usually do. To be more specific, women must fight against these prejudices to achieve their proper identity and to decide their own fate.The success of the book marks a breakthrough in American literature. Its influence and significance encourages more publications from Chinese American writers, and arouses greater concern for Chinese Americans. It is the first time for "the clear and successful articulation of Chinese people in America". Even though, this book is primarily about the stories of Chinese American women, as a milestone in Chinese American literature, it transcends the level of a female writer's point of view, and also addresses the more universal female issue of the identity and the inferior positions of Chinese American people. As well, the study of Chinese American literature will help us to understand in the history of Chinese Americans and to better understand their images, their bitterness, their happiness, their sufferings, and their achievements.