Fight And Reconciliation With "ghosts" In The Woman Warrior

Maxine Hong Kingston, as a second generation of Chinese Americans, has a dual status of Chinese American female writer, which causes her to suffer from dual oppressions of sexism and racism from Chinatown as well as from the American society. She wrote The Woman Warrior from a feminist and international angle. This book has shocked the contemporary American literary circle by its unique narrative technique and unusual characters and stories. The Woman Warrior enables Maxine Hong Kingston to become one of the most influential Chinese American writers.This thesis includes Introduction, four chapters and Conclusion.The Introduction of this thesis makes a survey of Maxine Hong Kingston's life and the contents of The Woman Warrior, summarizes briefly the research on this book among the academic circles both at home and abroad, and then presents the main arguments of this thesis.Chapter One decodes the image of "the ghosts" in The Woman Warrior, and points out that the understanding of the meaning of "ghosts" is not single but diversified. Anything exotic or strange that can generate fear and anxiety could be fancied as a ghost. The arguments focus on "Ghost-Like Old China" and "Ghost-Like America" with the analysis of their indications, pointing out that "the ghosts" represents not only the oppression on the females from the male-superior thought in the traditional Chinese culture but also the racial discrimination and oppression in the American mainstream society.Chapter Two discusses in-depth causes of "the ghosts". One cause is the sexual discrimination in Chinatown, and the women's suffering from it evolves gradually into "the ghost" in their heart; another is the mental scar caused by racism and Orientalism in the American mainstream society, which also becomes "the ghost"Chapter Three emphasizes that Kingston is not satisfied to merely reveal the sexual oppression and the racial discrimination imposed on the Chinese American women. Moreover, through telling the stories of "the ghosts", she shows her courage and confidence to fight against the sexual oppression and racial discrimination. Chapter Four mainly argues that the doubly marginalized Kingston is doubly burdened to rebel against sexism and racism. With duel heritages, her fight can't be too radical to reject the Chinese immigrant community and the white-dominated society. She can't but resort to reconciliation between the two sexes, and the two cultures.The Conclusion points out that Kingston has no choice but to reconcile between the two sexes and the two cultures. To build a harmonious world is the ultimate and glorious goal for Maxine Hong Kingston.