The Woman Warrior was written by Maxine Hong Kingston in 1975. It is neither wholly fictional nor an autobiography, but rather a mix of both. In any case, her work stands as an example of postmodernism in American Literature.
Through this novel, Kingston explores ethnicity and gender roles, especially in the context of her experience as a Chinese-American woman. The book is divided into five chapters: "No Name Woman"; "White Tigers"; "Shaman"; "At the Westen Palace" ; and "A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe." In "No Name Woman" Kingston describes the suicide of her aunt after she gave birth to an illegitimate child. In "White Tigers" she creates a fantastic allegory in which she describes her adolescence. She imagines herself as legendary Chinese woman warrior, Fa Mulan [1]. In "Shaman" she describes her mother's experience in Chinese medical school. She mixes fantasy and autobiography, detailing her mother's physical and mental battles with spirits and ghosts. In "At the Western Palace" she describes her aunt's mental breakdown after she emigrates to the United States from China. Finally in "A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe" she describes her childhood experiences in the California public school system, and her parents' attitudes toward her.
The Woman Warrior was published by Vintage International [2].
See also Frank Chin [3] for another take on Chinese-American literature, especially with regard to gender relations.
ISBN: 0679721886
