‘Woman Warrior’ a groundbreaking book

Coming out in 1976, at a time when there was not much contemporary literature relating to the experience of Asian-American girls, Maxine Hong Kingston’s novel The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts was revolutionary for its time.

The Woman Warrior tells the story of the author’s coming of age as both a young girl and as a first-generation Chinese-American. Taking place in two worlds — the fantasy of her mother’s “talk stories” and her own life as an immigrant girl growing up in California — Kingston’s novel offers a new spin and perspective on the reality of growing up AsianAmerican. The book is divided into five chapters, each integrating a mythical Chinese story told to her by her mother. The narrative revolves around five characters: “No Name Woman,” the protagonist’s long-dead aunt; her other aunt, Moon Orchid; the Chinese warrior Fa Mu Lan; the protagonist’s mother, Brave Orchid; and finally, the protagonist herself.

The novel paved the road for so many Asian-American writers, especially female ones, to share their own perspectives, as they know there are people who will relate to and gain from their stories. The novel gives a voice to immigrants and women as well as young girls working to discover themselves and their own identities, Asian girls included. Kingston’s tale is one that should resonate with many young women because it relates the culture and heritage of one’s family with one’s personal experience in finding her place in the world. It might make you feel as if you are a “woman warrior” with the ability to choose your own fate — a sentiment that anyone can and should take to heart.

Natalia Payne is a freshman at Santa Fe High School. Contact her at nataliapayne@icloud.com.