In the story The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston, sexism is shown as a key factor in the Chinese society, revealed through the trials an innocent woman faces; this story relates to today’s world in that many women today are mistreated on a regular basis simply because of their gender. There were a number of conflicts such as culture clashes, tradition, sexism, insanity, etc. One conflict that was consistent in the story was sexism. Sexism is not only a major conflict in the book, but in the world we live in today. Women have been treated differently since the beginning of time, and this book is an ideal example of it. It is, as The New York Times says, “A remarkable book…As an account of growing up female and Chinese-American in California, …show more content…
in a laundry of course, it is anti-nostalgic; it burns the fat right out of the mind. As a dream—of the ‘female avenger’ it is dizzying, elemental, a poem turned into a sword.” Maxine Hong Kingston, the author of the book, did an exceptional job at telling the stories of the women related or linked to her in some way. Sexism is common in many cultures. Women were abused daily, and still are. They are considered a sign of weakness and others think that it is normal to mistreat them. What many don’t understand is that women are warriors. That is where the title of the book comes from. The story focuses on the stories of five women- Kingston’s long-dead aunt, “No-Name Woman”, a mythical female warrior, “Fa Mu Lan”, Kingston’s mother, “Brave Orchid”, Kingston’s aunt, “Moon Orchid”, and Kingston herself—told in five chapters. The stories combine Chinese history, beliefs and myths, told by her mother. The first chapter begins with a story about an aunt Kingston never knew about. Because this aunt brought disgrace upon her family and the town by giving birth to the child of her rapist, she killed herself and her baby by jumping into the family well. What’s especially mind boggling about this chapter, is that many thought “No-Name Woman” had cheated on her husband. This was because she was pregnant even though her husband hadn’t seen her in months. No one had even thought about asking for her side of the story. After hearing this story as a warning, Kinston was told never to mention her aunt aloud again. She imagines the ways that her aunt attracted men, comparing her aunts actions of rebellion against her own rebellion. She also recreates her aunt’s horrible experience of giving birth and imagines her ghost walking around. In the end, Kingston is unsure whether she is dong justice to her aunt’s memory or serving her own needs. “White Tigers” is about the mythical female warrior, “Fa Mu Lan”.
She trains to become a warrior from the time she is seven years old, through the help of others. She then leads an army of men-even pretending to be a man herself- against the forces of a corrupt emperor. Although she is a women, she is stronger than more than half the men in the army. She is able to lead an entire army and protect them, as well. After the battle is over, she returns to be a mother and wife. This shows precisely how strong women really are and the problems they can overcome. The story of Fa Mu Lan is extremely similar to Kingston’s own life in America, where she can hardly stand up to her many racist and sexist bosses. One thing I realized from reading this chapter is that a women’s strongest weapon is her words. Many of the older women also defend the men. Because of how long the belief of sexism has existed, many women think it’s normal for men to treat women the way they they do. It’s not until the new generation is born, that changes are made. they start to ask questions, and learn right from wrong. They change the society in ways never imagined before. Without any form of violence, women have changed the world. It is, as The Washington Post said, “Intense, fierce and disturbing…strange, sometimes savagely terrifying and, in the literal sense, wonderful story.” The story has a real chilling effect but teaches a great lesson which is that no one, men and/or women, should be treated …show more content…
differently. Women have it harder in many environments. In the world we live in today, much has changed for women. But in the past, life was nothing for the women as it is today. Women were not allowed to vote, get a job, stand up for themselves, protect themselves, or be happy in what they believe in. This is because of the cultural beliefs. They are no longer expected to be housewives and they can vote and have the same rights as a man, but, society is still mostly dictated by men. There are still cases of women getting paid less than men for doing the same job. Most countries have never even had a women prime minister/president. Basically, sexism still exists, but only because of simple minded people. “Shaman” is about Kingston’s mother, Brave Orchid, and her old life. Orchid was a doctor, midwife, and destroyer of ghosts back in her village. To a young Kingston, Orchid’s past is terrifying. Chinese babies were left to die, slave girls were being bought and sold, and a woman was stoned to death by her villagers. In the past, women being stoned to death was extremely common in many cultures. The number one reason for being stoned, was for a woman committing adultery. If a man was to do the same, he would be praised. All of this haunts Kingston’s dreams for many years. Finally, at the end of the chapter, Kingston visits her mother after many years. The two arrive at some kind of understanding after many years, and Orchid is affectionate towards her daughter for the first time in the story. “At the Western Palace” is about an emperor who had four wives.
It is an analogy for Brave’s sister, Moon Orchid. Moon’s husband, who is now a successful doctor in L.A., had left her behind in China and remarried in America. Brave urges her to confront him for all the pain he has caused her. As a result, Moon, who does not speak a word of English, is left alone in America. She then goes crazy and dies in a California state mental asylum. The final chapter, “A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe”, is about Kingston herself. It focuses on her childhood and teenage years, depicting her frustration in trying to please her mother. In a moment, Kingston erupts at her mother with a torrent of complaints. However, later in life, Kingston comes to appreciate her mother’s stories. It is a fitting conclusion to a text in which Kingston combines very different cultures and creates a harmony of her
own. There will always be sexism, racism, and discrimination. To believe that any of these will end is foolish because, sadly, there will always be people who believe that they are better than others. Sexism is still a major part of our culture, sadly. It is not something you learn at a young age, it is something that is preached and shown everywhere we go. It is so deep in our culture that many people don't even recognize it when they see it. 28% of women overall say they’ve experience discrimination. Women are often made to feel like being groped, leered at, and shouted at in the streets is normal and that they shouldn’t complain about it, but be lucky that such a man would give them attention. People need to stop making excuses for the way women are treated and accept the fact that women are just as strong and talented as men are. Advertisements have long been sexist towards women, portraying them as subordinate to men. The real question here is when will changes be made? What is it going to take for people to realize just how powerful a women really is?
In the novel The Woman Warrior Maxine Hong Kingston uses ghosts to represent a battle between American and Chinese cultures. The two cultures have different views of what a ghost is. The Chinese believe the ghost spirits may be of people dead or alive. Chinese culture recognizes foreigners and unfamiliar people as ghosts because, like American ghosts, they are mysterious creatures of the unknown. Americans view ghosts as spirits of the dead that either help or haunt people. American ghosts may or may not be real. There spirits are there but physical appearance is a mystery.
The united States Declaration of independence states that all men are equal, but aren’t all women as well? Nowadays, the numbers for the population are at an increase for the support in gender equality, with the capture of feminist labels. The seek for equality between men and women, and criticize the privileges that arouse by gender differences. However in Old China, males control almost everything due to a patriarchal society. At that time, not only men, but also women are influenced by male chauvinism. In the Jade Peony, written by Wayson Choy, female characters are affected by an unequal perspective despite their age group.
Throughout reading this novel, my thought on transgender and transsexual individuals was pretty set and stone. For example, I knew from reading the textbook that a transgender is a person that is born—in Jenny’s case—a male, but was psychologically and emotionally born a female. However, Jenny took things one-step further and became a transsexual, which is an individual that underwent surgery to obtain the genitals that match the psychological and emotional gender within, which in her case was a female. Therefore, Jenny Finney Boylan would be considered a transsexual female. What I did not know prior to reading this book is how tedious the process is to make a sex change. To be honest I never thought about the process a transsexual needed to go through to become one’s self, I did not think about the many steps taken to obtain the voice, or look of a female that Jenny was striving for. I also did not think about the surgery, and how scary that type of surgery could actually be. For example, on page 124 Jennifer is discussing the process of transition with her psychologist, Dr. Strange. On this page Dr. Strange is beginning to inform Jenny, and essentially myself, on how to begin the transition of becoming a female. First Dr. Strange was listing off the effects the hormones will have on Jenny’s body, and I first they made sense to me; softer skin, fluffier hair, but I never knew the physical changes hormones could have on someone, especially a man. For instance, I learned that there is such a thing called “fat migration.” This is when the fat on previous parts of your body migrates to another location. I learned from this novel that fat migration is a result of hormones, and since Jenny was once a man, her face would become less r...
Women in America have been described as “domestic household slaves” referring to their status in society. Do the documents support this assertion? If so what is the evidence?
Women usually worked as secretaries or on the assembly line because “bosses felt that young women were more diligent and easier to manage” (p. 56). Men, however, were either in a high managing position in the factory or worked in the lowest of jobs available, such as a security guard or driver. It was interesting to learn that about one-third of all of China’s migrants are women. These women go to the factory towns to work, but also, a majority of them leave their homes to see the world and experience life on their own for the first time. Chang makes a point that “to some extent, this deep-rooted sexism worked in a woman’s favor” (p. 57). The statement is supported by the idea that women are less treasured in their families; therefore, they had more freedom to do what they wanted with little care from the family. Shockingly, Chang noticed that no woman ever complained about unfair treatment. “They took all of these injustices in stride” (p.58). The women were grateful for the opportunity leave home and gain a sense of freedom; injustice was not a prominent
The contentious little book titled Women, Power, Politics maintains politics to be devalued, acknowledging the fact that only few people do vote, and women are unable to achieve within the realm of Canadian politics. Sylvia Bashevkin, the author of the book argues that Canadians have a profound unease with women in positions of political authority, what she calls the "women plus power equals discomfort" equation. She evaluates a range of barriers faced by women who enter politics, including the media's biased role of representing the private lives of women in politics, and she wonders why citizens find politics is underrepresented in Canada compared to Belgium. In clear, accessible terms, Bashevkin explains her ideas on how to eliminate “low voters turn-out,” “devaluation of politics,” "gender schemas," and "media framing.” She outlines some compelling solutions to address the stalemate facing women in Canadian politics which are; contesting media portrayals, changing the rule of the game, improving legislative quotas, electoral reform, movement renewals, and so on. This response paper would addresses the reality of a political mainstream, actions which should be taken against the oppressive elements of reality, and the awareness it brings through economic, social, and political environment.
Early Chinese women and modern American women have more in common than one may think. Unfortunately, they both sell themselves short, not realizing the potential that they hold and by letting men control the world that they live in. Unlike the earlier times in America when women were appreciated for their contributions to the world, women in these stories and modern America try to please men and be equal to them. Like Lady Han is portrayed in the story "The Boot Reveals the Culprit," a silly woman after silly dreams. There is no credibility to the actions of women in these two time periods in these two different places. They are only objectified instead of personified, given little thought to what they think or feel - which is the worst case of anti-feminism there is.
There are obvious differences within our two cultures and the way we depict gender roles. These differences show themselves in the work force, the distinct tasks performed in the home, and the privileges one receives in society. In the work force, the women of America hold many positions of importance, relatively speaking (I know that's a whole other essay). They are usually treated as equals with men and there are few jobs from which they are excluded, again for the sake of argument. In China, women are expected to stay at home and are not permitted to be in a work force that is held exclusively for men. They are assigned the role of housewives and must stay at home to clean the house and raise the children. Women in America receive education that will prepare them for the high paying jobs of a professional, all while the women in China are obeying the orders from their husbands and culture. The films portrayal of these particular gender roles are very evident. We can't forget however, that this was a western made film and in my opinion I feel that it tends to exaggerate the gender roles. I'm not saying that they are not present, because there is a definite inequality. I just keep in mind that it is a film and has to have an audience appealing theme.
...ime. Majority of the women in the novel overcame the tough traditions of women treatment in ancient Chinese culture. The ancient Chinese culture believed that women should fall under patriarchy and strict ethics. This gave women no opportunity to move up the social class ladder. Being treated poorly effected would often affect women. Women like Lindo represent the power of escaping the oppressive atmosphere. Lindo decided to leave when she saw the Huang couldn’t control her anymore. Women had to be able to find their own independent identity. Ying-Ying is an example of this since she always wished to be found by someone, but inevitably she realized that she was her solution to finding her wholeness. Today modern women can express their thoughts, independence, and creativity. Aid should be continually provided for liberating women from oppression and discrimination.
In multiple instances throughout the film, female characters violate gender norms by acting as both warriors and leaders because they are adapting typically masculine traits. In the film, women are the majority of the labor force in Iron Town. Men are merely there to do the labor that needs the most physical power. “Americans oversimplify Japanese women as demure, submissive, and oppressed” (Kyu Hyun, 2002, 38). This quote shows that the stereotype of women in Japanese culture was just like the western perspective where they were below men.
Great people often arise from unlikely places. During the civil war women were barred from serving in the army; however, women did sometimes disguise themselves as men and enlisted in both the Confederate and Union armies. During the Civil War years of 1861 to 18-65, soldiers under arms mailed countless letters home from the front. There are multiple accounts of women serving in military units during the Civil War, but a majority of these incidents are extremely hard to verify. Nevertheless, there is the one well-documented incident of the female Civil War soldier by the name of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman.
The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston portrays the complicated relationship between her and her mother, while growing up as a Chinese female in an American environment. She was surrounded by expectations and ideals about the inferior role that her culture imposed on women. In an ongoing battle with herself and her heritage, Kingston struggles to escape limitations on women that Chinese culture set. However, she eventually learns to accept both cultures as part of who she is. I was able to related to her as a Chinese female born and raised in America. I have faced the stereotypes and expectations that she had encountered my whole life and I too, have learned to accept both my Chinese and American culture.
The early part of the novel shows women’s place in Chinese culture. Women had no say or position in society. They were viewed as objects, and were used as concubines and treated with disparagement in society. The status of women’s social rank in the 20th century in China is a definite positive change. As the development of Communism continued, women were allowed to be involved in not only protests, but attended universities and more opportunities outside “house” work. Communism established gender equality and legimated free marriage, instead of concunbinage. Mao’s slogan, “Women hold half of the sky”, became extremely popular. Women did almost any job a man performed. Women were victims by being compared to objects and treated as sex slaves. This was compared to the human acts right, because it was an issue of inhumane treatment.
As the realization of women as an exploited group increases, the similarity of their position to that of racial and ethnic groups becomes more apparent. Women are born into their sexual identity and are easily distinguished by physical and cultural characteristics. In addition, women now identify that they are all sufferers of an ideology (sexism) that tries to justify their inferior treatment.
"A Woman’s Place", the name of the commencement speech given by Naomi Wolf at the Scripps College graduation in 1992; contrasts the independent and the dependent woman. In today’s society, there are two different types of women: the woman who has a good head on her shoulders and knows where she is going in the world, and the woman who seeks dependence within the masculine world. Just as they were thirty years ago, women are still not considered to be equal to men. They are more or less looked at as being second to men.