Women Empowerment Depicted in Maxine Hong Kingston’s...

As newer generations take on the responsibility of passing down their people’s history and culture, ancestral costumes are maintained but altered to suit current social standards. Through Maxine Hong Kingston’s autobiography The Woman Warrior, a memoir of myths and her mother’s narratives, the author is given a sense of empowerment as she discovers her own identity and, thus, her place in the world. Growing up, Kingston struggled with her dual heritage, not knowing whether to follow her family’s Chinese customs or live up to American society’s cultural and social norms. As a Chinese American, Kingston adapted the principles of these two distinct cultures to suit her own lifestyle, this led to her dual oppression by both American and†¦show more content†¦I would have to grow up to be a warrior woman† (Kingston 20) Brave Orchid discreetly introduced her daughters to victorious female characters, allowing them to find an inspiration f or their future. Although Brave Orchid constantly spoke of the need for submissiveness, she contradicted it by becoming a prestigious female Chinese doctor. Upon migrating to the U.S., Brave Orchid retired from her practice but she continued to value education; she showed her medical diploma on rare occasions to maintain its value. As Kingston recalls, â€Å"Once in a long while, four times so far for me, my mother brings out the metal tube that holds her medical diploma† (Kingston 57). Although Brave Orchid did not continue her practice in the U.S, she values her diploma because it is her way of stating her independence and intelligence. Unconsciously, Brave Orchid aided Kingston in the process of discovering her voice and independence and this led to Kingston’s desire to become a scholar. By confronting her mother, Kingston discovers a voice that had been yearning to project all of its desires and aspirations for the future. Kingston says â€Å"I’m smart. I can do all kinds of things. I can get A’s, and they say I can be a scientist or a mathematician if I want. I can make a living and take care of myself.† (Kingston 201). By discovering her voice and confronting her mother,