Analyze Kingston’s Work in ‘No Name Woman’

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Analyze Kingston’s Work in ‘No Name Woman’
In “No Name Woman” tale, the author is a first generation Chinese-American woman. Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds” is also a story of conflicting mother and daughter over cultural differences (Tan 4). The theme of voice and silence stands out in the two stories. The silence depicts the place of women in the Chinese culture; they are denied self-expression and are not empowered to defend themselves. The woman is expected to follow everything as ordered without question. The aunt in “No Name Woman” is silent about the father of her baby that is born out of wedlock despite the heavy punishment that comes her way (Kingston 14). For about twenty years Kingston keeps silent about what happened to her aunt, and she is guilty about it (Kingston 16). She conforms to the Chinese cultural expectations afraid of losing her identity. The guilt comes as a result of modernism. She wants to speak up for the oppressed in the community that requires her to defy her mother’s orders (Cheung 167). The silence in the two stories also signifies the silence of the early Chinese American immigrants in American history.
The talk-story gives voice to the past by passing down traditions from the parents of the narrators. Thanks to the talk-story, we can learn about what happened to Kingston’s aunt as her mother narrates it to her. Through talk-story, the two characters Kingston and Jude break free from their oppression. They speak up against the cultural pressures pressing down on them by narrating their experiences (Hoad-Reddick 8).

Through the modern art of talk story, they become champions in the Chinese American community as they openly advocate for self-expression and empowerment for the Chinese women.

Works Cited
Cheung, King-Kok. ’Don’t Tell’: Imposed Silences In The Color Purple And The Woman Warrior. 2010, p.167 Accessed 29 Oct 2018.
 Hoad-Reddick, Kate. First Words: Speech And Silence In Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior And Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. 2010, p. 8, http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/essay-contest-previous/3.
Kingston, Maxine Hong. The Woman Warrior. Alfred A. Knopf, 1976, pp. 14-16.
Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club. Penguin, 2006.