Character Analysis of Brave Orchid in The Woman Warrior

吳楠（云南大學，云南 昆明 650091）

Part Ⅰ Introduction

The Woman Warrior is a master work of Maxine Hong Kingston.In the novel, the author tells five stories, which contain the life stories of four women: her aunt No Name Woman, her mother Brave Orchid, her mother's sister Moon Orchid and herself.Due to their different characters, these female characters have different fates.The character who attracts me most is Brave Orchid.She represents some characteristics of Women Warrior.Therefore, I would like to explore this character deeper.

Part Ⅱ Brave Orchid’s Role That She Was Socially Expected to Fulfill

2.1 The Modern Role of Brave Orchid: Diligent, Independent,Proud and Brave

In the third chapter Shaman, the novel mainly tells the story of Brave Orchid.Brave Orchid is the narrator’s mother.Brave Orchid went to study medical science when she was 37 years old.This was quite something at that time.On the one hand, she was not young any more, she was even old enough to be some classmates’ mother.On the other hand, she was a mother, even though she lost her two children.She has some modern traits.Firstly, she is diligent.Despite of her age,she studied so hard that she became the best among her classmates.Secondly, she wanted to be independent, to be a useful person and to have a meaningful life.She decided to learn medical science by herself.And in school, she didn't need to serve her mother

-in-law.She also gave up the privileges of having a servant girl.Thirdly, She is very proud and confident.When she went to the America,she also did a good job in laundry.She wanted to prove that she can support herself and be a good helper of her husband.Even in America,she would go out-call sometimes.Finally, She is very brave.In chapter 3, there is a scene that Brave Orchid fought against a ghost.In order to pacify her classmates' fear, she offered to sleep in the haunted dorm.In the night, she saw the ghost, but she didn't fear it.She said many words to encourage herself.And in the following day, she organized her classmates to expel the ghost.Although there are some fictional elements in Brave Orchid's story, it's really brave for her to fight against her fear.In the above sense, she is a woman warrior.

2.2 The Traditional Role of Brave Orchid: an Obedient Wife and Daughter

-in-Law, a Good Country Doctor

Brave Orchid's character is full of duplicity.On the one hand, she studied very hard to be a doctor.She is independent, proud, brave.On the other hand, she is an obedient wife and daughter- in-law.After she graduated from medical school, she went back home and became a country doctor.The villagers welcome her back by carrying her back in a sedan.She lived up to their expectations.She applied what she learned in school very well.She became reputable within a few years.However,after all she was a wife.When her husband wanted her to come to America, she went there regardless of her own thoughts.This may due to the deep-rooted male chauvinism in old China.They regarded women as the subsidiary of men.They believed the existence of women is to help men.Therefore the neglect of women's thoughts is a matter of course.Due to the way she was brought up with, she must think she has to satisfy her husband's needs and go there.After arriving in America,She worked very hard and gave birth to six more children for him.She fulfilled all the obligations to be a wife and and a daughter-in-law: being obedient, giving birth to children, and working hard.She also fulfilled an obligation as a country doctor for her villagers: She has profound medical technologies and she cured many patients.Therefore, she has some traditional traits.

2.3 Her Role in America: An “Other”

According to Two Asian Americas, because of the Gold Rush, the Chinese immigrants had the opportunity to get into the laundry business.At that time, racism was still prevalent in America.As for occupations,Chinese immigrants didn’t have too many choices.Brave Orchid ran a laundry business with her husband.They were very diligent.However,due to the Asiatic Coolieism, instead of thinking about their diligence,Americans may think that they should do this kind of job because of their inferior status.She couldn’t feel the friendship from Americans.And she would always be regarded as " other" by the fellow citizens.Even her own children couldn’t stand the way she speak and laugh aloud in public places.Therefore, in her eyes, all Americans are ghosts.Because of urban renewal, they lost their laundry shop, and the government only gave them a little compensation.Thus she called them Urban Renewal Ghosts.For her whole life, she cannot fully adjust to the American life.However, the fact that she struggled to make a living and to support her children in a hostile environment is praiseworthy.

Part Three Conclusion

The character of Brave Orchid has many aspects.She has some feudal thoughts, for example, she thinks that women are inferior to men.However, she has many traditional Chinese virtues: she is diligent,brave, and responsible for her children.What’s more, she possesses some modern virtues, for example, she is independent.When she was in China, she tried to be a country doctor and she didn’t want to serve her mother-in-law, which shows that she tried to challenge the feudal ethical codes.When she was in America, she didn’t admire the white culture and still love her Chinese identity, which shows that she tried to fight racism.Brave Orchid is a woman warrior the whole life.

Work Cited:

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