After reading Chapter 2, “White Tigers,” in Maxine Hong Kingston’s book “The Woman Warrior,” it helped me better comprehend what was happening in Chapter 1 and how confusing it was. It also demonstrates the key point that Maxine Hong Kingston is attempting to make in this chapter. By telling the heroic struggle of Fa Mu Lan, one of the Women Warriors from whom the memoir takes its name, the chapter illustrates a more positive tone in the author’s search for her Chinese American identity. As we continue reading the chapter, I hope that my explanations of some of the symbols Kingston uses will help you, the reader, gain a better grasp of it.
One of the key themes of this chapter is the empowerment of women and how they were mistreated in China, but a figure named Fa Mu Lan demonstrated how they could be equally as strong as men and just as effective leaders. On the first page of the chapter it states, “Perhaps women were once so dangerous that they had to have their feet bound. It was a women who invented white crane boxing only two hundred years ago. She was already an expert pole fighter, daughter of a teacher trained at the Shao-lin temple, where there lived an order of fighting monks” (Pg 19). When men felt they had great authority, you can observe the injustice and maltreatment of women in China. They wanted them to remain at home and take care of them, not even to consider raising an army or engaging in combat in any way. Listening to Fa Mu Lans story makes me upset because of how hard she had trained and how difficult it was to try and get to the point of a woman warrior and there could be so many more with the help of training. It is shown with this quote from the book, “ ‘What would you like to do?’ the old man asked. ‘You can go back right now if you like. You can go pull sweet potatoes, or you can stay with us and learn how to fight barbarians and bandits’ “ (Pg 22).
She ultimately chooses to remain with the two elderly people because she recognizes the freedom in it. She understands that if the training is successful and what they claim is true, she wouldn’t have to slave away but could instead develop into a leader and a warrior. After a long 15 years of training it was time to take back what was rightfully hers. So that people wouldn’t discover she was a woman and lose respect for her, she had to disguise herself to appear like a man. It worked and she began to gain a following of people that would help her on her quest to take over. After defeating everyone, Fa Mu Lan is reunited with her family. You can see the struggles Fa Mu Lan faced throughout the chapter as she worked to earn the respect she desired, but you can also see how proud of herself she was of herself once she finally succeeded in doing so because of the love and respect she had earned from others. Nevertheless, most women will never experience it since they are forced to work as slaves and are unable to showcase their talents. The book immediately made it clear to me that women in China are not treated equally to males.
Towards the end of the chapter it goes into how Maxine Hong Kingston reflects on her American life. She says her American life is a disappointment. As she went away to college in the 1960’s she wanted to change the world like Fa Mu Lan but not have to turn into a boy, but she wanted the treatment that boys get in China, for example her brother that gets welcomed with chickens and pigs. She uses her time in America to escape from the slave life she is used to living back in China. This quote explains it, “Even now, unless I’m happy, I burn the food when I cook. I do not feed people. I let the dirty dishes rot. I eat at other peoples tables but wont invite them to mine, where the dishes are rotting” (Pg 48). This quote shows how the American lifestyle is much simpler for a woman. If she didn’t want to do something she didn’t have to and she proved it, in China a woman couldn’t get away with that.
In conclusion, You definitely see the unfairness women in China are treated with but it is the warriors who make the name for themselves and rise above all. I hope you guys understand the chapter a little more with this information and feel free to comment and help me understand anything I might have misinterpreted or may not understand fully.
Discussion questions:
What role does Fa Mu Lan play in The Woman Warrior?
What significance does the rabbit’s self-immolation in “White Tigers” have for Fa Mu Lan?
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Hi Patrick! This chapter did give me more insight into the feministic revelations occurring for the author. Using Fa Mu Lan as the lens which to tell this story left an impact. It helps the reader understand just how dire the circumstances needed to be in order for a woman to excel in Chinese society. She had to abandon her family and encounter numerous dangerous trials over the span of years in order to be liberated. According to the story, the two old people expected Fa Mu Lan “..to survive bare-handed” (24) after promptly abandoning her on top of a snowy mountain peak. And she was only 14 years old at this point! She showed true dedication to becoming a warrior and it was because she desired to be more than Chinese society had in store for her. The rabbit’s self immolation to me, felt like the Gods/a higher power telling Fa Mu Lan that her hard work had paid off. In a sense, it feels like the rabbit made the sacrifice because it had somehow sensed her dedication and struggle to survive thus far.
Hi Patrick! The role in which Fa Mu Lan plays in The Woman Warrior is significant, not only in this chapter I expect but throughout the entirety of this book. This chapter does grow and helps the reader further understand the role in which Chinese females have. As the story and role of Fa Mu Lan give the reader a different perspective, it does not shy away from the narrative Chinese females have and has had. For example in the story of Fa Mu Lan, she even disassociates herself from the stereotype females had in their culture. “These women would not be good for anything. I called the villagers to come to identify any daughters they wanted to take home, but no one claimed any” (614). As the author inspires them to be someone better, The Woman Warrior forgets that Fa Mu Lan, too, can be as blind and ignorant as those around her. When the author brings us back to her current timeline she explains women to be the same as Fa Mu Lan explained the women she found to be ‘ ‘When you raise girls, you’re raising children for strangers.’”(645). The same negative tone the villagers had about her younger self, Fa Mu Lan had as well. As Fa Mu Lan played an important role, was she any better than the rest if she lost sight of who she was?
Hi Patrick! I love your analysis of the role of women in the story thus far and I completely agree. Throughout the story we see the degrading of women and just how hard being something in society in Chinese culture was. Much like we saw in A Rasin in the Sun the same applies here as far as women working in the house and not being able to get a job or hold much power. The text states “better to raise geese than girls” (34). This is so degrading towards women in comparing them to a literal animal and claiming they are lesser being and more complicated than geese. Also, another quote that represents this belittling of women and their accomplishments is “There is a Chinese word for the female I—which is “slave.” Break the women with their own tongues! I refused to cook. When I had to wash dishes, I would crack one or two. “Bad girl,” my mother yelled, and sometimes that made me gloat rather than cry” (50). This truly shows how poorly these girls were treated and brought up to only know one thing and when they denied this lifestyle they were punished and ridiculed for it.
Hey Patrick! This does really help me understand chapter 2 in a better context. I feel like the topic of this chapter “White Tigers” was definitely meant for this chapter, reason being, white tigers are considered rare, as in 1 in 10,000. As of July 29, 2022, there was only 200 white tigers around the world. Fa Mu Lan seemed to definitely be the white tiger in her time, Northern Wei Dynasty time, as rare as ever. At the same time white tiger (Báihǔ) in China is considered one of the four symbols in chinese constellations, it is also said to represent power and army. Fa Mu Lan was a legend as she said she would be, “From the words on my back, and how they were fulfilled, the villagers would make a legend about my perfect filialty”. She did all this for her parents, and the bond she shares with them.
Your post definitely helped me to find where I was lost in confusion following the first chapter. I understand the connection between feminism in China standards vs American living a little better through the use of Fa Mu Laun. I would also like to offer the quote “Chinese executed women who disguised themselves as solders or students” (39). This quote further proves how hard it is to find any freedoms as a female in Chinese culture even if you are a warrior. Simply being different from the average enslaved woman of the Chinese world you would be killed. This further shows injustice and hardships faced by women.
Hi Patrick, I really liked your analysis on the second chapter of The Women Warrior and how you described the role of women in China and around the world during this time. I really like the heroic tale of Fa Mu Lan that was described in the second chapter “White Tigers”. Fa Mu Lan played a huge role in women empowerment, and I believe that is shown throughout. When the narrator said, “I became pregnant, during the last four months, I wore my armor altered so that I looked like a powerful, big man” (541) and I think it does show the empowerment that she talks about during the book and how she describes herself as big and powerful even when pregnant. Although she is this powerful person, I still am wondering more about her and was confused throughout the chapter 2. I think the Fa Mu Lan story is a really good example to bring up and did a great job explaining women empowerment.
Hi Patrick, I thought you did a great job analyzing many different parts of this chapter. I felt that there was significance to the rabbit’s self-immolation for Fa Mu Lan. To me it seems as though the rabbit was trying to send her a message that sometimes you have to sacrifice yourself to help others. Fa Mu Lan had a conversation with the rabbit, she then says “The rabbit seemed alert enough, however, looking at me so acutely, bounding up to the fire. But it did not stop when it got to the edge. It turned its face once toward me, then jumped into the fire” (26). It seems as though the rabbit understand what she had said to the rabbit before but realized it must sacrifice itself for her, it seemed as though the rabbit had had somewhat of a human soul and felt that she was hungry so he provided her with food, itself.
Hi Patrick! I Love how you acknowledge the confusion that the book can bring for most of us readers. I as well was definitely able to understand the plot more clearly after diving into the second chapter. I was also able to identify a theme of gender inequality and a strong sense of feminism. The role of Fa Mu Lan defies the idea of masculinity even when it is implemented into her culture as we can see through the mistreatment. I personally made a connection you could say to ‘A Raisin In The Sun’ as it challenges the idea that woman are meant to act and look a certain way which was an idea present throughout the book. Fa Mu Lan defies this idea that woman are unequal to men in strengths as well as knowledge. “The combatants’ eyes and mouths opened wide in amazement (pg. 46)”. Fa Mu Lan defeats all odds when she takes down the giant emphasizing his greatness. Men and woman were astonished by her capability. Her strength is emphasized throughout the book which is compared to those of men who don’t even stand a chance against her. She has a very feminist voice throughout and constantly defies the ideas of masculinity and gender inequality.
Hi Patrick!
In this chapter,. Kingston explores the legend of the woman warrior Fa Mu Lan, who fought against oppressive forces in ancient China. You mentioned the importance of the role of woman along with the history of the Chinese Americans , considering the last chapter we read . Recognizing that there is a tone switch in the second chapter from negative to a more positive tone, as readers it can infer that we could be working towards what the Woman warrior truly is and how it comes to be. Kingston discusses how Chinese immigrants in America often faced pressure to assimilate into American culture and abandon their Chinese identity. You are right, it is made clear early on in the book that men and woman are not equal. That makes me think Kingston did this on purpose as a way of showing us that woman don’t need a man to become powerful. ” She said I would grow up a wife and a slave but shr taught me the song of the song of the warrior woman. Fa Mu Lan. I would have to grow up a woman warrior” (page 20) I think that by combining history in with a story gives the story more room to grow and develop into something that proves history wrong. Fa Mu Lan is said to have been trained by a white tiger who came to her in a dream.. The “White tiger” is a turning point in the story being that can symbolize something bigger toward the Woman warrior.