Woman Warrior Character Analysis

American cultures values the freedom of expressing one’s self and not being afraid to speak up ; “‘if you don’t talk, you can’t have a personality’” ( Kingston 180). In contrast, chinese culture, tends to encourage shying away from speaking up, or speaking in general. In China there is strict, and concise agreement between people to keep personal information to oneself. In Maxine Hong Kingston’s memoir Woman Warrior, Maxine must learn that In a world that values outspoken people, those with different cultural values tend to shy away from others in a negative way, ultimately alienating them from both the community and people around them. Although Maxine is conflicted due to colliding cultures , she is more so confused about her own identity,

Tired of hiding her actual feelings Maxine goes to her mother in an attempt to better connect with her, however the mother barley gives her the time of day. Unable to hold back her feelings, Maxine’s “throat [bursts] open” She looks “directly at [her] mother and at [her] father and scream[s]” (201). “Burst” signifies after a certain amount of pressure inside of an object , the internal pressure becomes so strong that the energy can no longer contain itself thus releasing the built up energy into its surroundings. “To scream” means to release built up emotion,tension pain. Screaming is usually negatively seen since it relates to aggressive behavior. The two cultures inside Maxine put so much built up pressure inside, resulting in a sudden”burst” with no warning. By bursting Maxine is showing how most Americans would find it acceptable to release their thoughts. Subconsciously she is also straying away from her Chinese roots by expressing her feelings in a disrespectful tone, instead of keeping her negative thoughts inside