“Whenever she had to warn us about life, my mother told stories that ran like this one, a story to grow up on. She tested our strength to establish r

“Whenever she had to warn us about life, my mother told stories that ran like this one, a story to grow up on. She tested our strength to establish realities” (5).

This quote from the memoir, Woman Warrior is from the author, Maxine Kingston. Kingston is referring to the stories on ghosts and the cautionary story on her No Name Aunt. There stories serves as warning and empowering tools for the future. The story on her No Name Aunt is to prevent Kingston from evoking shame to her family – specifically the actions of adultery. In addition, the ghost stories serve as an empowering story that represents Kingston’s mother, Brave Orchid as a woman warrior. Through her audacious attitude, Brave Orchid would literally fight ghosts and protect the harmless – which is the babies in the hospital and the medical school students. The quote is significant to women writers because it demonstrates the profound impact and empowerment of motherhood as Brave Orchid exhibits to her daughter the effectiveness of storytelling.

Donald Ung