Start by reading the Excerpt from The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Childhood Among Ghosts (Links to an external site.) by Maxine Hong Kingston. If you are unfamiliar with this somewhat local author, you are welcome to research a little of her background in order to establish her as a credible source. I am including a video posted to YouTube by an instructor who is doing what is called a "close read" with sections from her book, which includes a portion of your reading. While he does begin before your reading and only does portions of what is included in the above excerpt, it may still help you to understand the text a little more:
If you were able to get through the almost ten minute video, please don't let the lecturer speak for you. Kingston is addressing a topic rarely discussed: Silence. More importantly, she wants to weave that discussion into one about ethnicity, gender, and even immigrant backgrounds, which the lecturer did hint at. While some of you may be loud talkers in person, during your time in this class, you have only been vocal through the written word, which means, in reality, you too have also been silent. Take that into consideration when you answer the questions for your Response Essay so that maybe you can better understand those who choose to remain silent in class -- even if it is because class is being held through a computer.
Why did Kingston enjoy silence when she first attended American school? What made her silence "a misery"?
What was Kingston's reaction to the English "I"? Why did she think the English "I" and "you" were impolite?
Why do the Chinese not have a natural affinity for the English language? How does the sound of Chinese contrast with the sound of English? What makes American music "unhearable"? What was Kingston's "American-feminine speaking personality"? How do all of these things relate?
Kingston uses rich comparisons and contrasts in this essay on language and multicultural diversity. Identify some of the cultural differences she reveals as she compares and contrasts the American and Chinese schools. How did Kingston's expectations differ at her American and Chinese schools?
Kingston contrasts silence with "voices rising and falling … cheering … hollering … loudness." What role did noise play in her Chinese world versus her American world?
Sample Solution