“Shaman”

Questions from Students1. What does Brave Orchid’s facial expression in

the photographs tell about her and her culture?

2. Does Kingston’s mother follow the typical role of women in Chinese traditional culture or is she independent and unique in her family? how?

3. Why wasn’t her mother scared of the “sitting ghost” nor the “ghost room” like other students in the hall?

4. What would be an extent  of being of “ghosts”?

5. How does the mother’s name represent her mother as a strong, independent woman?

6. What are some similarities between the tale of Fa Mu Lan and mother’s experience as a “shaman”?

7. Who are the ghosts Kingston describes in "Shaman," and why does she call them that? Why do ghosts play such an important role in this section and in the book as a whole?

8. How are expectations of women and the role of women interpreted in the chapter?

9. The Communist Revolution is a topic that is mentioned frequently throughout the book. How is it mentioned in this chapter and how does it relate to the story?

10. What is Kingston’s attitude towards her mother’s talk-stories about her fight with ghosts? Does she still mistrust her mother?

11. Kingston’s mother seems to be dogmatic and arrogant at times. For example, on pages 63-64, her mother talks about how well she performed at school and how she studied in advance. Perhaps the arrogant tendency of Kingston’s mother affected Kingston’s behavior. If so how?

Questions from Ms. Hogshead

Analyze the description of Kingston's mother's life in China. In particular, what function does the discussion of slaves serve? Why does Kingston envy her mother's slave?

Why does Kingston includes so much information and imagery about food?

How is this chapter different from the other three? It is often felt to be the climax of the book, can you agree or disagree?

Independent Writing: Today we have talked about the elements that

make The Woman Warrior a postmodern novel. Why would Kingston write her novel in this style? What is her purpose? What does she want the reader to come away with? What are the positive and negative aspects of this style?

Write a paragraph describing the above ideas.