In The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston, one chapter titled “No Name Woman”, starts off talking about the aunt of the author committing suicide and how it was seamlessly overlooked; until one day her mom actually tells her the story.
The Year was 1924, and it was just another “ordinary” day in China. Kingston’s mom was clothing in the same room as her sister-in-law one day, she noticed one day without saying anything ; a melon sized bump was protruding from the aunt’s stomach. But no she couldn’t have been pregnant it was against the Chinese culture for an unmarried (her husband had been out of the picture for years) woman to get pregnant! So thinking she would get some support the nameless woman went to the man that raped her. Sadly to her surprised he ordered some uncivilized rioters to come after her, for she was a disgrace she shall be beaten to death. Instead of facing the rioters, the day her baby was born…she ran. She delivered her own baby and mourned before either one of them had taken their last breaths. Kingston’s mom later found her and her previously suffocated in mud baby, clogging up the family water well.
Reading about makes me sick to my stomach with anger. Not only because this “Nameless Woman” had to consciously take her and her child’s life, but the reason why she had to. She was forced to feel ashamed due for a “man’s’’ iniquities. I used quotation marks on man because no self respecting man would not admit to his wrongdoings. That makes him weak and cowardly…less than a human even. Now after reading this I can see why some women have the misconception of Feminism meaning that “A woman is supposed to be dominant to the man”. I understand this especially in the Chinese culture because men that want to have total dominance over the woman; treating her any kind of way and then to have all of his sins washed away. An ongoing cycle like this can mentally paralyze any woman, having them think that we can’t have the same rights a man has or in the public’s eye we have to be a man’s slave.
This is why I personally have a chip on my shoulder 24/7 because of the oppression put on me by men. Men that I have come in contact with in my life have majorily had this sense of male dominance or patriarchy. I wasn’t able to detect these patterns in my life until a light was shined on the subject. One man comes to mind ever so clearly, he believes that he can verbally disrespect women as he pleases and physically abuse them as he pleases. But quite recently I had to stand for something even if he or any woman around me didn’t. I won’t let him back into my life regardless of the many apologies because subconsciously he believes that feminism is a load of malarkey. I as a Feminist believes that I must have respect for myself as a woman first. And it will be extremely hard for any man to come into my life that’s still stuck in patriarchal beliefs.
In conclusion, I had a bittersweet take away to “No Name Woman” because I hate the fact that there will always be a group of men that are less than human because they indirectly force women to kill themselves because of the ill willed male supremacy.