Woman Warrior Part II

The most striking issue brought to light in this section of The Woman Warrior is the obvious differences in attitude and behavior among Brave Orchid, her sister Moon Orchid, and Brave Orchid's children. In the section entitled "At the Western Palace," Moon Orchid moves from to America, her sister, nieces, and daughter there to meet her at the airport. What is immediately evident in experiencing these occurrences from Brave Orchid's point of view is that she has never accepted American culture as her own, finding it crass, wasteful, its people ungrateful. This distaste for American culture is evidenced through her opinion of her children's actions. "Finally Brave Orchid's children quit wandering and drooped on a railing. Who knew what they were thinking?" (Kingston 114) Brave Orchid's children have adopted the ideals and norms of Western culture. As such they are a constant disappointment for her, never living up to her high expectations. These high expectations and hinted disappointmet are alluded to in "Shaman". Brave Orchid transfers her hatred of her home and lifestyle onto her children by making them feel guilty for any imagined slight they have caused in her eyes. "'There's only one thing I really want anymore. I want you here,  not wandering like a ghost from Romany'. . . The gods pay her and my father back for leaving their parents. . . now they know how [they] felt." (Kingston 105)

This disappointment in her children's adaptation to American culture is further clarified by Moon Orchid's arrival in America. While Moon Orchid has not has time to become prejudiced toward American life, she fails to notice any traits in her sister's children that are undesirable. Instead, she showers them with gifts brought from home, which Brave Orchid promptly confiscates because she believes her children won't take care of them. "We'll put the jewelry in the bank, and we'll buy glass and black wood frames for the silk scrolls." (Kingston 120) As Moon Orchid becomes more generous toward the children and family, Brave Orchid becomes more annoyed and angry at them all, believing they are stupid and lazy. This transference makes evident her bitterness toward her present situation.

Shoes from Brave and Moon Orchid's third sister, one of the gifts Moon Orchid brings to the children.