Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior

In the novel The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston the struggle of not being able to move on is evident when it comes to Maxine’s mother Brave Orchid. Brave Orchid born in raised in a China has moved from her little village to the city of Stockton, California. The difference in culture is massive and Brave Orchid doesn’t conform to the “new” ways. This ultimately affects those around her. The subject matter of this novel is the identity crisis of the author which is caused mainly by her own mother. Brave Orchid believes her daughter isn’t “Chinese enough” despite the fact that she’s living in America and is expected to “act American.”. Brave Orchid isn’t looking for a middle ground where her daughter can just be herself she wants her daughter to behave like the women back home. In her mind the ideal Chinese girl should be everything her daughter is not which is quiet, gentle, and obedient. Since Brave Orchid hasn’t been hit by the realization that she’s in a new country and is ignorant to the fact that her daughter could not possibly be like the women back home because she was born and raised in California, she demeans Maxine and the other kids. This causes Maxine to resent her mother and she eventually puts her foot down and leaves. Brave Orchid drove her own child away because she couldn’t let go of her old life
It’s in the way she speaks, her beliefs, and her decision-making. This is all expected of course having been born and raised in China. These beliefs were instilled into Brave Orchid from a young age she doesn’t know any better. Brave Orchid would much rather be back home but due to all of the violence she has nothing to go back to. She tries to make her new home like her old home but it’s not the same which upsets her and causes her to make irrational choices which drive those around her away. Brave Orchid isn’t and won’t ever be able to let go and move on from her old life and deeply rooted