The Woman Warrior Theme of Identity

Kingston gives us a big hint when she subtitles The Woman Warrior with the word "memoirs." This immediately puts in our mind that these stories are autobiographical and therefore personal to the author. The stories that Kingston shares in these pages are intensely personal. She feels that these are what her life story is comprised of. By compiling these mythological and family stories into a memoir, Kingston invites us to consider what stories have to do with our sense of ourselves.

1. How is Kingston's autobiography different from other autobiographies you have read?
2. Kingston does not write much about her own life experiences until the last chapter. What is the effect of this focus on other women's lives?
3. How do we know what we know about Kingston as a character? How do we compare and contrast Kingston the author with Kingston the character?

In her memoirs, Kingston explores the lineage of Chinese women closest to her, implying that her life story is dependent on those who have come before her.

In her memoirs, Kingston explores the lineage of Chinese women closest to her in order to differentiate her own story from theirs.