Dreams and Identity in Kingston's Woman Warrior

Introduction: Dream and Reality in Woman Warrior

"Night after night my mother would talk-story until we fell asleep. I couldn't tell where the stories left off and the dreams began, her voice the voice of heroines in my sleep" (19). Maxine Hong Kingston's surreal memoir Woman Warrior weaves between dream life and waking reality, especially in the two chapters "White Tigers" and "Shaman." In these chapters, Kingston includes the rich imagery, content, and themes of her dreams, nightmares, and fantasies to more clearly illustrate her mundane daily experiences as a Chinese immigrant in the United States. In many ways, her dreams more accurately reflect her psychological development, desires, and ambitions than her real-life narratives do.

In the "White Tigers" chapter, Kingston begins by introducing the story of the mythical female warrior Fa Mu Lan. Kingston then "becomes" Fa Mu Lan in a vivid waking dream, demonstrating her alter-ego through her intimate identification with the warrior hero. The author contrasts the glorious and heroic life of Fa Mu Lan with her mundane and depressing life as a Chinese-American. At the close of the chapter, Kingston segues from the dream to her waking life: in reality she is powerless to stand up to the bigoted attitudes of her fellow American citizens as well as the sexist attitudes of fellow Chinese. By contrast, Fa Mu Lan promptly cuts off the head of a man who killed her brother and then declared that women are "maggots in the rice" (43).

In a similar fashion, dreams indicate Kingston's psychological development in the following chapter, "Shaman," which centers on the life of Brave Orchid, Kingston's mother. Kingston is clearly afraid of her mother, and their relationship is strained. The mother-daughter relationship is in fact one of the major themes of Woman Warrior, one that is more powerfully evoked through symbolism and dreamlike imagery than by pure narrative. "Shaman" is filled with tales of her mother's experiences as a doctor, midwife, and exorcist, causing Kingston to have terrible nightmares. The grotesque imagery of those nightmares evokes the darker aspects of Kingston's psycho-social development — development that derives from her traumatic experiences as an immigrant trying to forge a solid identity. In Woman Warrior, Maxine Hong Kingston employs dreams, visions, and fantasies to convey her cultural and gender identities and to clarify her self-image.

The Fantasy Vision-Quest in 'White Tigers'

"White Tigers" portrays Kingston on a fantasy vision-quest. The lines between worlds are blurred, and the story includes dramatic supernatural imagery. It is unclear whether the fantasy sequence occurs in an altered state of consciousness or not. Kingston does a remarkable job of seamlessly integrating real-life narrative and dream-life narrative. In this case, the full life story of Fa Mu Lan is told without Kingston having to openly state that she is using the fantasy sequence as a way to express her wish of being a warrior. Kingston opens the chapter by briefly outlining the legend of Fa Mu Lan to prepare the reader for what is to come.

The dream begins with Fa Mu Lan as a young girl, about seven years old. She has been taken from her family and brought in by an old man and woman who live in the middle of nowhere. Right at the onset, Kingston uses the fantasy sequence to comment on her feelings about Chinese cultural norms. When the old couple asks if she has eaten rice that day, she responds politely that she hasn't, even though she is very hungry. Kingston notes that in real life she would not have shown that type of humility: she is "mad at the Chinese for lying so much" (21). In this way, dream sequences allow Kingston to make broad commentary on her culture of origin without bluntly stating her critique outright.

Fa Mu Lan as Alter-Ego and Warrior Ideal

The fantasy sequence in "White Tigers," in which Kingston identifies with Fa Mu Lan, demonstrates her ambitions to be a woman warrior. Through this chapter, the author also indicates that she feels inept as a woman warrior in her real life in America. In the dream sequence, she is offered the choice of being a warrior or returning home: the old man presents her with the option of returning to her parents, whom she misses, or remaining with the couple for spiritual training. She chooses to remain and not "pull sweet potatoes" (22). The aspect of choice is key for Kingston, who feels that many of her life experiences were the result not of her own choosing but rather of the choices of others.

When she is ready, the budding warrior undertakes a solitary journey to White Tiger Mountain, where she learns to fend for herself, fast, and endure all manner of harsh living conditions. Through her fasting she receives bountiful spiritual gifts and a wealth of visions that prepare her for the real, physical fighting of her warrior future. The vision quest stimulates her thirst for self-development and expands her mind. From these dreams-within-dreams, Kingston creates for herself an alter-ego of immense strength that she hopes to draw upon in real life.

"White Tigers" incorporates many dream-within-dream segments; the chapter is filled with timeless and supernatural imagery. For example, the old man often shows the young girl images of her parents mirrored in the gourd, as if it were a crystal ball. Moreover, the young girl dreams of her parents while on her vision quest on White Tiger Mountain. Kingston presents dreams-within-dreams to demonstrate the fluidity between different worlds. It does not matter whether a story actually happened or whether it is a dream or fantasy; the full impact of a narrative or "talk-story" lies in its symbolic import and psychic resonance.