No Name Woman

Maxine Hong Kingston is a Chinese-American author and professor at University of California. Her essay No Name Woman is a story of a Chinese woman who disobeyed the culture or her people. The woman, whether she wanted to or not, had to give herself to an anonymous lover and now she can never be spoken of. She became a sinner and ended up drowning herself in her sins to her inevitable death.

From the author’s aunt’s story, Kingston’s audience learns a two valuable lessons. First, we learn about Chinese culture and how serious the punishments can be. Not only the causes and effects, but how hard it is to be a Chinese woman because of how much physical appearance matters. Secondly, we learn to think before we act and to beware of the consequences. In her story, the mother tells the daughter to not be like her aunt because she does not want the same to happen to their family. Kingston makes the point for the benefit of everyone. Everyone has something to take away from the story.

Kingston uses color to demonstrate the severity of the consequences of disobeying the customs of culture. She writes, “men and woman we knew well wore white masks… some had tied white bands around their foreheads, arms, and legs,” using white as a symbol of purity (384). The purity of the people contrasts from the vulgar actions of the aunt. The white color emphasizes the awful actions and the effect actions can have when you do not think your actions through.

Her purpose was achieved by her color metaphor and tone. She quotes her mother, “Don’t humiliate us. You wouldn’t like to be forgotten as if you’ve never been born,” (385). Her audience can begin to understand the seriousness of the rules of culture and the effect it can have. Chinese marriage customs are strict and the decision is made by a matchmaker. Marriage is not decided by love but rather decided by the parents. Her aunt seemed to go against custom and was brutally judged for it.

A Chinese couple expressing their gratitude to their parents expressing the importance of their parents and customs in their culture

Photo:  Lim, Louisa. 10_wedding-9e4b0c9e0b69c73b3f87852b03bb017c47c918b2. N.d. Ncpr, n.p.