The central figure in the" No Name Woman" disgraces herself, her family, and her village by having an illegitimate child. Her family chooses to no longer acknowledge her existence in their society. In the Chinese culture, the people's daily existence revolves around everything being done for the good of the family and their village. Doing otherwise is considered an act of disgrace. The family and the villagers felt that the woman was betraying them because she committed an act of self. The aunt ultimately kills herself and her child because of the shame she brought to her family and villagers. Her mother is trying to teach Maxine some of the traditions of the Chinese people, and the idea that it was important to keep village traditions secret. Through the use of this story, Brave Orchid intends to instill in Maxine the importance of family honor and values. The other point she is trying to instill in Maxine is how humility plays an important role in Chinese tradition, and how her actions can humiliate her family. Her mother warns her, "Now that you have started to menstruate, what happened to her could happen to you. Don't humiliate us" (Kingston 5). Brave Orchid's use of talk stories has an immense affect on her daughter. It is difficult for Maxine to find a voice in the confusion of her mother's talk stories. It is hard for Maxine to sort out how to be an American when her mother keeps using traditions and customs from another country. In accordance with Cook, I .
Kornemann 3.
agree that the children have no basis to establish American realities versus Chinese realities. "The only trouble was that instead of being about the contemporary American culture in which the children were actually growing up, the realities established by her stories were usually those of a remote corner of China- (Cook 136). The confusion of keeping silent, and the difficulties of sorting out reality from fantasy, leads to most of Maxine's difficulty in adjusting to American life.
