The Woman Warrior relates to our past discussions in that it addresses the difficulty of growing up, the difficulty of being looked down upon, and the difficulty of proving yourself.

In the second part of the book, “White Tigers,” Fa Mu Lan leads an army, surpassing the expectations of a young woman and becoming a great warrior. The legends about the land connect it to the people. Once they can view the world in their own way, they can become a part of it, use it for survival. Brad discusses how small humans feel when they notice the complexities of the world around them. But Fa Mu Lan and her elder advisors are able to see the world in simpler terms. For example, the idea of the dragon as part of the land serves as an explanation for the terrain of the world. As Mu Lan learns to survive on her own, she begins to better understand this world; “the mystery was opened,” (27). I think this section of the book, the emphasis on the connection between man and earth reflects our discussion of evolution. For example, the white rabbit (Alice in Wonderland?) jumps into the fire; when Mu Lan eats it, shes sees she has become one with the animal; “one does not have to become worms first but can change directly into a human being.” (28)

Fa Mu Lan, Woman Warrior

White Rabbit

Growing up in America, Kingston seeks to find herself in relation to her roots and her past. She sees what is expected of her, yet she wants to throw off all convention in order to be something greater. Simply because she is a woman, she is looked down upon in her culture. Though we as UT college students may not understand this struggle, we do face struggles everyday. We are often seen as naïve and unaware of the world around us, dismissed as “youngsters” with no respect for our futures. This is a preconception we can prove wrong. We can learn “to make [our] minds large, as the universe is large, so that there is room for paradoxes.” (29).

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