FICTION TEXT: "In the Land of the Free"
READER: Yvonne Hopkins

NON-FICTION TEXT: from The Woman Warrior
READER: Rachel Mathews

RECORDER: Andrew Carmouche

Summary: Several markers identify the story as fictional text. The third person narrative shifts from the point of view of the parents to the customs officer, and the lawyer. This gives a sense of detachment as though the writer is weaving a story rather than giving a personal account. The setting is San Francisco, but there is nothing to indicate any particular time period; therefore, the story does not date. Time is condensed. The action is speeded up so that events taking place over a period of time come together and are resolved. The language is figurative, and in places almost poetic: the mother whispering to the baby (3). The use of the old English "thee" and "thou" personalizes the piece, creating intimacy (3). Elsewhere the language is highly emotional—the responses of the parents (5,6), and the custom’s officer (7). The writing projects a sense of the dramatic with the parents’ loss, the building of hope, and the child’s reaction at the end (5,6,7). There is also some stereotyping of the immigrants as victims, and the use of Pidgin English. The lawyer becomes a stock character as the exploiter of the parents’ situation and misery.

If literature is representative of life and not vice-versa, the non-fictional elements in "The Land of the Free" are based on real life issues faced by immigrants arriving in the new world with many hopes and dreams. Non-fiction markers are the port of entry at San Francisco harbor, with the ship transporting immigrants named "Eastern Queen" (4). The Golden Gate Bridge and the Government at Washington are real places mentioned within the text (7). The customs officials with their U.S.C. caps are true to what is real. The character of the Lawyer even though stereotypical is very life-like, especially in the way he manipulates and controls the situation (9). The use of Pidgin English is factual because it typifies the way the new language is spoken by foreigners with another established first language.

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Excerpt from THE WOMAN WARRIOR

Background: The author is a Chinese American who has gained acclaim for her remarkable ability to combine elements from different genres of literature to create a style that is unique and outstanding. Kingston was born in 1940, grew up in California, and graduated from Berkeley in 1962. Since then, she has written and become published, taught at high schools and at the University of Hawaii, Eastern Michigan University, and continues as a professor at the University of California at Berkeley currently. She has won many prestigious awards: too long to be listed here! Please checkout the web addresses listed below.

Literary Objectives:

• 1a. Narrative as a literary and cultural category
• 1b. Criticize and celebrate the immigrant narrative
• 2a. Second-generation viewpoint
• 2b. Settings include America and the homeland
• 2c. Generational conflicts evolving from "divided" into being "assimilated"
• 3a. Historical markers
• 3c. Major genre-bending

Cultural Objectives:

• 1a. Effects of migration and assimilation on Chinese Americans—rebellion and criticism
• 1b. Socio-economic movement with a strong educational overtone
• 2a. & 2c. Issue of family and gender
• 3. Emerging global identity
• Stabilizing an American immigrant society in exile with a sense of community
• Hints of separatism among ethnic groups

The excerpt from The Woman Warrior displays Kingston’s unique ability to describe her childhood growing up in a Chinese immigrant family. Her parents were the first generation immigrants, who lived with the hope of returning to that homeland they had fled fearing political oppression. The idea that they would someday return to the homeland seems to be reiterated to the young girl, who lives under the ignominy of being a "Bad girl" (196). The gender dichotomy within the Chinese American culture is vividly portrayed by Kingston. Girls are useless; they are of no profit because there is "an outward tendency in females" that relegates them to being a "slave" like "the Chinese word for the female I" is said to imply (196-197). Kingston awakens to the unfairness suffered by the female while she is still young and living at home. Growing up and achieving educational success does nothing to redeem the inequality she feels. Her self-awareness ties into that of the mythical figure of the "swordswoman" as Kingston narrates her experiences as a voiceless Chinese immigrant female, who finds that she can rewrite some of her culture’s taboos and misgivings through assimilation and find a brand new self to be proud of (200).

In the narration of her life’s story, Kingston uses established non-fiction techniques. She mentions real people and real events to convey her message. History plays a part with clear references to the years she went to college, and the Vietnam War is mentioned to establish a chronological setting for her narrative (196). Organizations that reflect the war on discrimination like the NAACP—National Association for the Advancement of Colored People—and CORE—the Congress of Racial Equality—are mentioned to corroborate the gender and racial discrimination she encounters by being both woman and immigrant minority (197). She reports the lasting impressions left by discrimination when her family’s livelihood is torn down and paved over for a parking lot, and when she is fired by those who give no thought to the cruel blow they deal. The communist revolution in china is mentioned more than once through the horrible cries for help that come via the mail (199).

With all the factual details, Kingston weaves myths from her cultural background to evoke a response from the readers. Her use of language is passionate and vivid. She refers to customs and traditions that are familiar to the Chinese culture through the "talking-story" her mother seems prone to break into. Kingston herself employs this method to bring vivid symbolic elements into her narration. She repeatedly refers to the mythical "swordswoman," whom she emulates as she awakens to her new identity. The technique of allusion is used when she mentions the custom of binding the feet of girls—a Japanese Geisha tradition. Kingston alludes to literary works that popularized the hardiness of the Chinese women, specifically Pearl S. Buck’s book The Good Earth in the words "rise and plow the fields as soon as the baby comes out" (197). Literary technique of writing with metaphors abounds, for example "I am wire without flesh," and "I wrap successes around me like a private shawl" (199-200).

Maxine Kingston walks the fine line between the style of realism in literature and the Latin American literary style of Magic Realism. With the blending of truth and myths in relating her autobiographical work, which has a strong historical political representation within it, her work falls short of magic only because the sword does not really materialize from thin air (198). If it had, Kingston would have crossed over into the realm of magical realism. Nevertheless, she forges ahead as one who combines her cultural heritage with the modern identity she carves for herself in the new world, where she finds she is "worthy of eating the food," (200) and she can avenge all the injustices done to her kind just by reporting them, and even become "[a] lumberjack in Oregon" (197) if she so wished!

CLASS DISCUSSION
Recorder: Andrew Carmouche

Biographical background: Worked as journalist in N.Y., Montreal, West Indies. Settled in S.F. Fought against racial discrimination and classism. She wrote mainly poetry.

3rd person narrative set in S.F. not set in any particular time. One of the markers that indicates a fictional narrative is the language - kind of lyrical, descriptive and emotional. A bit melodramatic, stereotyping - the Chinese as hopeless victims, and speak the pidgin English which works as a sign of status in favor of the upper classes.

Nonfiction elements: mention of S.F., names of places and the Pidgin English -not using the verb to link the sentence together. Lawyer's portrayal in the story. The struggle of journeying from the O.W. to the N.W. Taking care of parents not a part of dominant culture.

Cleo: Difficulty of immigration as a marker for nonfiction

Dr. White: In the eyes of immigrants they may see America in an extreme or melodramatic way. Clancy the lawyer may indicate a date.

Diane: The timeless quality of the narrative marks it as fiction.

Bio - American author born 2^nd generation of Chinese immigrants. Graduated in 1963 from Berkeley. Garnished some awards in nonfiction. Her first work was The Woman Warrior.

Literary Objective as Criticism - social satire, the setting is America but she does talk about China. She goes on to a rediscovery of her self though she is assimilated. This is an autobiographical / nonfiction text.

Cultural Objective -There is rebellion and criticism. Issues of gender, socioeconomic movements, immersing global identity.

How the Chinese regarded girls, p. 195

Generational conflict

The men are rarely mentioned

Historical markers: Berkeley, Vietnam, Joan of Arc

She talks about real people, her family, real issues

Real names: NAACP, CORE

Aligns herself with mythical figure of the Woman Warrior which is a fictional element - Lyrical quality on p. 198 and universality of identity - oppression everywhere in America as well as China. Literature & History linked together: Pearl S. Buck, Swordswoman. Literary genre- bending. Images of the bird, cloud.

Dr. White: figurative language, genre bending in terms of the myth making. The role of myth in reinforcing & challenging gender roles.

Web links:

<http://encarta.msn.com/index/>

<http://www.texshare.edu/ovidweb/>

<http://www.galenet.com>