The Woman Warrior - DJ #2

The Woman Warrior - DJ #2

Quote 1:
"We had lost males before, cousins and uncles would were conscripted into armies or bonded as apprentices, who are almost as lowly as slave girls." - page 33, paragraph 1, Maxine

Significance:
I choose this quote because it told us alot about the author, Maxine. She has seen a lot and had to deal with tragedy before and that the people who recruited her family members are treated just as if they were slave girls; without care, without respect, and highly frowned upon.

Personal Connection:
There will always be those times when you feel like you looked down upon in, maybe, differnt or similar ways as Maxine being a female. Also, there are still many countries out in the world that do still have sexism and woman have either no rights or very limited rights as a woman.

Question 1:
Try picturing yourself as a teenage girl living in a country full of sexism and racism. How do you think that those years of sexism and lonely-ness will affect the decisions you make for your future?

Quote 2:
"I went away to college -Berkeley in the sixties- and I studies, and I marched to change the world, but I did not turn into a boy. I would have liked to bring myself back as a boy for my parents to welcome with chickens and pigs. ... If I went to Vietnam, I would not come back; female desert families. It was said, 'There is an outward tendency in females,' which meant that I was getting straight A's for the good of my future husband's family, not my own." - page 47, paragraph 4 & 5, Maxine

Significance:
I think that this quote really tells us readers that the move to America has been life changing for Maxine. With all of her success in school and her helping around the house while juggling two part time jobs -one at an art supply store and the other at a land developers' association- not a single moment is she recognized for her hard work and dedication. And the only reason that is, is because she is a female. If she were male, she would have the world at her feet; her family would congratulate her and support her and the decisions she makes. If she were a man, she wouldn't be beated or hit if she said or acted out of line. Who knows, maybe she would but her family would be grateful for her existance which is not the way it is for Maxine right now. The result of that is that Maxine doesn't want to feel like a burden anymore and she wants to avenge her family.

"To avenge my family, I'd have to storm across China to take back our farm from the Communists; I'd have to rage across the United States to take back the laundry in New York and the one in California. Nobody in history has conqured and united both North America and Asia." - page 49, paragraph 6, Maxine

Also, the 1st quote above is telling me that the Chinese culture respects men more than females and all do respect but in my opinion, it seems as though they could have less cares in the world than to give birth to a baby girl. Thats why I thank and truely do respect people in countries, inclusing China, who respect and love every one, no matter their race, their religion, or their gender.

Character Judgement:
So currently we have been slowly unwrapping our narrator Maxine and finding out little things that make her unique. From the quote obove, it tells us that Maxine is a good student and got a really good education at Berkeley here in California. I really do respect Maxine's thoughts in which she wants to avenge her family. I do understand where she is coming from and would respect her decision if she really were to. Although, I would really worry about Maxine if she were kicked out or left to fend for herself. Especially since she is still in the 60's when America was still having dificulties with segregation in the public and dificulties accepting people of a differnt culture and/or religion. I think that Maxine is a strong woman and strives to complete the goals she sets for herself.

Question 2:
Do you agree with some of the reasons for Maxine's anger towards her family? Why or why not?

Vocab for DJ #2:
gourd (pg 33) - the hard-shelled fruit of any of various plants
culled (pg 36) - to pick out from others
abreast (pg 37) - side by side; beside each other in a line
marauders (pg 37) - to roam or go around in quest of plunder
fontanel (pg 40) - one of the spaces, covered by membrane, between the bones of the fetal or young skull
palpable (pg 41) - readily or plainly seen, heard, perceived
avenge (pg 49) - inflict a punishment or penalty in return for
enumerate (pg 57) - specify, as in a list