ENG 200: Critical Reading & Writing Literature
No Woman Named tells the story of Mary Hold Kingston’s aunt, who was pregnant and killed herself in the family well. Right off the bat in the first paragraph, we can sense the dynamic of the family. The author’s mother refuses to talk more on the topic of the aunt, even so, little to say that the family had erased her existence. Initially, we are cut off by the family’s dismissal of the aunt so hastily, although we need to understand the cultural differences in family units. Seeking the aunt as dishonorable, they outcasted her and her baby unknowing of the repercussion it will lead. Even after all that time, the author is just learning about their late aunt, not through her father, but through their mother. Not even acknowledging the aunts’ existence of being born is chilling to read at the start of the story, yet sets the tone of the family’s values.
Through the mother telling Kingston about her long and forgotten aunt, she is trying to mend the bridge of women in the family. Making sure the aunt does not get lost in history. The mother begins tellings the family state before leaving for America, or Gold Mountain. They were in denial of the aunt’s pregnancy until she started to show leaving the family to constantly shame her. The aunt had become pregnant while her husband was away, and the village was in an uproar. They named her No Name Woman, not even giving her any sort of identity beyond that. Trashing the houses and slaughtered the livestock for the dishonor they believed her to be. The eggs and dirt thrown at their house symbolized the filth the village saw No Name Woman brought on to her family, status, and honor were high during this time, and dismantling led to disastrous events. Even seemingly private affairs, such as terms of pregnancy and giving birth, had become a village affair. Reading we can feel a sense of disillusionment for No Name Woman, the life she once had was toppled over the birth of her child.
Her status with the village was rocky, leading her to give birth to her chld in a pigsty. Contrasting her bedroom to the pigsty shows the dismantle she had felt in her place in society as well as her family. The house remained divided during her term. Men were on one side while the women were doing the best they can to help the aunt. Kingston’s mother tells her that the next morning when she went to check on No Name Woman, she had flung herself into the well with the baby.
The narrative shifts from the story told by the mother to the point of view of the author. Presenting the message the mother branded into the family, was to not humiliate them. Telling the story of the aunt is a sort of scary story warning the next generation to be mindful and sensible when it comes to reputation. Especially entering America, they erasure the lead to then entering a clean state in a new country. The author then recounts Chinese history as we see the cultural difference that leads to the family’s decision. Through the rhetorical questions, the questions the author is asking themselves that they can not ask anyone else, we learn more of the author’s stance with their family after hearing the events of the aunt. Leading the author to show their emotion, feelings, and grievance towards the No Name Woman.
Shifting to defend her aunt, the author questions who the assailant who assaulted her aunt was. Knowing that during that time, adultery was not common. The author concluded that she would not have gone through willingly. There are cultural differences in how society views sex and having a child. In modern times, sex is common, and having a child is either planned or unplanned yet a treasure. While back then in 1924 China, sex was more functional rather than pleasure. Thus leads to the author’s reasoning as to her believing her aunt was raped and believed the man was part of the raid on her family. As we learn that No Name Woman married a man from the neighboring village, without meeting until the night of the ceremony, seemed like a rushed event. The author mentions the aunts’ “lack of proxy” inferring that there were not many suitors looking for long-lasting love. Portraying the women in the village as the equivalence of livestock and goods, trading for a martial agreement to the men in the courtship.
When the family was planning on making their way out west, they ultimately decide to leave the sister behind as they believed she needed to be rooted in traditional ways. They refer to the men as becoming “western men” yet believe the women should remain back home to keep the “the past against the flood” safe for return. Sticking to the theme of gender roles, they are maintaining their traditional ideals of keeping women rooted in the past. The central theme presented shows that men had more freedom than women. Showing that men had the freedom to move on, and go west, while women had to stay back. The power dynamic was heavily patriarchal showing the influence men had and still have, on women.
We learn more about cultural materialism through the author’s writing. This deep understanding of the cultural beliefs set in 1924 China lead to, what we see as drastic, the events of the aunt’s demise. The shaping experience of learning how the family had treated the author’s aunt is unique to Kingston. Not a common occurrence for the mother and child to end their life in the family well after being disowned. The narrator, or author, had spoken as an observer of the situation rather than a participant. Learning about her aunt through second-hand information, her mother changed her perspective. The family’s refusal to acknowledge their daughter served to maintain the cultural hierarchy to preserve their traditions in the family.
Maya Young 