The Woman Warrior

by

Maxine Hong Kingston

Moon Orchid’s Daughter Character Analysis

Brave Orchid’s niece and Kingston’s cousin, she lives in Los Angeles with her own husband and children, but she stays with her aunt and cousins while they await Moon Orchid’s arrival to California from Hong Kong. Brave Orchid perceives her niece as she perceives her mother—“the lovely, useless type.” When Moon Orchid’s daughter announces that she must return to Los Angeles, Brave Orchid decides that they will all drive south so that Moon Orchid can be reunited with her husband. When this does not work out, Moon Orchid goes to live with her daughter; then, after she experiences a series of paranoid attacks, her daughter has Moon Orchid committed to a state asylum.
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Moon Orchid’s Daughter Character Timeline in The Woman Warrior

The timeline below shows where the character Moon Orchid’s Daughter appears in The Woman Warrior. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
4. At the Western Palace
Gender Roles in Chinese Culture Theme Icon
The Immigrant Experience  Theme Icon
...took a day off to pick up her younger sister, Moon Orchid, from the airport. Moon Orchid’s daughter accompanied her and sat with her in the airport. Brave Orchid’s American children, whom she... (full context)
The Immigrant Experience  Theme Icon
...airport. Some were soldiers and sailors. She wondered about her son in Vietnam, then asked Moon Orchid’s daughter if he was there. The daughter replied that Brave Orchid’s children had said that he... (full context)
Gender Roles in Chinese Culture Theme Icon
The Immigrant Experience  Theme Icon
...Orchid searched for her sister and suddenly pointed out a younger woman, younger even than Moon Orchid’s daughter . She mistook this woman for her sister, due to the woman’s western clothes—she knew... (full context)
Gender Roles in Chinese Culture Theme Icon
Silence vs. Speech Theme Icon
The Immigrant Experience  Theme Icon
...it, but Moon Orchid’s husband never did. So, Brave Orchid found a Chinese-American husband for Moon Orchid’s daughter who was then able to do the paperwork to bring her mother over. (full context)
Gender Roles in Chinese Culture Theme Icon
The Immigrant Experience  Theme Icon
...told Moon Orchid to dye her hair black so as not to look so old. Moon Orchid’s daughter held her mother’s hand throughout this lecture. She, too, was unhappy after marrying a rich,... (full context)
Gender Roles in Chinese Culture Theme Icon
The Immigrant Experience  Theme Icon
...was ready to go reclaim her husband. Moon Orchid said that she was not. When Moon Orchid’s daughter announced that she had to return to her family in Los Angeles, Brave Orchid saw... (full context)
Storytelling and Identity Theme Icon
Gender Roles in Chinese Culture Theme Icon
The Immigrant Experience  Theme Icon
...Orchid assigned the task of driving to her eldest son. The two old ladies and Moon Orchid’s daughter sat in the backseat. During the drive, Brave Orchid began to tell the story of... (full context)
Gender Roles in Chinese Culture Theme Icon
The Immigrant Experience  Theme Icon
Moon Orchid’s daughter insisted on being dropped off at home first. Brave Orchid had tried to get her... (full context)
Silence vs. Speech Theme Icon
The Immigrant Experience  Theme Icon
...the phone, but she whispered about people listening to her phone calls and hung up. Moon Orchid’s daughter said that her mother had talked about Mexican ghosts plotting on her life. (full context)
Storytelling and Identity Theme Icon
Gender Roles in Chinese Culture Theme Icon
Silence vs. Speech Theme Icon
The Immigrant Experience  Theme Icon
...mean-spirited ghost now inhabited the shell of the woman who cursed Brave Orchid’s children. Nevertheless, Moon Orchid’s daughter had her mother committed to a state asylum. Moon Orchid was happy there, because no... (full context)