The Woman Warrior is a narrative that focuses on the tale of five women, Fa Mu Lan, Brave Orchid, Moon Orchid, and Kingston. Lan is the mythical female warrior in the story. The narrative is told in five chapters which integrate Kingston’s experiences and a series of spoken stories told by her mother. The stories combine elements of Chinese myths, beliefs and even history in the narration of events that occurred. The novel explores the various adversities faced by women in the society. The study explores the author’s efforts to write a memoir as a way of creating her identity.
Kingston is trying to tell the story of her life and in doing so, uses a collection of other people stories and sensations. She uses her mother’s stories to narrate