No Name Woman
The story is about the narrator’s aunt who is told to be forgotten by the family.
What is... the No Name Woman
Identify the character: The legendary woman warrior the narrator imagines becoming.
What is... Fa Mu Lan
Identify the role: What job does Brave Orchid have in China?
What is... a doctor
Identify the relationship: Who is Moon Orchid to Brave Orchid?
What is... her sister
Identify the struggle: What does the narrator have difficulty doing at school?
What is... speaking
Why does the family feel ashamed of the aunt?
A. She steals money
B. She has a baby when her husband is away
C. She leaves China
D. She refuses to work
What is... B.
Identify the setting: Where does Fa Mu Lan train?
A. In a village.
B. In the mountains.
C. In a city.
D. At school.
What is... B
Identify the trait: How is Brave Orchid best described?
A. Quiet.
B. Afraid.
C. Brave.
D. Lazy.
What is... C
Explain the goal: Why does Moon Orchid come to America?
A. To get a job.
B. To visit.
C. To find her husband.
D. To go to school.
What is... C
Identify the figure: Who is Ts’ai Yen?
A. A warrior.
B. A poet who creates a song.
C. A teacher.
D. A doctor.
What is... B
What do the villagers do to punish the family?
What is... They destroy and raid the house.
Explain the motivation: Who does Fa Mu Lan go to war for instead of herself?
What is... her father
Identify the conflict: What kind of being does Brave Orchid defeat at school?
What is... a ghost
Identify the setting: Where does Moon Orchid’s husband live?
What is... Los Angeles
Explain the reaction: Why does the narrator get angry at another quiet girl?
What is... she reminds her of her own silence
Explain the cultural expectation: What specific rule about women’s behavior does the aunt break that leads to her punishment?
What is... remaining sexually faithful and preserving family honor
Analyze the symbol: What do the carved words on Fa Mu Lan’s back represent about her role as a warrior?
What is... her duty to seek justice and remember her people’s suffering
Analyze the idea: What do the “ghosts” suggest about the fears or challenges people face?
What is... they represent the unknown or unfamiliar
Analyze the character: What trait prevents Moon Orchid from successfully confronting her husband?
What is... her passivity and dependence on others
Analyze the conflict: What does the narrator’s outburst at the quiet girl reveal about her internal struggle?
What is... her frustration with her own silence and cultural expectations
Analyze the narrator’s interpretation: What possible explanation does the narrator consider that would change how readers judge the aunt’s actions?
What is... that the aunt may have been forced or assaulted rather than acting willingly
Analyze the purpose: Why does Kingston include the fantasy of Fa Mu Lan alongside her real childhood experiences?
What is... to contrast power and silence and show the narrator’s desire for strength and voice
Analyze the contrast: What does the difference between Brave Orchid’s confidence in China and her reduced role in America reveal about immigration?
What is... that immigration can lead to loss of status, authority, and identity
Analyze the theme: What larger idea about assimilation does Moon Orchid’s failure represent?
What is... the inability to adapt to a new culture can lead to isolation and mental decline
Analyze the resolution: How does Ts’ai Yen’s story connect to the narrator’s development by the end of the chapter?
What is... it shows that she can create a voice that blends both Chinese and American cultures