No Name Woman

I found No Name Woman confusing as I read through it. I was unsure whether the speaker new what happened to her aunt or not. It was obvious that her aunt had become pregnant, was punished for it, gave birth and then killed herself and the baby. The part that had me hte most confused was how the aunt had become pregnant.

I think the point of the story was for the speaker to get the point across that it did not matter how hte aunt had become pregnant. No pity could be felt for a woman who was going to have a baby during hard times, even if she was raped.

The end of the excerpt helped clear up some of my confusion. The speaker felt guilty about helping keep her aunt buried. Even though the speaker had tried to Americanize herslef, she still ended up carrying on Chinese tradtions. I think it shows that no matter how hard you try to rid yourself of your heritage, you still find yourself following it.

This is evidenced also by the aunt who took the baby along in the well. Taking the baby into the well symbolized a loving mother, which was still important to the aunt. Though she was being punished by others of her heritage, she still had to show that she could be an honorable person, which is important in the Chinese culture. Having a girl can also be shameful in the Chinese culture which is the second reason the aunt probably took the baby into the well.

Even when her own people turned against her, the aunt did what she could to follow her heritage. The speaker followed her heritage even though she was trying to Americanize. In the end the speaker admits that she feels haunted by her aunt. Heritage is not easily forgotten or lost which is the point I believe the speaker is trying to make.