A Juxtaposition of Chinese and Native American Values Regarding Ancestors

Family values often derive from culture. Maxine Hong Kingstone, in "No Name Woman," describes the Chinese culture and its relation to family. She is critical of the life her aunt lives within Chinese society. In "The Way to Rainy Mountain," N Scott Momaday reflects warmly about the life his grandmother, Aho, lives among the Kiowa culture. Kingstone is bitter towards her heritage whereas Momaday is much more comforted by his as displayed through each of their descriptions of their ancestors' surroundings and their ancestors' stories.

Kingstone's aunt has a harsh surrounding relative to Momaday's grandmother's beautiful surrounding. Kingstone's mother reveals that "[Kingstone's] aunt gives birth in the pigsty that night" (Kingstone 192). A pigsty is an unclean place which represents not only the ransacked home which her aunt gives birth but also the spiteful culture that her aunt lives in. The diction represents the negative disposition towards the Chinese culture which Kingstone develops after hearing of her aunt's story. Later on, Kingstone's mother warns Kingsone "[to not] humiliate [her parents]. [She would not] like to be forgotten as if [she has] never been born. The villagers are watchful" (Kingstone 192). The villagers put a lot of pressure on Kingstone's aunt which Kingstone sees as a poor atmosphere to live in since she grows up in America where there are much less societal pressures. It is even the mother who is suggesting that the Chinese culture is bearing on a person. In contrast, Momaday describes how "to look upon that landscape in the early morning... [ones] imagination comes to life and this [one thinks] is where Creation [begins]" (Momaday 265). The beauty which Momaday conveys represents the beauty he sees within the Kiowa tribe; there is a strong appreciation for the land which the Kiowas live. Further along, Momaday reminisces of during the summer when "the inland slope of the Rockies is luxuriant with flax and buckwheat, stonecrop and larkspur" (Momaday 267). All of the plants signify how close the Kiowas are to nature. Momaday uses the word luxuriant to glorify both the nature surrounding the Kiowas and the Kiowa tribe itself. Kingstone reflects upon the harsh Chinese culture to describe her aunt's surroundings whereas Momaday reflects upon the beauty of the land to describe his grandmother's surroundings.

Kingstone presents her Aunts tail as being shameful whereas Momiday describes his grandmother as being honorable throughout her life. Kingstone shares that "[her Aunt's parents in law send] her back to her own mother and father, a mysterious act hinting at disgraces not told to [Kingstone]. Perhaps they had thrown her out to deflect the avengers" (Kingstone 194). Even as Kingstone's aunt becomes part of a new family through marriage she must endure critical thoughts from others. Then, Kingstone's speculates that "such commonplace loveliness, however, [is] not enough for my aunt... and sure enough she [curses] the year, the family, the village, and herself" (Kingstone 196). The aunt is trying to make herself seem beautiful in Kingstone's interpretation of the situation; her aunt's attitude is what causes her community to look down upon her. Momaday, on the other hand, "[sees his] grandmother in several postures that were peculiar to her: standing at the wood stove... sitting at the south window, bent above her beadwork... praying" (Momaday 269). Even though these are normal positions during life, the way Aho represents part of the Kiowa tribe make them more special to Momaday. During Aho's funeral Momady claims that "[there is] a lot of sound in [his] grandmother's house, a lot of coming and going, feasting and talk... [there is] an old council of warlords coming to remind and be reminded of [whom the Kiowa are]" (Momaday 270). Those who show to the funeral reveal the importance that the community has in the Kiowa tribe. Since there are many people at Aho's funeral, it shows that she was a strong figure in the culture. Kingstone is shameful of her aunt because her aunt lives disgracefully in the Chinese community, though Momaday respects Aho for her role in the Kiowa community.

Momaday is much more respectful towards his heritage than Kingsone is of hers. Kingstone sees her culture as overbearing not only were they ashamed of her aunt but they went out of their way to make sure that her aunt knew societies opinion of her. The shame caused from her overbearing culture ultimately caused kingston's aunt to kill herself and her child. Momaday believes his grandmother's culture is beautiful and even after they stopped acting like a tribe together their culture was still lived on individually through Aho.