In The Woman Warrior, the relationship between Kingston and her mother Brave Orchid is fraught with tension.  Kingston says in several places throughout the book that she is and has been confused by her mother's stories and silences.  Many of the "ghosts" that her mother mentions haunt Kingston throughout her life.  Kingston has stated that the book is not a concrete autobiography--this is evident in the metaphorical myths that Kingston creates in the novel, namely in "White Tigers."  So the reader should be aware that there may be other metaphors in the book that Kingston develops to serve her thematic purpose.  In the last chapter of the book, Kingston says that her mother challenges her "voice" and hence her sense of identity.  So, it is through this contentious mother-daughter relationship that Kingston develops as a person.