6 children who she raised to know their Chinese background and culture. But they think she is superstitious since she talks about "ghosts". She is a strict parent. Brave Orchid is always referring to Maxine as stupid or ugly. She reprimands her for being too noisy and without any humor. She is always "on her" trying to make her perfect.

She is presented in the novel as the strong Chinese mother. She focuses on Maxine, trying to protect her life, through constant rituals that will influence luck and good fortune to come her way. It is like the way that the Chinese utilize fen shui, positioning the furniture in such a way as to influence the fates.

When writing about characterization, you should consider several things. Look at what the character says or does and ask yourself what this says about the character. What kind of person is Brave Orchid based on her words and actions? Brave Orchid's actions after her husband goes to America tell us quite a bit about her. She loses two children and puts herself through medical school in two years. What words would you use to describe Brave Orchid based on these actions? Then look at what the other characters say about Brave Orchid. Is their judgment of her fair or biased? For example, consider Maxine's opinion of her mother and whether the things she says about her mother is justified. Be sure to take into account the setting as well. When Brave Orchid goes to America, she gives up being a doctor to work in the laundry. What does this say about her? Why is it important to Brave Orchid that her children know their Chinese roots? What do her "talk stories" tell us about her? Consider her name, "Brave" Orchid. Does this accurately depict her character?

Basically, you want to look at the events and ask yourself what conclusions can be drawn about the character. Be careful not to retell the story. Don't give details about what Brave Orchid does because that is plot. Your first sentence should introduce Brave Orchid by using words that describe her in general.

I have given you two links below that will further help you. I hope I have helped you as well. Good luck!

To compare Maxine Hong Kingston, the unnamed narrator throughout The Woman Warrior, to her mother, Brave Orchid, think about how each possesses a powerful imagination. In the first section, “No-Name Woman,” Kingston creates different narratives for her aunt. She comes up with events that possibly brought about her pregnancy and her eventual death. Here, Kingston’s imagination counters the sexist, reductive narrative of her family. It serves to give her aunt complexity, agency, and visibility.

Brave Orchid, too, shows off a robust imagination. She tells Kingston captivating stories about ape-men, ghosts, and babies left for dead. In America, she presents Americans as ghosts. There’s “Grocery Ghosts,” the “Mail Ghost,” and “Social Worker Ghosts.” While Kingston’s imagination tends to help the marginalized, her mom’s imagination seems to reinforce a sense of marginalization. Rather than use her imagination to make her daughters feel at home in a new place, she uses it to make them feel scared and uneasy.

However, both Brave Orchid and Kingston can come across as problematic at times. Besides her odious imagination, Brave Orchid can seem sexist and like something of a bully. Her insistence that her sister, Moon Orchid, move to California and confront her husband does not work out well for Moon Orchid. Kingston isn’t perfect either. Her confrontation with “the quiet girl” in the school bathroom reveals that she can be a bully too.

For further similarities and differences between Kingston and her mom, consider their attitudes toward America. Discuss how Brave Orchid continues to view America through the lens of ghosts and how Kingston grows up and develops an integrated approach toward American culture.