I. Intro: title, author, thesis statement. Be sure to discuss how Kingston uses the myth of Fa Mu Lan to portray herself as a female avenger. Also discuss the position of women in Chinese society in this paragraph or in a separate paragraph immediately following the intro.

II. Briefly describe the myth of Fa Mu Lan. Use some short quotations from “White Tigers” as you describe the myth. Don’t make this section too long (one short paragraph). Be sure to discuss the paradox that this myth creates when juxtaposed with the traditional Chinese beliefs about women.

III. Use the quotation from the end of “White Tigers”—“The swordswoman and I are not so dissimilar . . .” to transition from Fa Mu Lan to the rest of the book. Be sure to analyze the full quotation carefully.

IV. Analyze the back carving scene in “White Tigers” and connect it to Kingston as a woman warrior.

V. Analyze another scene in “White Tigers” or another place in the memoir and connect it to Kingston as a woman warrior.

VI. Analyze the end of “Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe” and connect it to the myth of Fa Mu Lan and Kingston as a female avenger.

VII. Conclusion