Is Silence "Golden"?

Silence is customary in the Chinese culture.  No Name Woman begins with silence when the narrator's mother says, "You must not tell anyone" (139). Throughout the story, the narrator has a constant struggle with the idea of silence. "But there is more to this silence: they want me to participate in her punishment. And I have" (146). By following her mother's instructions, the narrator has actively participated in her aunt's punishment by remaining silent and allowing her aunt to remain anonymous and forgotten.

Ultimately, she knows that if she were to do wrong, her family would shame her through silence as well. "The real punishment was not the raid swiftly inflicted by the villagers, but the family's deliberately forgetting her. Her betrayal so maddened them, they saw to it that she would suffer forever, even after death" (146). This story is proof that the imposed/implied culture of silence and shame, within a traditional Chinese family, is not always golden.


Is the fact that the narrator is anonymous, also an example of silence and secrecy?