Anisha Riggs
Mrs. Spring Fragrance is the titular character of a short story collection by Sui Sin Far, the pen name of Chinese-British-Canadian-American writer Edith Maude Eaton. The story follows Mrs. Spring Fragrance, a Chinese immigrant in Seattle, and her multi-racial neighbours, including her friend Laura, the daughter of Chinese immigrants. When Laura's parents decide to adhere to Chinese tradition and arrange a marriage for their daughter, she confides in Mrs. Spring Fragrance, who becomes a cultural bridge between the two families. Mrs. Spring Fragrance's husband, Mr. Spring Fragrance, is described as a conservative Chinese merchant with old-fashioned notions about marriage. Despite their differences, he expresses pride in his wife's rapid acquisition of the English language and American customs. In one instance, Mrs. Spring Fragrance is unaware that her husband is listening as she describes a walk she took, revealing a layer of interaction and misunderstanding between the couple.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Nature of advice | Supportive |
| Who is it for | Younger generations |
| Advice topic | Love and marriage |
| Advice content | Quoting Tennyson's poem: "Tis better to have loved and lost. Than never to have loved at all." |
| Advice outcome | Successful |
| Husband's reaction | Positive, he quotes American poetry in a telegram |
| Husband's interpretation of poetry | Differs from Mrs. Spring Fragrance's |
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What You'll Learn
Mrs Spring Fragrance's husband is proud of her English language skills
Mrs Spring Fragrance is a young Chinese woman who has lived in Seattle for only five years. During this time, she has become skilled at the English language and American customs, impressing her husband, Mr Spring Fragrance, who takes a lot of pride in her ability to adapt to her new home.
Mrs Spring Fragrance had not known any English when she first arrived in Seattle. Five years later, her husband proudly declares that there are "no more American words for her learning". Indeed, everyone who knows Mrs Spring Fragrance agrees with her husband's assessment of her impressive language skills. Mr Spring Fragrance, a young curio merchant, is himself "Americanized", but his wife has even surpassed him in this regard.
Mrs Spring Fragrance's mastery of the English language is evident in her interactions with her multi-racial neighbours. She has become particularly close friends with Laura, the 18-year-old daughter of the family living next door, the Chin Yuens. Laura, a Chinese immigrant herself, confides in Mrs Spring Fragrance about her romantic troubles. Laura's parents have arranged for her to marry a man she has never met, but she is in love with an American, Kai Tzu. Mrs Spring Fragrance comforts Laura by quoting the English poet Tennyson: “'Tis better to have loved and lost, Than never to have loved at all."
Mrs Spring Fragrance's husband overhears her conversation with Laura and realises the extent of his wife's English proficiency. He also learns of her support for Laura and Kai Tzu's romance, which contrasts with his own more traditional views on marriage. Despite this difference of opinion, Mr Spring Fragrance is proud of his wife's English language skills, and her ability to navigate cultural differences and form strong connections with her neighbours.
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Mr Spring Fragrance holds traditional views on marriage
Mrs Spring Fragrance, the main character of the story, is a young Chinese woman who has lived in Seattle for five years. She is described as being "more 'Americanized'" than her husband. She is friends with her neighbour, Laura, who confides in her about her love for an American-born young man, Kai Tzu. Laura's parents have arranged for her to marry another man, following Chinese custom. Mrs Spring Fragrance arranges for Laura's fiancé to meet and fall in love with another woman, freeing Laura to marry Kai Tzu.
Mr Spring Fragrance initially suspects his wife of infidelity and is rude and gruff towards her when she returns from her trip. However, he later overhears her conversation with Laura and realises his mistake. He expresses his happiness about Laura and Kai Tzu's relationship, surprising his wife with his interest in romance.
Mr Spring Fragrance's traditional views on marriage are further highlighted when he disagrees with his wife's interpretation of a poem. Mrs Spring Fragrance quotes the poet Tennyson to comfort Laura, saying: “'Tis better to have loved and lost. Than never to have loved at all". Mr Spring Fragrance's interpretation of the poem differs, illustrating the generational and cultural contrasts between the two characters. Despite his old-fashioned notions, Mrs Spring Fragrance describes her husband as "good and kind".
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Mrs Spring Fragrance is more Americanised than her husband
Mrs Spring Fragrance, the main character of the story collection of the same name by Sui Sin Far, is a young Chinese woman living in Seattle. She is described as having lived in Seattle for only five years, during which she has become skilled at the English language and American customs. In contrast, her husband, Mr Spring Fragrance, is described as "conservatively Chinese" and "Americanized". This suggests that Mrs Spring Fragrance has adopted American culture to a greater extent than her husband, who still retains strong ties to traditional Chinese culture.
Mrs Spring Fragrance's Americanization is further highlighted by her friendship with her next-door neighbour, Laura, the eighteen-year-old daughter of Chinese immigrants. Laura's parents, the Chin Yuens, have decided to adhere to Chinese tradition and arrange a marriage for their daughter with a man she has never met. However, Laura confides in Mrs Spring Fragrance that she does not want to marry the chosen suitor because she is in love with Kai Tzu, an American. Mrs Spring Fragrance supports Laura's decision and even helps her arrange for her suitor to fall in love with someone else, allowing Laura to marry Kai Tzu.
In her interactions with her husband, Mrs Spring Fragrance displays a more Americanized mindset. For example, she is surprised when her husband initially treats her with rudeness and gruffness, hiding her hurt emotions instead of openly expressing them. Additionally, she sarcastically mentions the higher prices he has to pay compared to Americans and the government's detention of his brother, alluding to the "Emblem of Liberty". These instances suggest that Mrs Spring Fragrance has internalized American values of emotional expression and individual freedom to a greater degree than her husband.
Furthermore, Mrs Spring Fragrance's Americanization is evident in her appreciation of American poetry. She quotes the American poet Tennyson to comfort Laura and expresses joy when her husband quotes American poetry in a telegram, hoping that he has been reading her poetry books. This indicates that she has embraced American literary culture and finds comfort and joy in its expressions.
Overall, Mrs Spring Fragrance's quick adoption of the English language, American customs, and values sets her apart from her husband, who maintains a stronger connection to traditional Chinese culture. Her role as a cultural bridge between characters in conflict due to their cultural differences highlights her ability to navigate and embrace multiple cultural identities.
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Mr Spring Fragrance is a business-minded, curio merchant
Mr Spring Fragrance is a merchant who deals in curios, which are items that are rare, unusual, and often antique. He is a successful businessman, as indicated by his ability to provide for his wife and his pride in her accomplishments. He is also respected by his peers, as evidenced by the dinner he co-hosted for a group of young students from China. This event was notable enough to be covered by the morning papers, who praised the students but neglected to mention the merchants who had hosted the dinner. This oversight left Mr Spring Fragrance feeling unappreciated, indicating that he values recognition and acknowledgement for his achievements.
Mr Spring Fragrance is described as being business-minded, suggesting that he is focused on practical and financial matters. This is further supported by his initial reaction to his wife's return, where he is rude and gruff and claims to have business matters to attend to. However, it is revealed that he is actually hurt and jealous due to a misunderstanding about his wife's infidelity. This indicates that, despite his business-minded nature, he does have strong emotions and feelings that can affect his behaviour.
Mr Spring Fragrance is also portrayed as being old-fashioned, particularly when it comes to marriage. This is evident in his reaction to his wife's friendship with Laura and her romantic relationship with Kai Tzu. Mrs Spring Fragrance has to be discreet about her support for Laura's relationship because she believes her husband will not approve. However, when Mr Spring Fragrance overhears his wife's conversation with Laura, he realises his mistake and happily declares his support for the couple. This indicates that, despite his old-fashioned views, he is open to changing his mind and can be persuaded by the arguments and actions of others.
Overall, Mr Spring Fragrance is a successful and respected businessman who is proud of his wife and her accomplishments. He is business-minded and practical, but also has strong emotions and feelings that can affect his behaviour. He is old-fashioned in some of his views, particularly regarding marriage, but is open to changing his mind and can be persuaded by the arguments of others.
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Mrs Spring Fragrance is a cultural bridge between characters
Mrs Spring Fragrance, a young Chinese woman, serves as a cultural bridge between characters in conflict due to their cultural differences. She is described as having quickly become skilled at the English language and American customs after arriving in Seattle from China, where she knew "not one word of the American language". Her husband, Mr Spring Fragrance, a curio merchant, is described as "conservatively Chinese" but also "Americanized". He is proud of his wife's ability to adapt to her new home, saying: "There are no more American words for her learning."
Mrs Spring Fragrance's cultural bridging role is particularly evident in her relationship with her neighbour, Laura, the 18-year-old daughter of Chinese immigrants. Laura has been betrothed to a man she has never met, following Chinese tradition, but she is in love with an American, Kai Tzu. Mrs Spring Fragrance supports Laura's desire for a love match, quoting Tennyson: "'Tis better to have loved and lost. Than never to have loved at all." She arranges for Laura's fiancé to meet and fall in love with another woman, freeing Laura to marry Kai Tzu without offending her parents.
Mrs Spring Fragrance's cultural bridge-building extends beyond her immediate community. When Mrs Carman, an American, returns from a trip to Portland, the first person she visits is Mrs Spring Fragrance, highlighting the social good feeling between the American and Chinese families. Mrs Spring Fragrance is described as congenial and interesting, and Mrs Carman shares stories of the Chinese people she met during her trip.
Through her relationships with characters like Laura and Mrs Carman, Mrs Spring Fragrance facilitates cultural understanding and connection between people of different backgrounds, navigating cultural differences with discretion and empathy.
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Frequently asked questions
Mrs. Spring Fragrance's husband, Mr. Spring Fragrance, says that she has become so skilled at the English language that "There are no more American words for her learning."
Initially, Mr. Spring Fragrance is unaware of his wife's support for Laura and Kai Tzu's relationship. However, after overhearing a conversation between the two women, he realizes his mistake and happily expresses his support for the couple.
Mrs. Spring Fragrance respects her husband's old-fashioned notions but finds it challenging to confide in him about Laura and Kai Tzu due to their differing views. She is delighted when he quotes American poetry, hoping that he is becoming more understanding of their situation.
Mr. and Mrs. Spring Fragrance have a loving and respectful relationship, despite some cultural and generational differences. Mrs. Spring Fragrance is more "Americanized" than her husband, and she serves as a cultural bridge between characters in conflict due to their cultural differences.
