Although Mrs. Spring Fragrance has only lived in America for a short amount of time, her husband states “There are no more American words for her learning” (865). It is obvious through reading this statement that Mrs. Spring Fragrance has become quickly acquainted with not only the English language, but also with American customs and traditions. However, not every character in Mrs. Spring Fragrance adjusts to American culture as easily as Mrs. Spring Fragrance; some characters have a difficult time leaving their Chinese traditions of marriage and accepting that in America, love comes before marriage. Throughout Mrs. Spring Fragrance, Sui Sin Far describes the process that the Chinese characters experience as they slowly begin to alienate traditional Chinese culture and becoming Americanized through accepting American culture as their own.
In the beginning paragraphs of Mrs. Spring Fragrance, Sui Sin Far introduces readers to the Chin Yeuns and their beautiful 18-year-old daughter, Mai Fwi Fan, who goes by her American name, Laura. Sui Sin Far describes the Chin Yeuns as living “in a house furnished in American style, and wore American clothes, yet they religiously observed many Chinese customs, and their ideals of life were the ideals of their Chinese forefathers” (865). Abiding by Chinese tradition, Laura’s parents have “betrothed their daughter” (865) to the son of the Chinese Government school-teacher. Laura confesses to Mrs. Spring Fragrance that she is actually in love with Kai Tzu. Mrs. Spring Fragrance is the only person who knows about the relationship between Laura and Kai Tzu. Unfortunately, for Laura, her betrothal is quickly approaching. Mrs. Spring Fragrance, trying to cheer up her young friend, quotes the famous l...
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...become Americanized in a different way. For example, Mrs. Spring Fragrance becomes Americanized through helping Laura and Kai Tzu form a relationship despite Laura’s betrothal to the schoolmaster’s son. The Chin Yuens become Americanized by finally allowing their daughter to marry her true love Kai Tzu. The Chin Yuens are now not only American in appearance, but they are also American through traditions. Mr. Spring Fragrance, however, had a much more difficult time becoming Americanized throughout the story. He had a difficult time accepting that the people around him, including his wife were changing and becoming Americanized. Mr. Spring Fragrance finally came to terms with the fact that though Laura and Kai Tzu achieved a happy marriage through American traditions of marriage, he and Mrs. Spring Fragrance are equally as happy in their through Chinese traditions.
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In “Princess of Nebraska” the author exemplifies the disenchantment of America when she writes, “If only her baby were a visa that would admit her into this prosperity, Sasha thought, saddened by the memories of Inner Mongolia and Nebraska, the night skies of both places black with lonely stars”(79). Although America is unique in certain rights and freedoms, these freedoms just as anything else have limitations. Sasha feels unchanged by her new environment, still feeling unable to grow her sense of self or escape the problems she attempted to abandon in her old world. The prosperity of America does not keep Sasha from the loneliness and troubles that consume her life, thus making the “night skies” of America and China comparable. In “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers”, Mr. Shi has similar struggles coping with the anticlimactic realities of true America and his inability to provoke change within his relationship with his daughter. The narrator highlights the lack of communication and distance that still exists between them when stating, “He feels disappointed in his daughter, someone he shares a language with but with whom he can no longer share a dear moment”(194). Although Mr.Shi feels America should serve him the liberties to be a better
Traditions in Chinese culture are long-rooted and are taken very seriously from generation to generation. However, there must always be room for modern change in order for society to grow and strive across the globe. In Bound Feet and Western Dress the conflict between Chinese traditions and modern change arises. With this conflict it is important to discuss the different meanings of liberation for men and women and they way in which Chang Yu-I was able to obtain liberation throughout her life.
One type of effect the Chinese mothers’ expectations has in their relationship with their “Americanized” daughter is negative since the mothers are unable to achieve anything. An-Mei Hsu expects her daughter to listen and obey as the young ones do in Chinese culture, but instead receives a rebellious and stubborn daughter, “‘You only have to listen to me.’ And I cried, ‘But Old Mr. Chou listens to you too.’ More than thirty years later, my mother was still trying to make me listen’” (186-187). Instead of the circumstances improving, the mother is never able to achieve anything; her forcing and pushing her daughter to the Chinese culture goes to a waste. They are both similar in this sense because both are stubborn; the daughter learns to be stubborn through American culture and wants to keep herself the way she is, whereas the mother wants to remove this teaching from American culture and does not give u...
...in her essay “No Name Woman”. The Chinese tradition of story telling is kept by Kingston in her books. Becoming Americanized allowed these women the freedom to show their rebellious side and make their own choices. Rebelling against the ideals of their culture but at the same time preserving some of the heritage they grew up with. Both woman overcame many obstacles and broke free of old cultural ways which allowed them an identity in a new culture. But most importantly they were able to find identity while preserving cultural heritage.
Chang portrays the complexity of Henry’s character by showing the conflict that he faces both in his personal and professional life. His confusion towards his own Cultural identity is noticed in his relationships with his co-workers as well as with his family. His personal relationship with his family, especially with his father and his wife exemplifies the clash between the two cultures which seems to tear Henry apart. Leila, Henry’s wife, seems to epitomize the traditional American Culture which Henry tries very hard to be a part of. Her forthright nature along with the independence and individuality contradicts the stereotypical qualities of an Asian wife. However, Henry’s desperation is seen in his forgiving attitude towards Leila’s action and behavior. His deter...
In analyzing these two stories, it is first notable to mention how differing their experiences truly are. Sammy is a late adolescent store clerk who, in his first job, is discontent with the normal workings of society and the bureaucratic nature of the store at which he works. He feels oppressed by the very fabric and nature of aging, out-of date rules, and, at the end of this story, climaxes with exposing his true feelings and quits his jobs in a display of nonconformity and rebellion. Jing-Mei, on the other hand, is a younger Asian American whose life and every waking moment is guided by the pressures of her mother, whose idealistic word-view aids in trying to mold her into something decent by both the double standards Asian society and their newly acquired American culture. In contrasting these two perspectives, we see that while ...
This read was overall very eye opening for me because I had never really thought about the prejudices that whites had towards the Chinese. Mrs. Spring Fragrance is a collection of short stories written by Edith Eaton. She took the pen name Sin Sui Far to embrace her Chinese heritage and these short stories have a strong focus on Chinese characters. In class we were shown a passage from “Leaves from the Mental Portfolio of a Eurasian” which showed us one of Eaton’s own experiences. “I cannot reconcile myself to the thought hat the Chinese are humans like ourselves. They may have immortal souls, but their faces seem to be so utterly devoid of expression that I cannot help but doubt… Their bodies are enough for me. A Chinaman is, in my eyes, more repulsive than a nigger… They always give me such a creepy feeling… I wouldn’t have one in my house” (Leaves from the Mental Portfolio of a Eurasian). These statements are examples of the types of stereotypes and racism that Chinamen were victims of. I think these short stories are Eaton’s way of using her platform as a writer to battle the stereotypes that are given to the people that are apart
The role of the Chinese family in pre-modern China included thoughts centered on Confucian thought and methods. The Chinese family followed different methods of Confucian thought and the division of family responsibilities in China developed because of it. The original text of Confucius that dictated the roles of filial piety in China did not specify gender dichotomy but the implications led Chinese scholars to distinguish the position of men following filial values from women. Pre-Modern China had the dominative power of dozens of dynasties. Confucianism developed ideologically during the Spring and Autumn Period (722-476BC) as an intellectual movement. Although Confucianism’s beliefs stem from the thought of acceptance involving humanities right to learn and grown through personal understanding and knowledge of outside influences there is a division between the male and female tasks in filial piety. The woman’s place in pre-modern Chinese society always depended on the male figure in the household unless the woman held an elder position. In most cases, women under Confucian control had little direction in life that men did not manage. In this paper, I will discuss the relationship among self, community, society, and the state as well as the gender relations and definitions of public and private spaces between men and women in China.
Shortly after coming to the hotel, she has an intimate dinner with her father and Syan Yen. She feels the familiar taste in Chinese foods. After dinner, she asks her father consecutive questions about her mother’s untold story. ”What was that pork stuff she used to make that had the texture of sawdust? What were the names of the uncles who died in Shanghai? What had she dreamt all these years about her other daughters? All the times when she got mad at me, was she really thinking about them? Did she wish I were they? Did she regret that I wasn't?” (Tan 128). Jing-Mei's dad uncovers that the names of her two stepsisters, Chwun Yu and Chwun Hwa, signify “Spring Rain” and “Spring Flower”, which mirrors their cozy relationship as twins. Through her own name, Jing-Mei likewise shares a unique association with the twins as "Jing" signifies "superb" or 'immaculate substance', and "Mei" signifies 'younger sibling.' In picking the name of her most youthful little girl, Suyuan trusted it spoke to the purest pith of the main conceived she needed to abandon. As Jing-Mei mulls over the significance of her mom's name, which signifies “Long-Cherished Wish”, she understands that she has a much more grounded association with her Chinese roots and her mom's past than she ever suspected. "Your name also special," he says. I wonder if any name in Chinese is not something
...me Americans has been realized. Wong is multicultural and not Chinese. However, when she examines back to her childhood, she feels miserable. Her unhappiness is significant because this feeling shows us her present concept on her initial heritage. She can understand why her mother took them to the Chinese school at this issue. She could be an American and still having Chinese heritage. There are many All-Americans but she likes to be someone who is multicultural, and she had numerous possibilities to hold her Chinese culture. The reason for her unhappiness is that she missed these possibilities. She thought that maintaining more than one backgrounds is interesting. Through being an All-American Girl and departing her Chinese culture, she came to realise the importance of her original heritage and the factual significance of being multicultural.
Jin Wang, the main character in American Born Chinese transforms in order to deal with stereotypes and prejudice. After moving from Chinatown San Francisco to a new school, Jin realizes he is the only Asian other than Suzy Nakamura (31). Jin immediately faces racial stereotypes and slurs, such as “Chinese people eat dogs”, and arranged marriages (31). Even the teachers have preconceived ideas about Jin’s heritage. His third grade teacher Mrs. Greeder has little understanding of the pronunciation of Jin’s name and from where he moved, thinking he came “all the way from China” (30). In order to integrate in his new environment, he assimilates himself into American culture, transformed into a “regular” American. After stereotyped for eating dog, Jin is seen eating without chopsticks, part of his Asian tradition, and begins to eat “normal” American cuisine, such as sandwiches (37). When Wei Chen arrives, Jin tells him “(he’s) in America” and to “speak English” (37). Even though Jin is fully capable of communicating with Wei-Chen, he decides to abandon his previous culture. Jin chooses to fully transform into an American. He tries to completely dispose of his Asian identity and develop a new one. In order to do this he develops the n...
Waverly Jong, the daughter of Lindo believes she is more American than Chinese. She does not understand why her mother hates the idea of her marrying an American man so much. Waverly knows her mother will not like her fiancé, so she avoids introducing him to her mo...
...can sence that old Chinese way of thinking when Waverly’s mother says: “We are not concerning this girl. This girl not have concerning for us” (Tan 1117).
Sit, Tony. "The Life of Empress Cixi” (from Issue 10 of the China in Focus Magazine). Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU), 2001. .