Am I the only one who thinks that this story about Mr. and
Mrs. Spring Fragrance could be a story that says arranged marriage is not actually
too terrible of an issue? Their marriage, of course, may be one of the good
ones because the two first fell in love with each others’ pictures before they
ever knew each other (512), but in the end, they still love one another. I
understand that some arranged marriages in countries can lead to two people
living in doubt and hatred, but these two seem to fight jealousy a bit (Mr.
Spring Fragrance), all while still loving each other no matter what. Near the
end of the story, Mr. Spring Fragrance sends Mrs. Spring Fragrance a letter and
after she reads it, readers learn that all she wanted to do after she read it
was to “fall asleep and wake to find the week [of her travels] flow, and she in
her own little home pouring tea for Mr. Spring Fragrance” (512). I think that
this part of the story validates to the readers that the marriage between the
Spring Fragrances is a good one, even though it is arranged. She is on a trip
and misses her husband and wants to be with him. If she wasn’t happy in her
marriage, why would she miss and want to be with him?
I realized that when I posted my questions earlier, they didn't actually post. So let's try this again.
Questions:
1. What was the significance of the jade pendant? Explain your answer.
2. Do you think that this is a story about love or a story about marriage, or both? Why?
You are onto something here, Molly, and it's a point that often comes up in literature about arranged marriages: some are good, some aren't good. And the same can be said for non-arranged marriages.
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