1) Mrs. Spring Fragrance appears eager to go against chinese marriage traditions by helping Laura succeed in marrying her "true love." For a woman who seems happily married in the chinese tradition, why is she so passionately going against a tradition that has worked out so well for her?
2) Mrs. Spring Fragrance displays a willingness to maintain the values of a patriarchal society as reflected in her letter when she refers men as the "superior sex" and her as the "obedient wife"(Far 509). It appears that Mrs. Spring Fragrance manipulates her husband and foils the arranged marriage by coercing the son of the Illustrious Teacher to marry Ah Oi instead. Does Mrs. Spring Fragrance's actions show a conflict between what she says and what she actually believes? Why would she feel conflicted?
In response to your first question, the whole arranged marriage thing may have worked out for Mrs. Spring Fragrance (or so it seems), but I think she is helping Laura because she realizes that it's not the case for everyone. I wonder if Mrs. Fragrance thinks about how her life would have been different and maybe better if she had not married Mr. Spring Fragrance, and now she is trying to live vicariously through Laura.
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