Female Asian American Identity in Mrs. Spring Fragrance Anonymous College

The unique quality which separates Asian American literature from all other literature lies in its exploration of the outcome of cultural clashing. Especially since Eastern culture and Western culture are polar opposites, stories focusing on Asian Americans display the plight of people caught between two worlds, searching for a clear sense of self. Edith Maude Eaton’s work Mrs. Spring Fragrance showcases this struggle through her portrayal of everyday life for Asian Americans and those of mixed race. One of the notable parts of Eaton’s stories is her focus on female characters. A majority of the stories in Mrs. Spring Fragrance feature a woman as the main character. Even if a woman is not the main character, she plays a major role in the plot. By structuring her stories this way, Eaton reveals the added pressures Asian women in a foreign land like America. Using marriage as a backdrop, Eaton’s three stories “The Wisdom of the New,” “The Americanizing of Pau Tsu,” and “Mrs. Spring Fragrance” convey the extent to which gender influences the struggle between the Chinese identity and the American identity, along with the necessity of identity to one’s survival.

“The Wisdom of the New” demonstrates the consequences of refusing to...