A bridge between cultural differences
Mrs. Spring Fragrance often acts as a bridge between her multi-cultural neighbors. She maintains the characteristics of both Asian-American cultures. She lives in America, but she never gives up her Asian culture. When Laura asks her for help, Mrs. Fragrance does not tell Laura to betray her parents. On second thought, she makes a scheme. Mrs. Fragrance introduces Man You to Ah Oi. Mrs. Fragrance helps Laura to marry Kai Tzu.
The woman's condition
Mrs. Spring is the prominent character in this story, but she has some restrictions from her husband's side. When she lived in San Francisco for vacation, she asked her husband to spend more days in San Francisco. She needs his permission to stay there.
Racial differences
In the story, one especially significant theme is racial discrimination. The White people have many prejudices about Chinese as well as Chinese immigrants do the same. When Laura wants to marry Kai Tzu, Laura's patents deny her wish because they think he is not the real Chinese because of his American upbringing.
Cultural conflict
The story of Mrs. Spring Fragrance is reflecting the universal theme, is cultural conflict. In this story, many of the characters are suffering from the mental turmoil because of their cultural differences. Mrs. Fragrance belongs to China, and her upbringing shows her Chinese customs. But after her marriage, she moves to America with her husband. She appreciates both Chinese and American cultures.
