Sui Sin Far's Mrs. Spring Fragrance Summary

The word America means something completely different to those who were born in this great country and those who live outside of it. Those who are born within the confines of this country's borders oftentimes have a sense of entitlement to the effect that they believe this country is theirs and only theirs. Some people believe that anyone else that migrates here to the United States, after they themselves already have, should be looked down upon and excluded. These concepts are reflected upon more deeply in Sui Sin Far’s Mrs. Spring Fragrance. In this short story a tale is told of a Chinese couple assimilating into the Pacific coast of America with a focus on the wife, Mrs. Spring Fragrance. This assimilation to the land of opportunity and freedom does not go without trouble. In a letter to her husband Mrs. Spring Fragrance mentions to her husband how the barber charges him a dollar in comparison to the American man who is only requested to pay fifteen cents. This is one of the many prejudices that the Chinese family undertook in their migration to the United States. As shown in this story written in the early 20th century, there is a prejudice against immigrants from other countries, which has changed little in present day America.
America is often viewed as a bright light of hope to all its inhabitants that shines out to the rest of the world, but in Carl Sandburg's Chicago a much darker picture is painted. Sandburg writes of Chicago as an evil place plagued by darkness and ill manners. He writes “They tell me you are wicked and I believe them (765).” In another line he describes some people of Chicago “And they tell me you are crooked and I answer: Yes it is true I have seen the gunman kill and go free to kill again (765).” This description of Chicago as a city of violence and despair shows a newer and sinister side of the America we know and love. It reveals that everything is not as perfect and that living in a land of freedom comes with a few