Mrs Spring Fragrance

Also called Jade and Lae-Choo, Mrs. Spring Fragrance came to the United States when her parents arranged a marriage with Mr. Spring Fragrance. Despite having lost two children in their infancy, the Spring Fragrances seem happily married, and they have good friends in both the Chinese-American community and the white American community. Mrs. Spring Fragrance seems to embody those qualities that make it easier for her to adapt to a new place, while still retaining her values and culture. (“Mrs. Spring Fragrance" and “The Inferior Woman”)

Alice, or the “Inferior Woman” as she is referred to by the mother of the man who wants to marry her, is a self-made woman. Without family or connections, she had found work at a law firm and worked her way up to a position as a private secretary. While a man in her position would be lauded for his agency and hard work, Alice is looked down upon, showing that women suffered greater opposition to upward mobility than men faced.(“The Inferior Woman”)

The opposite of Mrs. Spring Fragrance, Pau Lin is incapable or unwilling to adapt to her new home in America. She does not only view American culture as different, or even inferior, but as evil.