Sra. Spring Fragrance

by Sui Sin Far

Um interessante conto que discute a natureza do amor e do casamento, além das diferenças culturais entre americanos e chineses - e como é ser um estrangeiro em uma terra de cultura completamente diferente.

Genres: Short Stories, Classics, Fiction, Asian American, Read For School, China, School

60 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2021

About the author

Sui Sin Far is the pen name for author Edith Maud Eaton.

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The delightful Mrs. Spring Fragrance is a force of positivity. When her husband, Mr. Spring Fragrance, scoffs at scholars’ supposed “divine right of learning,” Mrs. Spring Fragrance takes that as affirmation to begin her own “immortal book” about Americans. She says to her American friend: “The American woman writes books about the Chinese. Why not a Chinese woman write books about the Americans?” While the rest of the stories are much darker than the first two featuring the charming Mrs. Spring Fragrance, I imagined her writing the rest of these tales that all deal with Chinese-American relations and relationships on the western coast of North America during the early part of the 20th century.

The real author of these stories was a Chinese-English woman named Edith Maude Eaton who lived in Canada with her family until eventually moving to the United States. She chose to write under a Chinese pseudonym.

*

Not surprisingly, the stories are still relevant.

In ‘The Americanizing of Pau Tsu,’ a white American woman tells her Chinese male friend this concerning his young wife:

”You cannot make too much amends for all she has suffered. As to Americanizing Pau Tsu— that will come in time. I am quite sure that were I transferred to your country and commanded to turn myself into a Chinese woman in the space of two or three months I would prove a sorry disappointment to whomever built their hopes upon me.”

In a story ironically titled ‘In the Land of the Free,’ a very young toddler is taken from his ‘legal’ parents because he has no ‘certificate.’ Only one customs officer mutters: “I don’t like this part of the business.” The parents are forced to leave their child with the officers and are then put off with delay after delay before they can see him again. Change the nationality of the family and it could’ve been written about today.

[Yair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much like Samuel Richardson's "Pamela" I feel this novel has accrued a status beyond its actual merits as a text. This isn't to say that Sui Sin Far's writing is terrible....nor is very good either, it's like Theodore Dreiser (so much as I remember his style from one reading of Sister Carrie years ago) with an attempt at an ethnic flourish. The prose is workman-like while straining to be so much more and, unfortunately, finding its reach extends beyond its grasp.

However, if given the proper historical and cultural context I think a reader might find (as I learned to) that this a novel almost overburdened to the hilt (almost to the spilling point) with various (and at times conflicting) contexts. Sui Sin Far was a half-Chinese and half-White woman in an age when the Chinese in America were looked at, in many circles, as little more than human looking but ostensibly 'alien' labor. And that was one of the more accommodating prejudices; this isn't even to mention the whole 'yellow peril' idiocy that, again, Sui Sin Far was operating under and against.

What Sui Sin Far attempts, then, with all of this historical, cultural, and social pressure is to, using this book, attempt to be a bridge between her white ancestry and her Chinese ancestry (this isn't authorial fallacy by the way she herself said something to this effect). And, if nothing else, this is a noble goal that Far takes on with much passion and determination.

But unfortunately novels are not (or should not) be rated on their intentions, they have to stand on their own (as best as possible considering that there's always some kind of context or bias we as readers have to work through, never a true objective vacuum) and, sadly, this book falters at the level of the text.

But, if nothing else (and putting it above the dreadful Pamela) I at least felt the significance and even the urgency of this text whereas the latter felt like a true 'right place right time' placement for Richardson in the much bemoaned but still acknowledged canon.

[J. Boo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short stories by Edith Maude Eaton, written under the pen name Sui Sin Far. The stories primarily deal with Chinese immigrants to the United States at the turn of the last century. The Chinese Exclusion Act drives many of the plots. Eaton was, herself, half-Chinese, born in England to a British merchant and his Chinese wife, a former slave. The title story is quite amusing, but the rest are a mixed bag, an oftimes depressing one. The collection finishes with a set of original, mostly uninteresting stories of Chinese & Chinese-American children.

I first came across the title story in the Norton Anthology of American Short Stories, and it stood out through its topic, light domestic comedy, not fitting in with the rest. With Eaton one of the few even part-Asian American authors of short stories until much later (*), I surmise they were desperate to include her, and Eaton's stories that would better fit typical depressing Norton themes often contrasted the freedom American women had relative to Chinese, which would make them unsuitable for woke English departments.

(*) The only other partially Asian-American (probably more Canadian) pre-1950s author of whom I am aware is Edith Eaton's sister, Winnifred Eaton, who I believe wrote potboilers prolifically and successfully, as well as romances set in Japan under a pen name. If "Mrs. Spring Fragrance" was a stretch for Norton, Winnifred Eaton's work is definitely a bridge too far.

[tweeds · Rating 5 out of 5]

The backstory of the author being the first Asian American, both man & woman, is to publish fiction in the United States made the beauty & execution of her stories that much more significant. Her prose makes every story feel like a fable & the way she weaves so many different lenses of the Chinese experience in America into her well developed characters only in a matter of a few pages is so incredible. I love a book that can accurately portray experiences of immigration & assimilation because they are aspects of American identity that fall under the radar if you don’t actively look for it, even in just choosing to read diverse authors.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Chinese American couple struggle to reconcile their own traditions regarding love and marriage with the “Americanized” views of their younger friends.

You may read online here.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

All but like 3 of these stories have tragic endings

[Heloísa Alexandre · Rating 3 out of 5]

❝ É melhor ter ɑmɑdo e perdido esse ɑmor, do que nem mesmo ter ɑmɑdo ❞

✦ É um conto rapidinho e que mesmo assim, passa uma mensagem maravilhosa.

✦ Esse conto vai discutir sobre o amor e p casamento, além de ter como plano se fundo as diferenças culturais entre estadunidenses e chineses e como é ser um estrangeiro (chinês) em uma cultura e terra completamente diferente.

✦ A autora mostra um pouco da sua experiência de vida nesse conto fictício e acho que ela retrata bem, alguns acontecimentos históricos envolvendo a China.

✦ Mas o que me decepcionou era de que eu queria que fosse maior, queria saber mais sobre essa temática. Acho que foi muito curto e consequentente não deu para aproveitar mais.

✦ Porém, recomendo, é mais levinho e passa uma mensagem bem legal!

[Grace Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my second time reading! A sweet short story about a young Chinese immigrant couple assimilating in America. Mrs Spring Fragrance has an easier time learning the language and society of San Fransisco in 1910, and Mr Spring Fragrance worries her successful assimilation means she’s going to want the independence of an American woman to chose her own lover as well.

There was one line that caught my attention and got me researching. Mr Spring Fragrance mentions his brother is in a “detention pen” and his white neighbor proclaims that “real Americans” are against that sort of thing. I did some research, and deportation practices really kicked into gear at the turn of the century. Prior, immigration employees would exert their power to turn away the sick and delinquent at the door. Armed with Chinese Exclusion laws, our the country (controversially) began the modern practice of deportation in this general time frame. They particularly targeted immigrants who sought help from hospitals, fire houses, and other government agencies. This era is what started the culture of fear when seeking help in emergencies for immigrants. Immigrant detention facilities did not exist yet, so these people were brought to prisons instead—sometimes just for not having their immigration papers on them when leaving the house. This was a very sad shadow cast over this otherwise fun and sweet story about a young couple in love.

[Jason Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overview: Mrs. Spring Fragrance is a collection of short stories composed by Edith Maud Eaton (pen name Sui Sin Far) that depicts the American Chinese experience at the turn of the century.

Review: As I was reading the short stories, I found myself engrossed in every page. Within every short story were interwoven themes of patriarchal society, infantilization, xenophobia, race-relations, emigration, identity, and much more. And while not every story was as poignant or compelling as the next, I loved The Gift of Little Me, The Story of One White Woman Who Married a Chinese, and The Wavering Image the best. Overall, it’s a great read if you're looking to get into Feminist or Asian literature.

Final thoughts: I can see certain people not liking these stories as they are quite nuanced, and require the reader to dig a little deeper to find meaning.

[Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were such beautiful stories and written from such a unique perspective. Sui Sin Far was a wonderful naturalist writer who described her world as she saw it. I used her work as the basis for a research paper and I never go sick of her prose or her ideas. Even though she was a realist in the way she spoke about the Chinese American community, there is something poetic and romantic about her work. One of my favorite stories in the collection was "It's Wavering Image" I found Pan such a complex and compelling character.

[Cecily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first collection (the American experience) more than I did the second (the Chinese nursery tales). Perhaps because, having read her bibliography and her experiences living outside both white and Chinese culture, those first stories present the issue of belonging and changing expectations.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful and painful stories of Asian identity, namely the OG Asian immigrant identity. You won't believe how early these stories were written.

[antônia · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was cute and short and the first story i was able to read in months.

[Hope Tull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Women’s lit

[Elton Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection of short stories about the lives of early Chinese immigrants in America and the white people around them. Toward the end, some of the shorter stories seem to lose steam but the power of the longer and earlier works are such that the book’s quality cannot be weighed down by them. It is teeming with such literary relevance as it captures the shift in mindset and mentality during the early modern period. Its representation of Chinese life in America and the early suffragists make it culturally significant. Published in its entirety over 100 years ago, I hope Sui Sun Far’s work never fades from relevance. 4.5 stars.

[Sedona · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 Stars

No real plot.

[Kristin T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

MRS. SPRING FRAGRANCE by Sui Sin Far is a collection of loosely connected short stories set in the late 19th/early 20th century about life as a Chinese American. The author, born Edith Maude Eaton (1865-1914) to a Chinese mother and English father, was the first person of Asian descent to publish fiction in the U.S. (pen name Sui Sin Far). The stories in this collection are invaluable for giving modern readers a glimpse of the deep-seated prejudices of that era, the tensions of assimilation versus retaining “Chinese”-ness, how love and friendship was expressed between Chinese Americans as well as interracially, and the struggles of remaining an outsider in an adopted homeland.

In these brief sketches, so much happens: premature death, unrewarded sacrifice, tested loyalties, love returned or withheld. While the writing style shows its age, the trenchant observations and themes are strikingly relevant today. We are still dealing with racism. We are still dealing with the perpetual foreigner myth. People of mixed race often still feel like they don’t belong to either group. Sui’s ability to write about these issues with such foresight astounds me.

My favorite story was probably the last, written as more of a personal narrative, in which Sui lays bare the raw emotion of being “Eurasian” - half Chinese and half white - in a time when this was rare and disparaged. Her anguish, it seems, is at least in part what drove her to become a writer and champion of the Chinese.

Don’t snooze on C Pam Zhang’s intro to this edition, either - it provides helpful perspective and context for framing these stories.

This is truly backlist gold, in that it is one of few primary sources we have into life as an Asian American at the turn of the century. As I’ve been doing @reggiereads #10Books10Decades challenge, I’ve reflected on how the paucity of AAPI literature we have prior to the 1960s is absolutely due to laws enacted with racist intention like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and others. We honor Sui and other pioneers by continuing to read her words today.

[Christian Leonard Quale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mrs. Spring Fragrance is a short story collection consisting of stories taking place mostly within Chinese communities in the US (seemingly around the Seattle area). Most of the book consists of short stories which are very much for adults, with a few short stories for children toward the end.

The short stories, as a whole, can be described as rather dark. The overarching theme is that of a clash between those who grow up in or moved to the US, taking on the culture and values you'd associate with the US (mostly women), and those who live their lives in the Chinese community of the US in what they see as the traditional Chinese way of life (mostly men). I don't know to what extent the attitudes depicted are accurate - but I expect they are based on the lived experience of the author. Fortunately, these stories were written over 100 years ago, so I'd expect a lot to have changed since then. The stories mostly revolve around men with a possessive attitude toward their wives, and the ladies they want as their wives, and the stories just get darker and darker. Occasionally, I almost laughed out loud at the creativity with which a story which was always going to end badly ended up badly in a different, unexpected way.

Despite the thematic darkness of the main short stories, the stories for children are lovely! The general theme is that of "the greatest rewards and happiness come from making others happy", and they follow a nice line of being fairytale-like while still not being entirely predictable.

Overall Mrs. Spring Fragrance was an interesting collection to read. Some stories are weaker than others, but at least half of them pack a proper punch.

[Ellyn Lem · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have wanted to read Mrs. Spring Fragrance for a long time as she is often regarded as the first Chinese American writer--literary critic Elizabeth Ammons goes as far as to call Maxine Hong Kingston her "spiritual granddaughter." This collection of short stories was published in 1912 and they reveal insight into relationships between men and women when one person is more Americanized than the other, in addition to the taboo of intimacy between people of other races. None of the stories stood out as phenomenal, but I am still happy that I read the works since her reputation has been reclaimed after years of being unknown. As others have noted, often when hearing about Chinese emigrants, it is from the bachelors who came here looking for work, leaving many women behind in China, especially after the Chinese Exclusion Act took place. Here, we have insight into women's experience, both coming here from China and what assimilation brought about. Sin Far was half Chinese (from her mother's side), so there is also some exploration of being "mixed," which continues to be an important theme from many writers of color.

[Mary Grace McGeehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating 1912 short story collection, by a writer (real name Edith Maude Eaton) of Chinese-English ancestry, about how Chinese immigrants in Seattle and San Francisco adapt–or, just as often, fail to adapt–to their new country. The faux-archaic language used to transpose Chinese into English is cloying, and the collection varies in quality. But these stories--particularly the first two, about Mrs. Spring Fragrance, an assimilated merchant's wife--deserve a wider audience. It's not just that Sui Sin Far was a rare Chinese-American voice, or that she provides a rare glimpse into the early-20th century Chinese-American community, although these things in themselves would make the stories worth reading. They're also well-written and entertaining, way more fun than the standard fare of the era. Sadly, Sui Sin Far died in 1914 at the age of 49, and this was her only published work of fiction.

(I read this book as part of my My Year in 1918 project (myyearin1918.com)).

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a collection that can't be rated without considering the conditions in which the writer was operating. The writing isn't anything special, and, with a few exceptions, the stories aren't really either. However, I think the state Far is writing in--one where fear of the Yellow Peril looms just around the corner, where the government accepts the Chinese physically (until the Chinese Exclusion Act, that is) but makes it clear that they are not welcome, where she is questioned for both her Chinese and European roots, where the lynching and ethnic cleansing of the Chinese are occurring with disturbing frequency--give this piece much of its richness and strength. And, of course, there are a few really powerful stories, such as "The Wisdom of the New." I'd recommend reading "Leaves from the Mental Portfolio of a Eurasian" before reading this, or in conversation with it, as I think it adds a lot to this collection of works.

[Izzy Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a really good example of Asian- American literature (I believe she is one of the first short story writers of Asian descent- her mother was from China) and it is extremely interesting to see the view of the world as it was at that time when Asian- American tensions were high and how asians were treated as immigrants in the US. Though she is a sentimentalist (I'm not very fond of this particular style), she does manage to add some darker material to Mrs. Spring Fragrance which is highly welcomed because it shows you the more perverse side of things as people were more oft than not to forget. She is extremely important to read if you want to get an inside look at how living in the US as an Asian immigrant (or even to be of mixed race) affected both asians and Americans in their daily lives which were suddenly changed by the onset of immigration.

[Kate Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the most moving short stories I've ever read, and one of my favourites too. The portrayal of the 'Americanised' young Chinese couple is jaw-droppingly raw and beautiful. This story has stayed with me for years and I've never quite been able to shake it off.
The echoing of Tennyson's lines
"’Tis better to have loved and lost,
Than never to have loved at all?” is heart-breaking and beautiful all at once. These stories will change your perception on a culture at a time so often associated with the "American Dream", and gives a voice to those unsure of where they fit into a society. I'm basing my dissertation on this text and texts like these. I couldn't recommend this more highly.

[evan allee · Rating 3 out of 5]

love when people use their characters as metaphors for a bigger picture (at least that’s how i read this). mr and mrs are used as two opposing opinions on cultural assimilation, how they interact with others (white and other chinese people), how they treat one another, how they learn to communicate, how they still celebrate their chinese culture while settling into american culture as well. really cool, especially when you remember Far was half chinese half white in a time where chinese people were scorned in america, blamed for economic maladies, and not allowed to be naturalized after being brought over as indentured workers. maybe she was processing. idk. maybe she was just saying “hey, you can be chinese and also be american.” cool read

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welcome to the third issue of required reading for my English class.

Mrs. Spring Fragrance by Sui Sin Far is a collection of short stories about Chinese immigrants living on the west coast at the turn of the 20th century. All of the stories are brief and impart some sort of moral. I thought that they were okay. Generally speaking, short stories are not really for me, so there wasn’t anything particular that drew me to this collection. Also, I thought that some of the endings for the stories were a bit odd.

[Mayane Domingues · Rating 4 out of 5]

É um conto muito fofinho sobre uma mulher casada chinesa que vai com seu marido pra América aprende a língua e quase se torna uma nativa. Porém quando o marido a ouve citar um trecho de um poema, ele pede explicação para um rapaz e acaba acontecendo um mal entendido que ele não esclarece com a esposa. É um conto muito lindo. Fala sobre casamento, sobre costumes chineses e americanos. É curtinho mas rico em cultura. Recomendo.

[Jeff Hobbs]

Read so far:

Mrs. Spring Fragrance --3
The inferior woman --3
*The wisdom of the new --
*"Its wavering image" --
*The story of one white woman who married a Chinese --
Her Chinese husband --
The Americanizing of Pau Tsu --
In the land of the free --2
The Chinese lily --
The smuggling of Tie Co --
The God of restoration --
The prize China baby --
Lin John --
Tian Shan's kindred spirit --
The Sing Song Woman --

[carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a few stories we didn’t read, but this was another work for class. Similar to Cahan, Sui Sin Far also shares stories of the struggles of fitting into America, but these are specifically centered around white America as our author is chinese american. She also tells many stories of interracial marriage as she is biracial and her own experience is reflected into these stories. I liked hearing her perspective and the experience of a group I honestly haven’t read much about.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection of stories (first published in 1912) by Edith Maude Eaton. The language is clear and bright, if a little dated, and the vexed politics of racial and ethnic variety playing out today is framed in limpid, even sweet scenarios.

[Velvet Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding look into an America, that at this time, hated (and legislated against) the very people who helped build it. Edith Maude Eaton's collection of short stories allows the reader to access a past that many folks have little knowledge of, and she does it with wit, grace, and flare.