Exploration of Feminine Identity in Sui Sin Fars Mrs. Spring Fragrance free essay sample

The Story of one White Woman who married a Chinese, argues that the new feminine identity while liberating some women is destructive for others, and it is not until one develops a true sense of identity and not a socially constructed one that inner peace is attained. Minnie, the main character in Far’s story depicts a white woman who felt compelled to assimilate into the new feminine identity constructed by the socio-economic movement of Modernity and ultimately rebels against it leading to the destruction of her private sphere, her family life. The nineteenth century movement known as Modernity renegotiated both the masculine and feminine identiies. â€Å"Modernity points to the emergence of instrumental rationality as the intellectual framework through which the world is perceived and constructed. As a socioeconomic concept, modernity designates an array of technological and social changes that took shape in the last two centuries and reached a kind of critical mass near the end of the nineteenth century; rapid industrialization, urbanization, and population growth; the proliferation of new technologies and transportation; the saturation of advanced capitalism; the explosion of a mass consumer culture; and so on. † (Charney and Schwartz, 72) Prior to the nineteen century, American society designated very specific roles for both men and women in America. The practice and ideology of these roles constructed strict masculine and feminine identities. Society’s perspective of those roles was very clear; there existed two spheres: the public and the private sphere. The private sphere, also known as the domestic sphere, was reserved for women. In this sphere, the women stayed home and were the care-takers. They cared for the house, their husbands and their children. They did not socialize outside the house much nor were seen walking the streets alone. Men, on the other hand, worked and socialized outside the home. Male and female identity was thus conferred by these two separate spheres. The emergence of Modernity, more specifically consumerism led to the breakdown of those separate spheres, ideology and practice. As a result, society’s perspective of the masculine and feminine identities was redefined. While Modernity liberated some women from their traditional private roles, it served to imprison others as they felt compelled to assimilate into the new role. Modernity was geographical by nature. It was in the public and private spaces of society where it played out and ultimately changed society’s view of feminine and masculine roles. The private sphere, or the home, was thought of as the place where familial ties and identity were centrally located. The female’s role, as mother, daughter and wife, was viewed as pure and untouched by modern life. She was seen as the caregiver both to her children and her husband. She was not suppose to walk the streets by herself or she would be seen as a prostitute. The duties of these homebound women revolved around purity and moral correctness. Ultimately, if there was even the slightest bit of immorality, they were highly regarded as sinners. Women had great influence during this time and were depicted as the moral backbone of society. The emergence of modernity brought about numerous opportunities for women, but the comfort of women in the home seemed to be overshadowed by the need to provide financially for their families. Many women felt obligated to work outside the home. Entering into the Industrial Era began to give women more authority and soon moving them to reform culturally. Massive economic growth and urbanization was taking place. Home production of goods were no longer necessary and were now being manufactured by factories and stores, increasing production, commerce and trade. Due to this economic expansion, the increase in business opportunities, woman’s suffrage, schools, and evangelism, many families decided to relocate to nearby cities or frontiers. Living standards improved miraculously, and a new type of family life was emerging, one in which women were encouraged to work outside the home, but remain dominated by the male inside the home. Far’s character, Minnie is married to a man who has assimilated into the new socially constructed male idenity. Minnie’s modern husband, James expects that she work outside the home and contribute monetarily, as well as, be abreast of social and political issues. The story begins with Minnie narrating and explaining why she married a Chinese man. As she recounts how she was first married to a modern, American man, his expectations are clearly defined and Minnie is repeatedly reminded of them by her husband. Thus, she makes an honest attempt to transform into this new woman because she loves her husband. â€Å"But, in spite of his unkind remarks and evident contempt for me, I wished to please him. He was my husband and I loved him. Many an afternoon, when through with my domestic duties, did I spend in trying to acquire a knowledge of labor politics, socialism, woman suffrage, and baseball, the things in which he was most interested. † (Far, 67) Prior to the nineteenth century, this would have been viewed as a disgrace because women had no place in a man’s sphere. It is through the movement of Modernity that it is allowed and welcomed by both male and female genders. Thus, Minnie obtains a job as a stenographer so that her husband may work on writing and publishing his book. Her goal is to make James proud of her as his wife by allowing him to redefin her feminine role. Unfortunately, Minnie discovers that she misses her child and prefers to be at home caring for her family as she did in her traditional female role. Here the troubles begin in her private sphere, her family life. James verbally abuses her because of it and ultimately rejects her claiming that she is a failure in assimilating into the identity of the new American woman, and in the same breath reveres his female colleague who is an exemplar of the new feminine identity as he tells her, â€Å"Give it up, Minnie. You weren’t built for anything but taking care of kids. Gee! But there’s a woman at our place who has a head for figures that makes her worth over a hundred dollars a month. Her husband would have a chance to develop himself. † (Far, 68) Thus, Far argues that although the female identity is transforming, the new feminine role of the working class, political socialite is disruptive and possibly destructive for the American woman who chooses to identify with the traditional female identity. Minnie ultimately rejects this new identity which further causes more friction between her and her husband, as well as, creates a desire in James to be with a woman who fulfills the new socially constructed female role. It isn’t until Minnie overhears her husband profess his love to another modern woman who he clearly admires that she divorces him and liberates herself from the role that both her modern husband and modernity imposed upon her. While Modernity has recreated the feminine identity, it has not considered a traditional female’s reaction against it. Far reveals the consequences of such through the tragic events her character, Minnie undergoes following her rebellion against it Minnie now finds herself without shelter and needing to support herself and her daughter. She is offered employment doing embroidery, a job that she has always loved and associated with the traditional female role. She obtains this job through a Chinese man she meets on the street when she was without food or shelter. Surprisingly, the Chinese man helps her find shelter, food and employment and asks for nothing in return. Far intentionally portrays this Chinese man as the complete opposite of Minnie’s American husband, as he is almost flawless. In portraying the Chinese man in America as compassionate and protective of the female, her intention is twofold. First, Far attempts to counteract racist, negative stereotypes of Chinese men of the nineteenth century which depicts them as addicted to opium, abusive toward women, gamblers, murderers and ultimately useless to society. As Elisabeth Ammon’s article on Far’s Mrs. Spring Fragrance states, â€Å"To admit any flaws in them beyond the most minor foibles was to give the racist script credibility. (Ammons, 114) Although perhaps exaggerated, Far portrays the Chinese male identity as caring, gentle and protective of women, unlike her depiction of the brutal, insensitive and cruel American male. Far’s second motive is to validate that the concept of an identity, whether male or female, is one which is self-governed and not socially driven. When Minnie finally accepts the Chinese man for her husband and protector, she accepts her chosen identity as wife, mother and caretaker and finds blissfulness. Minnie expresses her euphoric revelation as she rejects her former husband’s plea to return to him. â€Å"The happiness of the man who loves me is more to me than the approval or disapproval of those who in my dark days left me to die like a dog. My Chinese husband has his faults. He is hot-tempered, and at times, arbitrary; but he is always a man, and has never sought to take away from me the privilege of being a woman. I can lean upon and trust in him. I feel him behind me, protecting and caring for me, and that, to an ordinary woman like myself, means more than anything else. Sui Sin Far successfully portrays the true female self-image, or identity as tranquility and contentment and performance as anguish and wretchedness through her character, Minnie in The Story of One White Woman Who Married a Chinese.