What I enjoyed most about the story "Mrs. Spring Fragrance" is how it took a look at two different cultures that are so far removed from each other in the American culture and the Chinese culture.
It was interesting to see how the viewpoints on marriage differed when in reality, neither culture is right or wrong. it just depends on what an individual believes marriage to be about. If one believes that we are to marry someone who shares our values and will be a good provider/partner, then maybe arranged marriages are not a bad idea. If one believes that we are destined to fall in love and marry because of that love, then Americans are on the right track. There is not really a right or wrong answer to the question which choice is better because they both represent love in a way, whether it be the love of a significant other or the love between parent and child.
I used to think arranged marriages were a terrible idea but the reading this week really opened my eyes and made me see that maybe it's not all bad. If it is a part of someone's culture and they grow up not knowing any different then whose to say what's right or wrong. Either way, marriage is marriage.
I also thought arranged marriages were terrible until reading this story. I have heard that arranged marriages often turn into love. As a society we are very pro-love however have one of the highest divorce rates. It may be interesting to look up arranged marriage success rates compared to America.
ReplyDeleteAs you said, there isn't really a right or wrong answer to this question. I believe that it depends on the people in the marriage. If they are happy with an arranged marriage, then that is the way for them and vice versa.
ReplyDeleteIt is so easy for humans to judge what they do not experience on a first hand basis as being morally unjust or wrong, but as long as someone is open to different viewpoints I do not think it is wrong to question or wonder about cultural practices. Arranged marriages are not the worst institutions out there, and as someone mentioned in class there is a lot more to it than the parents just picking some person off of the side of the street for their child to marry on a whim. I think they work in their place of origin, but as soon as you introduce them into another culture they become prey to ridicule. I myself still have an issue with arranged marriages simply because I do not think anyone should be forced into a unionization based on the perceptions of someone else who has nothing to do with the marriage. My ideas would probably be different if I grew up in another area and in another time period, but freedom of expression and thought causes me to question such institutions.
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