ld later marry, and more. To Elinore’s family was not about blood relation, but about whom you cared for and who cared for you. Marie Roger’s family is a typical family grouping. Her family includes her mother, father, sisters and brothers, as well as her aunts. Marie was born into her family and did not get to choose her grouping as Elinore did. It is not until Marie ages that her family expands to include others. Eventually Marie will add Knut Larsen as her husband and his sister Karen into her family. Anand Manvekar, her second husband, and Ranjit Singh, who would become a father figure for Marie, would also enter into Marie’s family, although none would become permanent members. Marie is tormented by what becomes a very dysfunctional family life, and ends up rejecting any kind of love. In the end Marie herself becomes her own family.Mrs. Spring Fragrance is a woman who came to America with only her husband, leaving behind any family she may have had in China. In the beginning her husband is her only family. Their marriage was arranged by their parents in China. Luckily for them, they fell in love even before they met. The couple does not have any children although they both want them. This longing for children is what causes Mrs. Spring Fragrance to become attached to Laura and Kai Tzu. Mrs. Spring Fragrance cares for these two young lovers and tries to help them. Mrs. Spring Fragrance considers Laura a member of her family and cares for the girl as if she were her own daughter. Unlike Marie’s family, the Spring Fragrance’s are a relatively stable family unit within themselves and only open their family unit to others due to their lack of children.How these three characters view their families differs as much as the people that they consider family. Elinore views her family as a support system. She relies on her neighbors to help her survive. While she is not dependent on them, she d...
