What You Do Not Love

Journal No. 22
English 48B
Dr. Scott Lankford
Author I Chose: Sui Sin Far

From "Mrs. Spring Fragrance"

I. "Is it not better to have what you do not love than to love what you do not have?"

II. Mr. Spring Fragrance is speaking with the "scholarly" young boy who lives next door about love and loss.

III. While Mrs. Spring Fragrance is speaking with Laura of love and loss, Mr. Spring Fragrance overhears the conversation and starts to contemplate the discussion. While Mr. Spring Fragrance is pretty sure that he and his wife love each other and have a good relationship, he is a little uncertain after hearing his wife speak of something loved and lost. As he walks outside, he notices the neighbor outside and asks him what American's think about love. The amazingly naive neighbor considers himself to be the ultimate expert on love and loss. Though he understands the basic meaning of Tennyson's poem, he fails to understand its deeper meaning and inspiration. Mr. Spring Fragrance expresses further confusion about the entire concept. It seems to be completely foreign to him - love is practical, is it not? In his own concept of love, he was probably better off. He might have interpreted the meaning of the poem incorrectly, but he would have saved himself quite a bit of heartache later on when he wrongly believes his wife to be in love with another man. Fortunately, the American version of love does triumph after all when all of the confusion is settled and Mr. and Mrs. Spring Fragrance are happily in love again and Mrs. Jade Spring Fragrance receives the necklace that she had so long been dreaming of. Awww! I just love happy endings!