Using juxtaposition, contrast, symbolism, layering, and other techniques, this novel traces the ramification of a high-minded and intelligent Chinese woman's first exposure and gradual acclimatization to the traditions of American culture. The author depicts step by step the process in which the heroine gravitates away from her three other suitors into an ambivalent relationship with Jia Huizhen, a hard-working but presumptuous egotist.

Using juxtaposition, contrast, symbolism, layering, and other techniques, this novel traces the ramification of a high-minded and intelligent Chinese woman's first exposure and gradual acclimatization to the traditions of American culture. The author depicts step by step the process in which the heroine gravitates away from her three other suitors into an ambivalent relationship with Jia Huizhen, a hard-working but presumptuous egotist.