One of the main topics of my essay is the religious diversity found among American people and the tension/prejudice that results from such diversity between people of different religious beliefs. Until thus far, we had not yet read a poem in the Spoon River Anthology that dealt with a religion other than Christianity. Therefore, I believe Yee Bow’s poem is very unique because it shows what life in Spoon River is like from the perspective of a non-Christian (who would definitely be a minority in the community). The townspeople’s forcing her to convert to Christianity may be a part of their effort in the “crusade to purge the people of sin”, but it is obvious that Yee Bow doesn’t appreciate what they are doing to her at all (she ended up being killed by the minister’s son “as if it were a prank”). It is also evident that the people in Spoon River look down on her because of her religion and view of life.

I find it very interesting that there is a Chinese woman living in a small town such as Spoon River in the early 19th century. The cruel way in which the people of Spoon River received her may have been also because of her unique outer apparence, since she is most likely the only Asian person in the town, if not only Asian person the white townspeople have ever known.