Kitty Pong Character Analysis

Kitty is a soap opera actress who’s dating Alistair Cheng. She insists she’s from Taiwan, though she’s actually from China. Everyone in Alistair’s family is horrified Alistair is dating her, as she dresses in sexy, contextually inappropriate clothing (one dress reveals her nipples and thong underwear), wears fake eyelashes and hair extensions, and has had plastic surgery of some sort on her breasts. Her main goal, the novel implies, is to get rich: she’s dating Alistair for his money, and she has no idea what true wealth looks like. That is, she looks at Araminta and sees the pinnacle of wealth and sophistication, when in actuality, the Chengs—whom Kitty scorns because they live in a “wooden house” with “old” Chinese furniture—are way wealthier. Oliver preys on this naivete to set Kitty up with Bernard Tai; guests discover the two having sex during the wedding tea ceremony.