Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Crazy Rich Asians, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Wealth and Absurdity
Marriage and Money
Family vs. Individuality
Chinese vs. Western Culture
Summary
Analysis
Rachel and Nick land in Singapore and exit customs to find Colin Khoo and his fiancée, Araminta, waiting for them. After introductions, Colin leads them outside to two silver Land Rovers. They pile luggage in one, climb into the other, and decide to find a place to eat. After some arguing over where to go (which Araminta explains is Singapore’s “national pastime”), they decide to go to a hawker center for satay. They order a number of dishes and find a table, and Rachel delights in trying the rich, flavorful food.
Hawker centers are common in Singapore; they’re outdoor dining centers with lots of food stalls featuring vendors who usually only cook one thing. Recall that earlier, Eddie implied that Colin and Araminta’s wedding is a huge deal. Colin and Araminta, though, read as perfectly normal and delightful people, suggesting that—other than Eddie—Nick’s generation is perhaps more welcoming to lower-class people like Rachel.
Themes
As the conversation progresses, Colin says he’s thrilled that Nick’s “mommie dearest” is away—it means he gets to spend more time with Nick, and lucky Rachel doesn’t have to deal with Eleanor. Araminta shares that she ran into Eleanor the other day, and Eleanor told her to stop going into the sun or she “will be so black people will think [she is] Malay.” Everyone but Rachel laughs, and Araminta explains that Eleanor said that seriously. Rachel looks nervous, but Colin says this is perfect. Nick has to come to his bachelor party anyway, and Araminta invites Rachel to hers. Nick is thrilled that Rachel is fitting in so well and looks so happy. Rachel says this is amazing and she doesn’t want to leave—and Nick is so busy smiling he misses the meaningful look Colin and Araminta share.
The novel’s third-person narration has allowed readers to see just how wildly rude and prejudiced Eleanor is—but this conversation is really the first time Rachel hears anything about Nick’s mother from anyone other than Nick. Colin, Araminta, and Nick’s laughter at such an absurdly bigoted quip suggests that it’s not unusual for Eleanor to say things like this. She’s known, in other words, for being opinionated and for being able to say exactly what she wants to people—even if what she says is racist or otherwise cruel.
Themes
