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
Just before bed, Rachel calls her mom, Kerry Chu, in California. Once Kerry tells Rachel about her latest real estate sale, Rachel shares that Nick invited her to Asia for the summer. Kerry immediately asks if Nick is going to propose; he and Rachel are perfect for each other. Rachel tries to downplay it, but Kerry insists Nick is the type to marry—and besides, she’s tired of people asking when Rachel is going to get married. Her friend asked just the other day, and this is the friend whose daughter married a top guy at Facebook—he proposed with a scholarship to Stanford in her name instead of a ring, and she’s not as pretty as Rachel.
Kerry doesn’t seem to be a stranger to wealth and power, considering that she has a friend whose daughter married someone important at Facebook. But importantly, the ring substitute was something generous and philanthropic, suggesting that Kerry’s upper-class circle is perhaps more interested in helping others than it seems Eleanor’s friends are. Kerry also suggests that there’s a lot of pressure for Rachel to marry, which Rachel noted earlier is a focus in traditional Chinese culture.
Themes
Kerry asks Rachel where she’ll be staying in Singapore. Rachel says they’ll probably be with Nick’s parents, though she’s not sure if they live in a house or an apartment. Flustered, she says she has no idea whether she’ll be in a guest room or sharing with Nick, but Kerry says the Chinese Singaporeans are very uptight and she doesn’t want them to think Kerry raised Rachel wrong. Then, she suggests Rachel can take a leftover bottle of Johnnie Walker Red for Nick’s dad. For Nick’s mom, Rachel should go to Macy’s and get a gold powder compact from Esteé Lauder, which comes with a free gift (“every Asian woman loves those free gifts”). Rachel promises to take care of it.
Here, readers begin to get the sense that Kerry knows way more about Chinese culture than Rachel does, setting Rachel up to possibly miss important information as she joins Nick in Singapore. The thought of Eleanor appreciating anything from a department store like Macy’s is laughable, while Johnnie Walker is known for being a budget-friendly Scotch—that is, it seems unlikely Nick’s dad would appreciate it. This humorous moment adds more tension, as it’s clear that Rachel and Kerry have no idea what Rachel is getting herself into.
Themes
