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
After a few days of sleuthing, Eleanor discovers that Nick is dating a girl from the Taipei Plastics Chu family, and that the information is true because it came from Cassandra Shang, Nick’s second cousin who is nicknamed “Radio One Asia” for good reason. It isn’t surprising Nick has a girlfriend (he’s the most eligible bachelor in Singapore), but it disturbs Eleanor that it took her this long to find out about Rachel. Further, Rachel’s existence is concerning because Eleanor has a theory: marriage is just about timing, and whichever woman a man happens to be dating when the right time rolls around is “the one.” Nick is in his early 30s, which is when men in the family tend to marry. Eleanor knows nothing about the Taipei Plastics Chus, save that they’re new money. But how established are they, and what will Rachel inherit?
The novel hasn’t yet offered any indication as to whether Rachel is actually a Taipei Plastics Chu—though it seems unlikely, as that would mean Rachel and her family are close to being part of Eleanor’s social circle. Given Rachel’s naivety about what she’s going to encounter in Singapore, it seems unlikely that she has had any experience with “crazy rich Asians.” This passage also sets up how important Nick’s future is to Eleanor, and that she feels entitled to meddle with Nick’s romantic choices. What Nick wants, then, isn’t as important as whether he’s making a choice that pleases his mother.
Themes
It’s time to call Nick. Eleanor uses her long-distance discount calling card (“old-money Chinese” hate “wasting” money on long-distance calls) to call and leave a voicemail. She then immediately calls Astrid, who groggily explains to her aunt that she’s in Paris and it’s the middle of the night. They chat about how luxury brands like Luis Vuitton still make Asian tourists wait in line to shop, which reminds Eleanor of how Japanese soldiers made the Chinese beg for scraps during the occupation.
This passage encourages readers to laugh at Eleanor for being so absurdly stingy with her money. She’s part of an elite circle of Singaporeans, so it’s ridiculous that she goes to such lengths to make cheaper long-distance phone calls when she could no doubt afford to call Nick and Astrid whenever and however she wants. Her comment comparing Asian tourists to starving Chinese people during World War II is also humorous, though it touches darkly on racism and bigotry. It may be racist that luxury brands make only Asian tourists wait in line to shop, but waiting in line to spend thousands of dollars isn’t the same as begging for food from an occupying military force. That Eleanor sees the two as equivalent speaks to her privilege.
Themes
Eleanor begins asking about Nick and his new girlfriend, for whom she’d like to throw a party. Astrid believes Nick has told Eleanor about Rachel and seems to have gotten his mom to accept his girlfriend, so she answers her aunt’s questions: Rachel hasn’t really spoken about her family in Taiwan, but she’s an up-and-coming economics professor who attended Stanford. Eleanor is privately aghast—clearly, this girlfriend is a conniving older woman who couldn’t get into Harvard. Astrid drops Rachel’s name (Eleanor hadn’t heard her first name yet) and tells Eleanor how to spell Chu; Eleanor says she’s getting a cake made with Rachel’s name on it. After discussing Eleanor and Philip’s new luxury apartment (which Eleanor describes as a “small pigeonhole”) and Astrid’s parents’ new property acquisitions, Eleanor hangs up, thrilled with her discoveries.
Readers may infer that Rachel hasn’t spoken about any Taiwanese family because her family isn’t actually from Taiwan—thus, the information Eleanor got from Cassandra is incorrect. As Eleanor reacts to Astrid’s information, it becomes clear that Eleanor is wildly judgmental. She seems to expect economist Rachel to be after Nick for his money, when the implication is that Rachel has no idea Nick is as wealthy as he is. Being an economist, that is, doesn’t actually mean Rachel is money-hungry. Eleanor then downplays her wealth again by describing her new apartment as a “small pigeonhole,” showing she has a flair for using language that suggests she’s poor and downtrodden—when, in reality, she’s anything but.
Themes
