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
Nick is hiding in the yacht’s library when Mehmet sneaks in and joins him. Mehmet shares that he left the other guys as they started making ice-cream sundaes on nude women. Unfortunately, Bernard trapped Colin by crowning him “the Whipped Cream King.” Mehmet observes that he’s surprised Colin went for this kind of a party, but Nick explains Colin felt pressured into it since Bernard’s dad is the largest minority shareholder for the Khoo Organization. Moments later, Colin enters—he told Bernard he had to use the bathroom to get out of eating a sundae off a girl. Nick laughs that the three of them are ruining Bernard’s party by refusing all his “fun,” like dogfights and Peruvian cocaine. Alistair wanders in with a coffee that he deems wildly disappointing. Colin moans that he wants off this boat. Nick has an idea.
Nick, Mehmet, Colin, and Alistair continue to go along with Bernard’s party plans because they feel they have no choice. Escaping Bernard seems to be the best they can do, hence hiding in the yacht’s library and making excuses about needing the bathroom. Nick hits on what’s really going on here when he refers to the bachelor party as Bernard’s party. This weekend isn’t about Colin; it’s just an excuse for Bernard to show off his wealth. This, the novel suggests, is what sets Bernard and the newly rich families apart from old families like the Youngs: Nick never feels like he has to prove himself, while Bernard believes proving himself is the point.
Themes
Soon after, Nick rushes into the pilothouse and asks the captain for the yacht’s coordinates: his friend, Colin Khoo, is bleeding to death below deck and he needs to tell the life-flight helicopter how to get to them. The captain argues until Nick screams that he’s a Young. About 20 minutes later, the helicopter lands on the deck, interrupting Bernard’s hot tub blowjob. As Nick, Mehmet, and Alistair carry Colin to the helicopter on a stretcher, Lionel tells Bernard that Colin has alcohol poisoning. Bernard is worried he’s going to be blamed for this in the papers, but Lionel says that Bernard just has to keep partying like nothing is wrong so nobody finds out. Bernard is relieved.
When necessary, Nick isn’t above using his name to get his way. But note that he’s doing so in service of his friend, not for purely selfish reasons; his behavior thus far suggests that if Colin were actually having fun, Nick would just continue to camp out in the library. Still, this shows that Nick does know how wealthy and important he and his family are, which makes it seem even odder that he downplayed everything to Rachel.
Themes
Six hours later, Nick, Alistair, Colin, Mehmet, and Lionel are sitting in the Australian desert, admiring the sunset hitting Ayers Rock. Colin says this is exactly how he wanted his bachelor party to go as a man from the nearby resort arrives with a tray of flat whites. Alistair deems his coffee perfect.
Nick uses his wealth and power to do something kind for Colin: he gives Colin the bachelor weekend Colin wanted all along. This highlights that simply having money doesn’t deprive a person of their humanity.
Themes
