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
Ling Cheh announces that the tan huas are blooming, so guests begin to move toward the conservatory. Nick takes Rachel a back way to the conservatory, which looks like it belongs in a Moorish-style palace. He explains he wanted them to get here first so she could see it empty. Rachel insists Tyersall Park is a “dream,” but Nick kisses her, saying that she, not Tyersall Park, is “the dream.” Guests enter, and Rachel and Nick join them at the dessert buffet. Rachel then admires the tan huas, which are huge, viny plants growing in terra-cotta urns in the middle of a reflecting pool. Oliver appears and points out the peach-size flower buds, which will open within the hour. It’s very lucky, he explains, to witness them bloom.
Coming from a middle-class upbringing in California, Tyersall Park seems like a fantasy to Rachel. Nick, however, grew up here, so it’s normal to him. What’s not normal, and what’s actually pretty unusual for him, is a close relationship with someone who supports him and loves him for who he is as a person. Everything Rachel sees, though, highlights the Youngs’ wealth and prestige, from the rare flowers to the party itself.
Themes
Seeing Nick speaking to a beautiful woman across the room, Rachel asks Oliver who the woman is. She’s Jacqueline Ling, and she looks about 40 but is actually closer to 60. Her grandfather was a renowned philanthropist, so her bloodline is also exceptional. Oliver says that apparently, Ah Ma wanted Nick’s dad Philip to marry Jacqueline, but he was already involved with Eleanor. When Rachel admits she hasn’t met Eleanor yet because Eleanor is out of town, Oliver tells her to be careful: Eleanor “maintains a rival court.” As this conversation is going on, Jacqueline asks Nick why he hasn’t spent more time with her daughter Amanda, his onetime friend who’s in New York. Jacqueline thinks Amanda needs Nick’s good influence so that she’ll stop hanging out with her older hedge fund boyfriend. Then, Jacqueline tells Nick to tell Rachel to be careful of Oliver, a “vicious gossip.”
Thus far, Oliver has said nothing overtly rude about people—though it is, of course, impossible to verify everything he says. (It is true, though, that Rachel should look out for Eleanor, as Eleanor is in Shenzhen now to get intel from a private investigator about her.) All of this suggests that Jacqueline might have ulterior motives when she refers to Oliver as a “vicious gossip.” Indeed, it seems more like she’s trying to position Amanda to catch Nick’s attention. This gives some credence to something Colin said earlier: that every unmarried girl and her mother in Singapore will be after Nick, even if he is obviously committed to Rachel.
Themes
Astrid is sitting with Rachel, trying not to worry about what Oliver said about seeing Michael in Hong Kong, when Nick walks up with tea for Astrid and chocolate cake to share with Rachel. Rachel warmly watches Nick go talk to Ah Ma across the room. Ah Ma tells Nick that people have been trying to talk to her about Rachel all night, and Cassandra is concerned Rachel is going to “trap” Nick. Nick assures Ah Ma he and Rachel are just having a nice time on vacation, and Ah Ma says she knows—Nick would “never do anything without [her] blessing.” She doesn’t want to talk to Rachel tonight (people will gossip), but Nick and Rachel should come stay at Tyersall Park. Nick is thrilled.
Nick is extremely oblivious. He and Rachel are ostensibly here to have a nice vacation, but he seems not to pick up on Ah Ma’s subtext here (that he absolutely needs her blessing if he does decide to propose to Rachel). She also confirms that the entire family is gossiping about Rachel and believes she’s after Nick’s money. For her part, Rachel also misses how wildly powerful Ah Ma is. She sees a diminutive old lady and a doting grandson, when she’s actually looking at the matriarch of the most powerful family in Singapore.
Themes
In a corner of a dark room, Jacqueline Ling is on the phone with Amanda, angrily telling Amanda to fly home for the Khoo wedding, no matter what. When she hangs up, Oliver appears and suggests it’s too late for Amanda to snag Nick, but Jacqueline denies this. Meanwhile, Rachel enjoys her evening. This is magical—will life with Nick always be this amazing? The tan hua flowers wilt soon after.
Jacqueline seems to be doing exactly what Oliver accuses her of doing: trying to position Amanda to usurp Rachel and marry Nick. This, of course, is utterly dehumanizing to Nick, as it casts him as a prize to be won, not a person with thoughts and feelings. The wilting tan hua flowers, meanwhile, seem ominously symbolic: given the many people speaking poorly of her and treating her like an obstacle standing in their way of marrying Nick, life will not always be this amazing.
Themes
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