Rachel Yu Character Analysis

Rachel is a close friend of Adeline during the years spent at the boarding school in Hong Kong. Rachel is kind and considerate, but Adeline is reticent to tell Rachel of her suffering, in part because Rachel suffers in her own way—her father has devoted his life to her success, but this leads her to feel smothered by his expectations. In an important moment for Adeline’s development, Rachel and her friends invite Adeline to play a game in which each person compares what they like most about themselves with what the group believes are their best qualities. When Adeline admits that she like nothing about herself, Rachel counters her response, telling her that all of their friends believe Adeline is the “most likely to succeed,” bolstering her confidence.