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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
Though the building looks nondescript, the Chinese Athletic Association in Hong Kong has an eight-year waiting list for membership and is only open to the best families. The Cheng family has lunch there on Sundays without fail. Dr. Malcolm Cheng, the patriarch and the most famous heart surgeon in Asia, arrives in his chauffeured car and wearing custom gloves (he must protect his hands, even from the toll of driving). His wife, Alexandra “Alix” Cheng, takes a taxi. She’s the one who earned the family fortune flipping Hong Kong properties; the family had one of the largest real estate portfolios in Hong Kong by the mid-aughts.
Given the Chinese Athletic Association’s long waitlist, the fact that the Chengs belong to the Association suggests that they must be one of the “best families.” As the chapter progresses, and as readers get a look at the Chengs, this invites them to consider what, exactly, makes a family one of “the best.” Money certainly contributes; the family’s real estate portfolio seems to have pushed the family into ultrawealthy territory. However, Dr. Cheng in particular looks absurd—is driving really so rough on a person’s hands? Or is this just an example of wealth leading to behavior that seems odd and funny to someone who’s not wealthy enough to hire a driver?
Themes
Sunday lunch is Malcolm and Alexandra’s time to inspect their children. There’s Alistair, who’s dating a soap-opera star named Kitty Pong (whatever she says, the family suspects she’s not actually from “a good Taiwanese family”). Cecelia, a stay-at-home mom, spends more time riding on the international equestrian circuit than raising her son. Eddie, the supposedly perfect eldest son, married well-connected Fiona Tung, has three perfect children, and is a star in private banking—but he spends too much time with Mainland Chinese billionaires. Eddie is the last to arrive to today’s lunch, which is very important to Alexandra: the family must plan their family trip to Singapore to the Khoo wedding.
As the narrator gives a rundown of the Cheng children, it seems questionable whether the family is the “best.” Alexandra, at least, seems to take issue with many of her children’s choices and attitudes, from Cecelia’s absence from her son’s life to Eddie’s association with Mainland Chinese billionaires. This detail about Eddie’s friends adds more context to Laurent’s explanation in the previous chapter, as it implies that the Mainland Chinese aren’t considered as “good” as an old-guard family like the Chengs.
Themes
As usual, Eddie is on his phone and when he hangs up, he announces that the family is going to borrow his friend Leo’s private jet to fly to the wedding. Fiona notes that this is presumptuous and also, what happens if there’s an accident and the entire family is on the same plane? Eddie says they’ll take multiple trips, but Alistair notices he doesn’t say when Kitty will fly over. Alexandra decides to worry about Alistair’s dating choices later and says they can’t take a private plane. What will people think? Enraged, Eddie shouts that their family is royalty. His kids are used to seeing him lose his temper at home, but never in front of their grandparents. After a few more minutes of arguing, Eddie imperiously stomps off. His family is relieved to see him go.
It reads as absurd when Fiona asks what happens if a plane crash kills the entire family. Plane crashes are exceedingly rare, for one, so asking this highlights the family’s focus on protecting and preserving its wealth and legacy—something they can’t do if they all die suddenly. Seeing Eddie trying to convince his family to borrow Leo’s plane, though, suggests that Eddie hasn’t changed at all since he was a teenager in the prologue. He yearns to be rich and powerful, like Leo and Leo’s dad. But though Eddie’s family is presumably even wealthier than Leo’s (given that the Chengs are old money), Eddie still sees his family as inferior.
Themes
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