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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
Dinner starts at nine in a vast banquet hall, an elaborate glass building that looks over a manmade lagoon. Carol Tai asks if the Lees built this for the wedding, but Dato’ Tai Toh Lui explains that it’s part of the eco-luxury resort that the Lees are building here. Daisy whispers that the Lees can change the name all they want, but this is Ghost Island—Japanese soldiers shot young Chinese men here during World War II, and it’s haunted.
The way that the Tais ask about the manmade lagoon suggests that even they believe constructing an entire lagoon for a wedding is going too far, further developing the delineation between the old- and new-money sets. Daisy then suggests that as wealthy and developed as Singapore becomes, it will never escape certain parts of its past, such as the horrors the country experienced during World War II.
Themes
Rachel stares apprehensively at dinner’s first course, which is supposed to be sea scallop, ginseng vapors, and mushroom, but is a bowl encased in a wobbly pink bubble. Nick and Mehmet encourage Rachel to pop the bubble, which reveals a scallop and mushrooms in soup. Nick observes that across the hall, Eleanor is not impressed by the food. Eleanor is indeed upset, but not about the food: she noticed Rachel’s sapphire necklace. How did she get it? Trading seats with Philip, Eleanor compliments Victoria’s diamond necklace (Victoria wants to roll her eyes, as Eleanor has never complimented her in 30 years). Victoria breezily says that Ah Ma was giving out jewelry earlier, and she notes that Ah Ma thought the sapphires would look great on Rachel. She knows Fiona lent the necklace to Rachel, but she wants to upset Eleanor.
For now, Rachel seems perfectly happy to enjoy this absolutely absurd and pretentious dinner, and she has no idea how much grief she’s causing Eleanor. It’s important to note that Victoria isn’t the first person in the family to needle someone who’s wildly traditional; Cassandra was the one to mortify Alexandra by telling Ah Ma that Kitty is Alistair’s girlfriend. Neither Victoria or Cassandra, though, seem to have any thought for the trouble this might cause Kitty or Rachel. Their own enjoyment at making someone else squirm is all that matters. Part of this is because they see Kitty and Rachel as too low-class to deserve compassion.
Themes
Eleanor notes that Rachel’s background is “dubious,” but Victoria pretends she’s not worried. Victoria says Rachel is so educated, sensible, and speaks perfect Mandarin (these are qualities Eleanor does not have). Besides, Victoria continues, Rachel is way better than “that spendthrift Araminta Lee.” This trendy food is so terrible and absurd. Eleanor quickly excuses herself, approaches Francesca, and leads her to an alcove. After sending Francesca to get water so she can take a Xanax, Eleanor says that her entire family is in love with Rachel. Very seriously, Francesca says she’ll take care of it.
Readers can infer that Victoria isn’t actually sold on Rachel—again, her goal here is just to make Eleanor upset. And while it’s true that Rachel wouldn’t likely offer such “trendy” and ridiculous food at her wedding, that’s not a point Eleanor cares about. Eleanor is, instead, way more upset that Nick is going to supposedly sully the family name by marrying a girl from a “dubious” background. And “dubious” is simply code for lower-class.
Themes
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When the sixth course is finished, the water in the lagoon glows and drains, and a woman rises up from its depths. Someone screams: it’s Tracy Kuan, whom Oliver explains is Asia’s Barbra Streisand. After Araminta and Colin dance their first dance, Tracy launches into a dance hit. Oliver, grabbing Cecelia, asks for help distracting Alistair. He cuts in and begins dancing with Kitty, steering her across the floor. Oliver says he saw the music video Kitty danced in—and he also saw the sexually explicit video. Kitty, he notes, didn’t work so hard to marry upper-middle-class Alistair, and he spins her into Bernard Tai. Stealing Bernard’s partner, Oliver whispers to Kitty that Bernard’s father is extremely wealthy—and Bernard is the only son.
Readers have already seen Bernard in action during the bachelor party. On the surface, he and Kitty seem like they’d get along swimmingly, as they’re both very interested in opulent, absurd displays of wealth that most other characters find tasteless. Oliver, though, encourages Kitty to go for Bernard by pointing out that he’s rich, on the hunch that Kitty won’t care about Bernard being cruel and crass as long as he has enough money to hire Cirque du Soleil at their wedding. If Oliver is successful, this highlights that Kitty’s focus when it comes to marriage is on money—the same as Eleanor’s goal is for Nick, but from a different angle.
Themes
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Astrid leaves the banquet for one of the terraces and, after watching her for a minute, Charlie joins her. They joke about how they’d steal all the media attention if they danced together, and they discuss that kids these days are spending money so differently than they did. Then, Charlie admits his wife isn’t here because they don’t live together anymore. In turn, Astrid tells the truth about Michael, admitting she doesn’t know if he lives in Hong Kong now or if Michael truly has a child with his mistress. Charlie is horrified and suggests that they go to Hong Kong and find out. Nobody will have to know Astrid is there, and Charlie knows the best private investigators after his brother was kidnapped.
Astrid learns here that she’s not the only one having marital troubles; neither she nor Charlie ended up in a happy relationship after their split. It’s presented like a throwaway detail, but readers might do a double take when Charlie notes that he knows great private investigators because his brother was kidnapped. That Charlie’s brother was kidnapped at all reinforces that his family is wealthy and important, but Charlie also seems really glib about having these connections and about tracking Michael down. Doing so is nothing to him, despite the cost.
Themes
Colin and Nick are watching Araminta and her dad dance, and Colin thanks Nick for his presence and support. They agree that Rachel looks fantastic tonight—and Nick admits that weddings are “infectious.” He wants to ask Rachel to marry him. Colin, thrilled, tells Nick to hurry so Nick’s kid can check Colin’s into rehab (Araminta wants to get pregnant on their honeymoon).
Recall Sophie saying earlier that in Singapore it’s expected that women will marry in their 20s and immediately have babies, and that this will make them “complete.” Araminta is following this trajectory—or would like to. She may truly love Colin, but she may also be partly motivated by wanting to look like what a successful young woman is supposed to look like—and this means focusing on marriage and babies.
Themes
It’s nearly midnight, and Rachel is chatting with Sophie Khoo in the banquet hall. Francesca comes in and begins arguing with Mandy about where to go eat later—and Mandy adds that she and “Nico” used to go to a restaurant with perfect duck. Rachel asks why Mandy calls Nick Nico. Mandy shares that they spent a summer on Capri with Nick’s auntie Catherine, and the Italian kids there called him Nico. Rachel turns back to Sophie. Francesca whispers to Mandy that she’s “lost her edge,” and Mandy storms off. Francesca sadly says that Mandy is trying to “incite jealousy,” and Rachel says she doesn’t get why Mandy is doing this to her. Laughing, Francesca says Mandy is trying to make her jealous, not Rachel—Francesca was in Capri, and when they had a threesome, Nick was way more into her than Mandy. Nick appears; it’s time for fireworks.
Readers know that though Mandy is putting on a good show, her heart isn’t really into destroying Nick and Rachel’s relationship. For her part, Francesca seems to be simply motivated by a desire to keep someone like Rachel, who’s lower-class and not part of Singapore’s elite circle, out. Still, it’s ambiguous whether Francesca genuinely still has feelings for Nick, or if she’d marry him just to improve her own status, or if she just enjoys stirring the pot at Eleanor’s direction. Any explanation is possible, but all still hinge on the fact that Francesca doesn’t see Rachel as someone worth being considerate towards.
Themes
