Rich Schields Character Analysis in The Joy Luck Club

Waverly’s fiancé. He is very romantic in their relationship, and believes in the power of love despite Waverly’s hesitation to remarry after a failed first marriage. Rich reveals how ignorant he is about Chinese culture during an awkward dinner with Lindo and Tin, but eventually wins Waverly’s parents over with his enthusiasm.

Rich Schields Character Timeline in The Joy Luck Club

The timeline below shows where the character Rich Schields appears in The Joy Luck Club. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Mother-Daughter Relationships Theme Icon

Waverly takes Lindo out to lunch to tell her about her recent engagement to Rich Schields, but it goes poorly, as Lindo complains about Waverly’s edgy haircut and the restaurant’s... (full context)

Immigration, Language, and Mistranslation Theme Icon

Whenever Waverly tries to bring Rich up, Lindo changes the subject, so Waverly decides to bring her to Rich and Waverly’s... (full context)

...father; by the time Waverly divorces him, she believes Lindo poisoned her marriage. Now with Rich, she’s worried the same negativity will pollute her happiness. (full context)

Waverly finally gets Lindo to acknowledge Rich through a sneaky plan: she first takes him to Suyuan and Canning’s house for dinner,... (full context)

The dinner is a disaster, as Rich breaks a number of Chinese etiquette rules, such as adding soy sauce to Lindo’s cooking... (full context)

...then breaks down in tears. Lindo reveals that she knew about the engagement and thinks Rich is fine. Waverly reconsiders all her assumptions about her mother, and suddenly understands her for... (full context)

...biggest, best crab to eat. She also takes the second-best and third-best for her fiancé, Rich, and herself. By the time the plate of crabs reaches Suyuan and June, only a... (full context)