Crazy Rich Asians

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2013

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue

Part 1, Chapters 1-6

Part 1, Chapters 7-12

Part 1, Chapters 13-18

Part 2, Chapters 1-6

Part 2, Chapters 7-12

Part 2, Chapters 13-18

Part 3, Chapters 1-6

Part 3, Chapters 7-12

Part 3, Chapters 13-20

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Tan Huas

The Tan Hua flowers that belong to Nick’s grandmother are a type of flower that blooms only at night and very rarely. Because they are so unique, they are very expensive and considered priceless flowers. Tan Huas represent luck and prosperity, which is why Shang Su Yi throws a party when hers are about to bloom. In Crazy Rich Asians, they also represent a rare, once-in-a-lifetime event, which is what Rachel is experiencing in Singapore. She is thrust suddenly into a world of couture, money, and prestige, and is introduced to experiences and places that she could have never imagined. Like the Tan Hua flowers, the beauty of the experience only lasts a short time before the whole thing withers, and she is left with heartache.

Pedigree and Wealth

The wealthy families in Crazy Rich Asians live with extreme wealth and privilege and only like to keep other, similar families in their circle. That means that someone like Rachel, who is comfortably middle-class and has a good education, still fails to meet their standards. This wealth and class disparity is a central theme in the novel. Michael Teo and Charlie Wu, like Rachel, both have good qualities, but fail to impress the old-money Singaporeans due to being a part of the out-group. Even after marrying Astrid, Michael is still treated like “the help” more than respected as a member of the family. Pedigree and wealth are much more important than money, education, or notoriety on their own. This motif appears repeatedly as a barrier for the book’s couples to overcome. While it tears Astrid away from both Charlie and Michael, Nick and Rachel try to give their relationship an honest effort.

Fairytale Romance

Crazy Rich Asians is structured like a romantic fairytale. In a fairytale, the main character is usually a regular woman or girl who comes from a humble background. She meets a handsome prince who falls in love with her. However, before the prince and the young woman can be together, they typically face some challenges that make their union difficult. In the end, they overcome those obstacles and come together, often through marriage. Nick and Rachel fit the archetypes of the ordinary girl and the handsome prince; Rachel was raised by a single mother who immigrated from China with nothing, while Nick was raised at his family’s sprawling Tyersall Park estate as the direct male heir to his family’s fortune. The other aspect of a fairytale that fits Crazy Rich Asians is the way the protagonist often enters a new reality that is beyond their imagination, whether it’s the grandeur of riches, magic, or a new world. On their Singapore trip, Rachel is suddenly transported to a world where women buy millions of dollars’ worth of couture dresses and consider millionaires too poor to marry.