Crazy Rich Asians

In the first three chapters, Kwan establishes the two distinct worlds that Rachel and Nick come from, building on the theme of wealth and class disparities. Their mothers, Kerry and Eleanor, respectively, have different reactions to Nick’s and Rachel’s Singapore trip and the idea of their romance. Nick has no idea that he needs to prepare Rachel for the reality of his wealthy background or the way his mother will react to Rachel’s humbler beginnings. The book uses a romantic-comedy setup for the fish-out-of-water scenario that Rachel is walking into. It also takes an absurdist look at the way the wealthy Singaporeans think and behave: The gossip pipeline, originating with a young lady named Celine Lim, gets the news about Nick bringing a girl home for Colin’s wedding to his mother before Nick even gets a chance to call her. This is a hyperbolic example of the role gossip plays in this community of women and sets a pattern that will continue for the remainder of the novel.

The first chapters also establish the importance of perceptions. Rachel is concerned about how Nick’s family will perceive her as an Asian American; she has already formed suspicions about them being too traditional. Nick’s family’s wealth and Singaporean high society are so familiar to him that he does not consider that Rachel might need an orientation to his family’s way of life. Nick is also wary of revealing his ultra-wealthy status to Rachel because he wants her to love him for himself, not for his money. This is an early example of the theme of How Money Affects Love. In the United States, he does not have to wear the label of “rich guy” and can live the normal, comfortable life he desires.

The baroness’s snobbery toward Astrid echoes the hotel manager’s snobbery toward Nick’s family in the Prologue. In the Prologue, Kwan implies that part of Ormsby’s judgment about the family comes from their downtrodden appearance; their clothes are wet and rumpled from having been out in the rain, and they are tired from carrying their luggage. Astrid is dressed just as richly and beautifully as the rest of the party guests, but the baroness still assumes that Astrid is below her in social status. In both cases, the Western characters’ racial and gendered stereotypes about Asian women inform their judgments. The baroness sexualizes Astrid, thinking she must be the mistress of a wealthy man, rather than considering Astrid equal to herself and the Comtesse. She doesn’t respect her until she learns how wealthy Astrid is in her own right. These stereotypes are another example of the lingering effects of western colonialism.

Chapter 6 introduces new characters in the Cheng family. Here again, appearances and social status play a major role. Eddie is obsessed with appearing rich by having a perfect family that wears designer clothes, drives fancy cars, and flies on private jets. It bothers him that his family wants to fly the “common” way with commercial airlines. He thinks they are deliberately downplaying their status, which he finds frustrating. Eddie’s need to demonstrate his wealth comes from his insecurity, which adds another layer to the book’s focus on wealth and perceptions, including self-perception. All of the relationships and social tensions established in these opening chapters will play out and develop in the rest of the novel.