Crazy Rich Asians: Women Are To Blame?

Rachel disappointed after Eleanor revealed her parents’ true history

I recently re-watched 2018, Crazy Rich Asians, and I can’t help to notice the role of women presented in the show. The show was a major success of having a major Hollywood studio featuring a majority of Chinese cast represented in the modern world. There were a few female characters in the film which strikes out to me, Astrid, Eleanor, and Rachel; in my opinion, they illustrate the pressure of being women under the weight of Chinese tradition.

Within the film, Eleanor (Nick’s Mother) was characterized as a mother with high standards and was conservative to family tradition. However, it was later revealed that she has a hard backstory where she was faced with harsh judgment. Nick’s grandmother rejected her marriage with Philip (his modern-day husband) as she disapproves of Eleanor as her son’s wife. This goes to show, traditionally women were depicted as inferior to men, the men are depicted to be the ‘innocent’ partner and the woman is the one who is judged. I think this is especially true when the man looking for a partner is richer than the woman. A lower-class woman marrying a rich man is stereotypically seen to be a gold-digger or seductress - reducing the relationship to mere materialistic gain. This is evident when you compare Nick’s relationship with her Cousin Astrid relationship. Inversely in Astrid’s case, a woman of a higher class marrying a man in a lower class is deemed acceptable and unsuspicious.

For Astrid, she confronts her husband Michael who was having an affair and he effortlessly transition the blame occurrence of his affair to her; he proposed that the affair is a result of his unhappiness and financial disparity between them. It was like his affair should not be a surprising occurrence. Although, later on, Astrid confronts Michael that reveals Michael’s insecurities and ego which failed the marriage. Despite their financial disparity, Michael pride himself on his superiority and manipulate blame in order to guilt-trip his female partner. His insecurities of thinking that he is not on par with his wife financially stress him so much to the point where having an affair is a suitable solution to his problems. Whatever men’s class is, they are willing to find ways to show their superiority over women, and conventionally women are taught to accept this superficial reality; women are belittled to serve men’s needs and goals, and not contest in the power struggle.

Astrid leaving Michael’s apartment after confronting him of his insecurities

Furthermore, Rachel is innocently dragged into Nick’s problems and family struggle. She was not informed of his wealth and the highly traditional standard which Nick’s family so wilfully dragged Rachel into. Rachel’s dehumanizing judgments and criticisms portrayed insignificant to Nick’s wellbeing, and she is meant to accept it without question. If I were to make a metaphor, stereotypically women are viewed to be planets orbiting the star - the men are the star. So I recommend don’t wait for an opportunity for the perfect man.

Be in charge of your destiny, be enough for yourself.