China Rich Girlfriend

Explore the function of family in the novel and analyze the importance of family relationships to various characters. For instance, Rachel longs to get to know her birth father, while Nick, Astrid, and Kitty all have different family structures and familial loyalties. Compare and contrast these various relationships and what they reveal about the novel’s theme of Real Value Versus Net Worth.

Compare the various levels of “rich” in the novel and discuss what each implies. Eleanor suggests that while the Youngs might be rich, the Baos are China rich. What does she mean by that? What, alternatively, is meant by the term HENRY—High Earner, Not Rich Yet? Explain what these different gradations of wealth are used to indicate, and what they mean to certain characters using specific examples from the text to support your argument.

Discuss self-fashioning and the Importance of Image and Status as it appears in the novel. Colette and Eddie are characters who are extremely conscious about appearance, while Kitty is attempting to remake herself in an image that will be more acceptable to Hong Kong society. Bernard is another example of someone who has refashioned himself from the obnoxious playboy who appeared in Crazy Rich Asians.