Where is a woman's place? Decorating the home? Saving her husband's business from public shame? Meddling in the love lives of their children? Conniving to become the wife of the heir to the Young and Shang fortunes?
Crazy Rich Asians offers a variety of scenarios for women in Southeast Asia, with Americanized Rachel Chu as the foil to the "you're nothing till you're married with children" belief. In many cases, this doesn't seem to be a misogynistic prescription, either. The women subscribe to the natural order of their world and impress it upon their daughters and daughters-in-law. We think we'd rather just have to wear panty hose to work every day.
Questions About Women and Femininity
- What is the role of the mother in wealthy Singaporean society? Which characters most embody this role?
- How do expectations of women differ from Rachel's family to women in Singapore? How does this difference affect how Rachel relates to these women?
- To what extent is Eleanor Young a good mother? Why?
- How do women shape Crazy Rich Asians?