Manipulation is prevalent as a theme throughout the movie Crazy Rich Asians. From the moment that Rachel meets Eleanor, her boyfriend Nick Young's mother, it is clear that she does not like Rachel, and she does not think she is the right person for her son to be with or eventually marry. It is clear from Eleanor's interactions with Rachel that she is trying to push Rachel away and prove that she does not belong in the lifestyle or social class that her family is apart of.
One of the first instances of manipulation takes place at the bachelorette party. Rachel originally did not want to go to the party; however, she is convinced to attend by Nick's best friend's fiancee. At the party, Rachel is ostracized by some of the other women at the party, who are either friends or members of Nick's family. Rachel is constantly being pushed away by the other women and made to feel like an outsider. This scene culminates in a bloody fish being left on Rachel's bed (Bui). All of these actions are an attempt to push Rachel away from Nick and convince her that she does not belong in the world that Nick is a part of.
Another instance of manipulation is the dumpling scene. Throughout the scene, Eleanor talks about how the family continues to make dumplings in order to keep the traditions alive and continue to pass them down to the younger generations so that they do not die out. This comment is a dig at Rachel as she is the daughter of an immigrant and does not follow the traditional Asian lifestyle. It is also revealed in this scene that Nick's grandmother did not originally approve of Eleanor, but his father decided to marry her anyway because it is impossible to appease every member of a family. It is also revealed that "Eleanor and his grandmother both raised Nick, grooming him to be the favorite Young sibling. Because of this extra care and attention, they expect him to live a certain life" (Chaudhury). Here, we can see that the manipulation is not only happening in the present with Rachel, but that it has been a part of Nick's life from the very beginning.
The most climatic event of the movie and greatest use of manipulation in the film is the mahjong scene towards the end of this movie. In this scene, Rachel confronts Eleanor after she rejects her from ever being allowed into the family despite the fact that Nick has proposed to Rachel against Eleanor's wishes.
The mahjong scene is unique to the movie
It is clear from the setting of this scene, outside of the "crazy rich Asian" bubble, that Rachel will have the upper hand, however she allows Eleanor to believe that she still has the upper hand and has won the battle over Nick's future. It isn't until the game has almost reached its end that Rachel reveals that Nick proposed to her despite Eleanor's wishes, proving that he'd give up everything, including his family and their wealth, in order to be with Rachel. . It is at this point that a specific bamboo tile is discarded by Rachel, an eight of bamboo.
"The number eight is of huge symbolic importance to the Chinese; it resembles the character for fortune and is considered a sign of wealth, prosperity, and happiness" (Yang)
The tile is also the missing piece that would complete the set for both Eleanor and Rachel allowing either one of them to win the game they are playing. Rachel knows from observing the game and how Eleanor is playing that this is the tile she needs to win, which is why she chooses to discard it even though it would also allow her to win the game. At this point, Rachel informs Eleanor that she turned Nick's proposal down as she would have wanted.
"Rachel explains: When it comes to her marriage with Nick, Eleanor has guaranteed there’s no winning outcome for them. Nick choosing Rachel means he’d lose his mother and his family. Nick choosing his family means he might resent Eleanor forever — thus losing his mother anyway. Lose-lose" (Yang).
Thus, Rachel demonstrates that she can make the choice that Nick cannot. She chooses to leave Nick behind so that he continue to be with his family and one day take over their business. She tells Eleanor that she knows Nick will find someone else, to love and marry, that the family approves of. It is here that Rachel discards the eight of bamboo allowing Eleanor to win. However, before she leaves she reveals her own hand, showing that she could have won herself but choose not to.
"In this move, Rachel has demonstrated to Eleanor three critical things. The first is that she loves Nick enough to put his future ahead of hers. The second is that she understands that family should always come first, something that Eleanor suspected she didn’t comprehend as [an] Asian American. And the third is that Rachel is strong, self-sacrificing, and courageous — a lot like Eleanor herself. Instead of “never being enough” for Nick, a line Eleanor uses to surgically destroy Rachel in an earlier scene, she’s most likely exactly what Nick needs" (Yang).
Overall, throughout the movie, manipulation is used by Eleanor in an attempt to push Rachel away and drive Nick and Rachel apart. However, Rachel is aware of this and continues to make the choices that will be best for her in the long run even if they might hurt her in the present moment. Thus, Rachel is able to gain the upper hand and prove her worth and value to Eleanor.
References
Bui, Hoai-Tran. “'Crazy Rich Asians' Spoiler Review: Making the Unfamiliar, Familiar Through Rom-Com Tropes.” /Film, Film, 21 Aug. 2018, www.slashfilm.com/crazy-rich-asians-spoiler-review/2/.
Chaudhury, Nadia. “The Dumplings Tell the Story of 'Crazy Rich Asians'.” Eater, Eater, 17 Aug. 2018, www.eater.com/2018/8/17/17724242/dumplings-crazy-rich-asians.
Yang, Jeff. “The Symbolism of Crazy Rich Asians' Pivotal Mahjong Scene, Explained.” Vox, Vox Media, 31 Aug. 2018, www.vox.com/platform/amp/first-person/2018/8/17/17723242/crazy-rich-asians-movie-mahjong.
Written by: Bree McKeen
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