Free Food for Millionaires

“I want love, Tina. I want that. I’ll pay.”

After Tina, Casey’s sister, asks for advice about whether or not to have sex before getting married, Casey gives this response. Casey thinks that Tina is being too cautious, trying to take a rational approach to topics that Casey approaches with a sense of abandon. Casey expresses her willingness to take risks in pursuit of finding love, even while acknowledging that seeking such an intense and passionate emotion can yield great pain. This sentiment turns out to prove true over the course of the novel.

“She felt that an article of clothing could change a person, literally cast a spell. Each skirt, blouse, necklace, or humble shoe said something—certain pieces screamed, and others whispered seductively.”

Casey reflects on the power of clothing as she impulsively shops in expensive stores the day after she catches Jay cheating on her. Her choice illustrates early on the theme of Giving in to Compulsions Despite Consequences. In addition, clothing is a significant motif throughout the novel. It functions, in part, as an outlet for Casey’s creative and aesthetic sensibilities. Clothing also illustrates Casey’s desire for class mobility, since she uses it primarily to appear wealthy.

“It was hard not to feel propelled by the swirl of masculine power, and for the first time, Casey wanted this job.”

This quotation occurs when Casey first interviews for a low-level job at Kearns Davis; it marks the beginning of her curiosity about a possible career in finance. Significantly, though Casey is not intellectually engaged by the work, she notices the atmosphere of wealth and confidence. Casey is also drawn to the male-dominated field because she aspires to have the confidence and freedom that she sees embodied in the men around her.

“If you were a millionaire like some of these managing directors shaking down seven figures a year, you’d have known to push your way ahead and fill up your plate.”

Walter, one of the men who works at Kearns Davis, makes this observation about Casey when she first comes to interview. When the interview is interrupted by lunch being served, Walter notices Casey watching wealthy men gobbling down free food after she tries to eat modestly. Walter implies that people who achieve wealth and power do so because they aren’t afraid to be aggressive and take advantage of every opportunity, while those who try to behave more modestly often end up getting trampled.

“Yet Casey was an American, too—she had a strong desire to be happy and to have love, and she’d never considered such wishes to be Korean ones.”

In this moment, Casey is conflicted over her mother’s unexpected arrival to the apartment that she shares with Jay; Casey initially wants Jay to hide, but he refuses to do so. Casey is annoyed by Jay’s confidence and sense of entitlement, but she also acknowledges that her own values are influenced by two distinct and competing cultural identities. Casey resents Jay (and other white, American characters, especially men) because they are free from this conflict. She, in contrast, is torn between her desire to be individualistic and the pressure to prioritize the happiness of others.

“Life cost so much money. The craziest thing was that though her debts terrorized her, the desire for more […] only grew stronger.”

After Casey definitively ends her relationship with Jay, and before she starts business school, she reflects on how much her need—and desire—for money affects her life. She is working two jobs, one at Kearns Davis and one at Sabine’s store, yet she still struggles to make ends meet. This quotation reveals how financial pressure plays a significant role in Casey’s life, influencing the decisions she makes. It also shows the conflict in Casey’s character, highlighting the strength of her compulsion to buy more despite the consequences: She knows she is behaving recklessly, yet she cannot curb her spending.

“Your life. Your life matters, Casey. Every second.”

Sabine speaks these words to Casey as she urges the young woman to apply to business school and begin building a career for herself. Sabine worries that Casey is being fickle and not working hard enough. Sabine has been able to build significant wealth for herself, and she wants to see Casey do the same; Sabine thinks of Casey as both a surrogate child and as an extension of herself. Although Sabine seems much more progressive than Casey’s parents, she ends up likewise placing substantial pressure on Casey.

“Delia had taught him that it was possible to want two women, and to perhaps love two women, at once, and this knowledge terrified him.”

After Ella has confronted Ted about being unfaithful, Ted reflects on what he has learned through his affair with Delia. The quotation shows that Ted’s connection to Delia is emotional rather than purely sexual. The quotation also foreshadows how Ted will go on to pursue a long-term relationship with Delia, even though their interaction starts as a casual affair.

“She paid attention, the kind of attention that almost didn’t exist anymore. This was her gift.”

This quotation occurs when Casey first meets Unu on a business trip and contemplates her ability to attract people. Casey is able to connect with people fairly easily, and they often become quite willing to help her. The quotation attributes Casey’s interpersonal success to her ability to be highly present and attentive to those around her; this trait adds complexity and dimension to Casey’s character.

“I spend nearly everything I have, and I gamble for fun. I will not think less of you because you buy fancy clothes.”

Unu notes his own weakness to Casey as he asks her to move in with him. Casey is concerned and embarrassed because she is financially unstable and has a lot of credit card debt; however, Unu reassures her that he will not judge her. He is not self-conscious about sharing his own financial problems. This attitude is attractive to Casey because many other people in her life are preoccupied with wealth and status.

“The difference in the gifts was too severe to ignore. Either the Hans had overdone it or the Baeks had done too little.”

This remark occurs shortly before the marriage of Casey’s younger sister, Tina. Tina is marrying a Korean American man who comes from a much wealthier family. Casey and Tina’s parents engage in a ritual exchange of gifts with their future in-laws and spend far more money, offering lavish gifts. Casey is annoyed and embarrassed on behalf of her parents when she sees that Tina’s in-laws have not taken the gifts as seriously.

“Inside, she believed that she could be asked to leave at any moment, and what would she do but leave quietly with the knowledge that this was what happened to girls like her?”

This quotation occurs when Casey’s coworkers at Kearns Davis take her for a lavish farewell lunch after she leaves her job and starts business school. The elegant lunch prompts Casey to reflect on how, though she has come close to living a wealthy lifestyle, she has never truly felt a sense of belonging. Because Casey comes from a working-class family, she never feels secure in her class status. Her ingrained concern that she will never fit in among individuals who have much more money is integral to the theme of Tension Alongside Class Mobility.

“He was angry with his family, with the immigrant communities in New York, even the artists he knew who weren’t Korean who kept on wanting to compromise. An artist, a real artist, couldn’t do that.”

As Charles Hong lashes out at Leah, the narrator captures the root of his anger. Charles pushes Leah to perform a solo, but Leah modestly worries that it would not be fair to the other singers if she always gets the solo parts. The quotation reveals Charles’s character and inner conflict; it also foreshadows why he will later rape Leah. Charles is entitled and arrogant. He believes that people should pursue what they want, no matter the cost. He is frustrated by people like Leah who try to put the interests of others first.

“Every bookish girl in the world is Jane Eyre […] every girl who wants to be good, anyway.”

Joseph McReed, the owner of a rare bookstore, says these words to Casey after they strike up a conversation. Joseph regularly sees Casey on the bus, and he has noticed that she tends to read and reread classic works of literature. Casey is surprised that Joseph can tell she identifies with the character Jane Eyre, but he comments that many young women feel a connection to the fictional heroine. Joseph’s comment shows that, although Casey is not as unique as she believes herself to be, her problems not as bad as she fears: For hundreds of years, people have grappled with similar questions.

“For this was love, wasn’t it? To have someone clean up after you, to think about you when you were sick, to not walk away when there was nothing to be gained for the labor required.”

This quotation occurs when Leah Han (Casey’s mother) and Dr. Shim (Ella’s father) go to visit Charles Hong while he is ill. Leah puts a lot of effort into cleaning and cooking, uncomplainingly tending to Charles without expecting any acknowledgement. Especially since Dr. Shim and Charles are both single, they are particularly appreciative of Leah’s efforts. The reflection reveals a traditional perspective on partnerships and family, one that might be held by older or more conservative Korean male characters in the novel.

“She was the purest thing he had ever touched. He loved her. It made sense that she was frightened, but he believed that she loved him too.”

This quotation reveals Charles’s mindset as he forces himself on Leah. Charles is so arrogant and deluded that he believes Leah is secretly willing to have sex with him and is simply too innocent and embarrassed to express her consent. The quotation shows the readers that Charles is dangerous not because he is actively malicious, but because he lacks empathy and feels entitled to have whatever he wants.

“Casey had violated her own morality, however broken and taped up it might have been; she had not believed she could do this.”

This quotation occurs after Casey has sex with Hugh for the first time. She immediately feels guilty for betraying Unu, especially because she remembers how much it hurt when Jay cheated on her. Casey’s guilt shows that she is not truly capable of being completely selfish, even if that is what it takes to achieve a certain kind of success. The quotation uses the metaphor of Casey’s conscience, figuring it as a damaged but mended object. This metaphor reveals Casey’s struggle to pursue her desires without hurting other people.

“No, she’d said. Please. She had asked to go home. Yet she must have enticed him.”

This quotation reveals Leah’s mindset when she thinks about what Charles did to her. Leah does not understand that she has been raped; she believes that she must be the one at fault for what happened. This quotation shows how Leah’s religious and cultural beliefs have left her very vulnerable. She assumes that she must have tempted Charles; rather than realizing that she has been assaulted, she blames herself.

“It had taken her a decade of therapy to figure out this invaluable lesson: your truest feelings led you to greater and greater success in life. She had accomplished nearly impossible goals by recognizing her finest and ugliest feelings and everything in between.”

Here, Sabine and Casey are discussing the collapse of Casey’s relationship with Unu. Sabine believes she understands clearly why Casey was unfaithful. Sabine’s self-awareness and keen insight into psychology are rooted in her trust in her emotions, and this quotation explains how she became so confident in them. The quotation provides an explanation for Sabine’s success, but it is also somewhat ironic because Sabine is sometimes short-sighted.

“The downside of knowing things intimately was that she had also, in the process, degraded sex. She was still lost. What was sex for?”

This reflection occurs while Casey talks with Leah after the latter loses the pregnancy that resulted from being raped by Charles Hong. Casey is struck by her mother’s innocence and naivety; it prompts her to reflect on her own attitude toward sexuality. The quotation shows that while Casey and her mother are only one generation apart, they have vastly different perspectives of sex. At the same time, Casey feels increasingly conflicted about the casual way she has regarded sex, especially because her infidelity has broken her relationship with Unu.

“There are no winners or losers, Unu […] that’s just bullshit.”

Ella makes this comment to Unu when he comes to her after being evicted from his apartment; at first, Unu is filled with shame and self-loathing. As Ella reassures him, she even curses, which is highly unusual for her character, indicating how strongly she feels about this topic. While many other characters in the novel are motivated by money and social status, Ella cares mostly about kindness and integrity. Especially by late in the novel, Ella has also seen how fortunes can quickly shift, and she doesn’t want Unu to give up on the prospect of eventually being happy.

“Men had these fetishes, she knew that, but she’d never imagined it would be so ugly.”

Casey is shocked as she watches some pornography that she has found in Hugh’s apartment; the pornography features an Asian woman, and Casey finds it very unsettling. It leads her to abruptly break off her trysts with Hugh, as she can never trust him again. The quotation creates parallelism between this discovery and Casey’s experience, years earlier, of catching Jay having sex with other women. While Casey can sometimes approach sex casually, she is deeply uncomfortable with the idea of white men fetishizing her as an Asian woman.

“Grown up life is harder than I thought.”

Unu makes this remark to Casey when they meet unexpectedly at Ella’s home at the end of the novel. Unu has lost everything, but he is cautiously trying to rebuild and has a new career as a teacher. He speaks the words wryly, but the comment also reveals his sense of humor and ability to stay optimistic. Even though he is at a low point in his life, Unu maintains his perspective and sense of humor.