Free Food for Millionaires

Min Jin Lee’s literary style is influenced by the tradition of 19th-century European realist novelists; in this section of the novel, she makes this influence explicit by introducing allusions and intertextuality. Although Casey claims “I’m not bookish” (337), she has read a number of realist novels, and she is eager to discuss them with Joseph, the owner of the rare book shop. Two particular titles, Jane Eyre and Middlemarch, figure in Joseph and Casey’s conversation; the latter revolves around a young woman who struggles to maintain her sense of integrity and find true love without abandoning independence, while the former includes a plotline about a young woman (Dorothea Brooke) who enters into an ill-advised marriage. Casey “loved and disliked [Dorothea] at the same time” (340), hinting at how many readers may feel about Lee’s own complex and often morally ambiguous characters. Casey also expresses her sympathy for Dorothea’s largely unlikeable husband, Casaubon, explaining that, “Casaubon has his tragedy too” (340). Casey models the type of empathetic and nuanced readership that Lee cultivates with her own work by providing psychological insights into characters’ motivations and mistakes. This conversation also plays into the theme of Creativity and the Value of Beauty, highlighting again the role both creativity and beauty play even in the ordinary lives of ordinary people.

The chance encounter between Casey and Joseph marks the beginning of a significant friendship in which Joseph becomes another surrogate parent figure; he even shares the same name as Casey’s biological father (Joseph Han). Interestingly, Casey’s surrogate parents, Sabine and Joseph, are either non-Korean or relatively divested from Korean culture (Sabine is married to a non-Korean man and seems largely disinterested in her cultural heritage). Casey’s growing interest in literature is also confined to works by European authors; while reading allows Casey to reflect and build empathy for others, it possibly also reinforces her sense of disconnection from her Korean culture and heritage.

The interaction between the themes of Tension Alongside Class Mobility and Giving in to Compulsions Despite Consequences becomes more evident as Hugh takes on a greater role in Casey’s life. While Casey is advancing her career and building her future earning power by pursuing an MBA, Unu encounters significant financial problems after he loses his job. Unu’s self-inflicted problems put a strain on his and Casey’s relationship, though her deep care and concern for him lead her to conclude that she has to stay with him: “[S]he couldn’t leave him now” (302). The fact that Casey considers and then rejects the idea of leaving Unu shows her sense of responsibility and duty. That characteristic exists in competition with Casey’s desire to be entirely self-interested and pursue her own goals and success. This conflict escalates with the emerging love triangle between Casey, Unu, and Hugh. Hugh represents a type of man that Casey finds attractive: white, confident, and largely amoral. He also has the ability to significantly advance her career, or in other words, to assist with her class mobility. Casey swallows her pride and asks Hugh to help her get an internship, and he concedes. However, his help comes with hints of strings attached: He flirtatiously warns her that “you will owe me big” (343). Casey’s attraction to Hugh reflects the pull she feels toward increasing her class status, a pull that consistently brings out the worst of her compulsive behaviors.

In this section, Lee also introduces a significant secondary plotline about Leah and Charles Hong; this plotline parallels that of Casey’s upcoming affair with Hugh, similarly exploring issues of power inequity and selfish compulsions. Leah is a generation older than Tina, Ella, and Casey and holds much more conservative values: Leah is devoutly religious, has only ever had sex with her husband, and focuses her energy on working hard and caring for her family. The juxtaposition between Leah and her daughters shows the impact of both exposure to American values (Tina and Casey have largely grown up and been educated in the United States) and also to more progressive ideas on topics such as abortion and contraception. Nonetheless, details such as Leah’s passion for music and her attraction to Charles Hong show that she is not so different from the younger women who struggle to make sense of their emotions and desires. Leah’s love of music also develops the theme of Creativity and the Value of Beauty, since she finds a place for art and beauty even in an otherwise very rigid life.