An Analysis of Social Classes and Its Conflicts in Kevin

AN ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL CLASSES AND ITS CONFLICTS IN KEVIN

KWAN‘S CRAZY RICH ASIAN NOVEL

A THESIS

BY:

ARIFAH ULFA NASUTION

REG. NO. 150705013

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES

UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA

MEDAN 2019

Accepted by the Board of Examiners in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Sarjana Sastra from the Department of English, Faculty of Cultural Studies, University of Sumatera Utara, Medan.

The examination is held in Department of English, Faculty of Cultural Studies, University of Sumatera Utara on October 25th, 2019.

Dean of Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara

Dr. Budi Agustono, M.S. NIP. 19600805 198703 1 001

Board of Examiners

Rahmadsyah Rangkuti, M.A., Ph.D.

Dr. Siti Norma Nasution, M.Hum.

Drs. Parlindungan Purba, M.Hum.

The examination is held in Department of English, Faculty of Cultural Studies, University of Sumatera Utara on October 25th, 2019.

Dean of Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara

Dr. Budi Agustono, M.S. NIP. 19600805 198703 1 001

Board of Examiners

Rahmadsyah Rangkuti, M.A., Ph.D.

Dr. Siti Norma Nasution, M.Hum.

Drs. Parlindungan Purba, M.Hum.

AUTHOR‘S DECLARATION

I, ARIFAH ULFA NST, DECLARE THAT I AM THE SOLE AUTHOR OF THIS

THESIS EXCEPT WHERE REFERENCE IS MADE IN THE TEXT OF THIS

THESIS. THIS THESIS CONTAINS NO MATERIAL PUBLISHED

ELSEWHERE OR EXTRACTED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FROM A THESIS

BY WHICH I HAVE QUALIFIED FOR OR AWARDED ANOTHER DEGREE.

NO OTHER PERSON‘S WORK HAS BEEN USED WITHOUT DUE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS IN THE MAIN TEXT OF THIS THESIS. THIS

THESIS HAS NOT BEEN SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OR ANOTHER

DEGREE IN ANY TERTIARY EDUCATION.

Signed :

Date : October 25th, 2019

NAME : ARIFAH ULFA NST

TITLE OF THESIS : AN ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL CLASSES AND ITS

CONFLICTS IN KEVIN KWAN‘S CRAZY RICH

ASIAN

QUALIFICATION : S-1/SARJANA SASTRA

DEPARTMENT : ENGLISH

I AM WILLING THAT MY THESIS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR

REPRODUCTION AT THE DISCRETION OF THE LIBRARIAN OF

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, FACULTY CULTURAL STUDIES,

UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT

USERS ARE MADE AWARE OF THEIR OBLIGATION UNDER THE LAW OF

THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA.

Signed :

Date : October 25th, 2019

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Bismillahirahmanirrohim

Assalamualaikum Warohmatullahi Wabarokatuh.

Alhamdulillahi rabbil’alamin, First of all, I would like to thank and praise to the

Almighty ALLAH Subhanahu wa Ta'ala for always gives me strength, blessings, guidance, healthy, loving, opportunity, and easiness that were necessary to accomplish this thesis. And also Shalawat and salam to the Prophet of Muhammad Shallallahu

'alaihi wasalam, along with his family and his companions.

My very special thanks for my beloved parents, my mother Nur Siyah and my father Abdurrahman Nasution. Thank you for always pray to Allah for me, give me a big support, spirit, love, and care. They are my precious parents that I have in this world.

And I couldn't thank enough for every struggles and prayers that they always devote to let me get this degree. I also wanted to thank to my lovely brother, M. Kamil Nasution and My levely sister, Kamalia Nasution. That always give so much support in doing my research. They always warned me to keep trying and doing the best for my thesis.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Siti Norma Nasution, M.Hum. as my supervisor. I thank her for the kindness, knowledge, patience and motivation in writing this thesis. Futhermore, I would like to thank Riko Andika Rahmat Pohan, S.S.,

M.Hum. as my co-supervisor for his kindness, knowledge, and guidance to help me finishing this thesis.

vii

My gratitude also goes to The Head of English Department, Prof. T. Silvana

Sinar, M.A., Ph.D. And I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Rahmadsyah

Rangkuti, M.A., Ph.D., as The Secretary of English Department. And I would to thank to my Examiner

Drs. Parlindungan Purba, M.Hum. Also, I would like to thank to all of the lectures and staffs of English Department for the facilities and opportunties given to me during my study at the Faculty of Cultural Studies.

Also, I want to thank to my beloved friends, Irga Halilintar, Rina Gophie, Ennok

Onnie, Riri Yiyi, and Ryzka Cabe, for everything from the begining until now. Thanks for always support me and and always be with me.And to my all friends in SASING A

2015 that have spent unforgettable memories for 4 years with me.

I am really grateful to have everyone supporting me in the supporting me in the process of writing this thesis. Thank you so much for being my power and motivator.

Finally, may this thesis be adventegous for the readers. Hope the grace, bless and love of

Allah SWT be with us all forever. Aamiin

Waalaikumsalam Warohmatullahi Wabarokatuh.

Medan, 2019

Arifah Ulfa Nasution

Reg. No. 150705013

viii

ABSTRACT

This thesis is entitled "An Analysis of Social Classes and Its Conflicts in Crazy Rich Asian Novels by Kevin Kwan". The writer uses Crazy Rich Asian novel (2013) from Kevin Kwan as an object. This analysis discusses how the social class contained in the Crazy Rich Asian novel and its conflict on family life. In this thesis, the writer uses the social class and social conflict theory to analyze the novel. The method used in writing this thesis is a qualitative descriptive method. The findings and analysis that can be found in the novel about social class differences. This class difference is created because of the existence of social class, where they classify their social class, namely the upper class and middle class. Where the upper classes do not want to accept the middle class into their class. The difference in social class is measured by the power or wealth, privileges and prestige that affect the position, lifestyle, habits and behavior between the upper class and middle class so that the gap between the two classes is so striking. The conflict is the gap in social status in a family life or relationship. This gap affects the thinking of upper families who cannot accept any class lower than them to enter their families.

Keywords : Social Class, Social Conflict, Crazy Rich Asian

ABSTRAK

Skripsi ini berjudul ―An Analysis of Social Classes and Its Conflicts in Crazy Rich Asian Novel By Kevin Kwan‖. Penulis menggunakan sebuah novel sebagai objek yaitu novel Crazy Rich Asian(2013) dari Kevin Kwan. Analisis ini membahas tentang bagaimana kelas sosial yang terdapat pada novel Crazy Rich Asian serta konfliknya pada kehidupan keluarga. Dalam skripsi ini, penulis menggunakan teori sosiologi sastra dan teori social class untuk menganalisis novel. Metode yang digunakan dalam menulis skripsi ini adalah metode deskriptif kualitatif. Adapun temuan dan analisis yang dapat ditemukan dalam novel tentang perbedaan kelas sosial. Perbedaan kelas ini tercipta karna adanya golongan kelas sosial, dimana mereka menggolongkan kelas sosial mereka, yaitu kelas atas dan kelas menengah. Dimana para kelas atas tidak ingin menerima kelas menengah masuk kedalam golongan mereka. Perbedaan kelas sosial diukur dari kekuasaan atau kekayaan, hak istimewa dan prestise yang mempengaruhi kedudukan, gaya hidup, kebiasaan dan perilaku antara kelas atas dan kelas menengah sehingga kesenjangan antara kedua kelas tersebut begitu mencolok. Konflik yang terjadi adalah kesenjangan status sosial dalam sebuah kehidupan keluarga atau relationship. Kesenjangan ini mempengaruhi pemikiran para keluarga atas yang tidak dapat menerima golongan kelas manapun yang lebih rendah dari mereka untuk masuk dalam keluarga mereka.

Kata Kunci : Kelas Sosial, Konflik Sosial, Crazy Rich Asian

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AUTHOR‘S DECLARATION ...... v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... vii

ABSTRACT ...... ix

ABSTRAK ...... x

TABLE OF CONTENTS ...... xi

CHAPTER IINTRODUCTION ...... 1

1.1 Background of The Study ...... 1

1.2 Problems of The Study ...... 7

1.3 Objectives of The Study ...... 7

1.4 Scopes of The Study ...... 7

1.5 Significances of The Study ...... 8

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE ...... 9

2.1 Theory of Literature ...... 9

2.2 Sociology of Literature ...... 11

2.3 Social Classes ...... 13

2.4 Level of Social Class ...... 14

2.4.1 The Upper Class ...... 14

2.4.2 The Middle Class ...... 15

2.4.3 The Lower Class ...... 15

2.5 Conflicts of Social Classes ...... 16

2.5.1 Kind of Conflict Social ...... 17

2.6 Postmodernism ...... 19

2.7 Previous Studies ...... 21

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ...... 24

3.1Research Design ...... 24

3.2Data and Source of Data ...... 24

3.3 Data Collection Method ...... 25

3.4 Data Analysis Tehcnique ...... 25

3.5 Theoritical Framework ...... 27

CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS ...... 28

4.1 Analysis ...... 28

4.1.1 Social Class Differences ...... 28

4.1.1.1 The Upper Class ...... 30

xii

4.1.1.2 The Middle Class ...... 33

4.1.2 The Conflict of Social Class ...... 34

4.1.2.1 Conflict Of Involving Social Positions...... 35

4.1.2.2 Conflict of Interest ...... 37

4.1.2.3 Conflict of Role ...... 39

4.2 Findings ...... 41

CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ...... 44

5.1 Conclusions ...... 44

5.2 Suggestions ...... 44

REFERENCES ...... 46

APPENDICES

i. Biography of Kevin Kwan

ii. Summary of Crazy Rich Asian Novel

xiii

xiv

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Novel is the modern or living form of narrative fiction. It shares the construction

of feature, themes, subject matter of epic, romance, allegory and satire (Martha

2016: 7). Novel is works written based on fiction or non-fiction stories that are

packaged into a long and recorded story. The function of literature is more than

entertaining readers and getting them into a world of fiction, actually it can go

beyond that.

In fact, literary work’s content goes deeper and includes a plenty of information

and events that serve the different sciences such as sociology. Novel entitled "Crazy

Rich Asian" by Kevin Kwan can be studied or analyzed by using several approaches.

The intrinsic aspect is that aspect build literary works from within the work literature

itself which includes themes, plots, figures and officers, setting/background,

language style, point of view, mandate, while aspects extrinsic is an aspect of that

building literary works from outside the body of literary works such as psychology

both author psychology, readers, economics, social cultural, social classes, political,

individual subjectivity, and even the author's biographical elements.

In this world have several social classes, A social class is a set of subjectively

defined concepts in the social sciences and political theory centre on models

of social stratification in which people are grouped into a set of hierarchical social

categories, the most common being the upper, middle and lower classes. The first are

upper class or commonly referred to as rich people, those who have a lot of wealth,

1 which is obtained from their hard work or from their offspring. The upper class in modern societies is the social class composed of people who hold the highest social status, usually are the wealthiest members of society, and wield the greatest political power. According to this view, the upper class is generally distinguished by immense wealth which is passed on from generation to generation. Prior to the 20th century, the emphasis was on aristocracy, which emphasized generations of inherited noble status, not just recent wealth.

The second is the middle class, this middle class can be made into two groups, the upper middle class and lower class, the upper middle class they do not have as much wealth as the upper class, but they live with sufficient wealth. The middle class is a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy. The very definition of the term "middle class" is highly political and vigorously contested by various schools of political and economic philosophy. Modern social theorists - and especially economists (with widely divergent open and hidden political motivations behind their arguments) - have defined and re-defined the term "middle class" in order to serve their particular political ends. The definitions of the term "middle class" therefore are the result of the more- or less-scientific methods used when delineating the parameters of what is and isn't "middle class".

The third is the lower class or the so-called poor people, those who live in shortages, and who do not have assets, some of them do not even have a house at all or commonly called The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in waged or salaried labour, especially in manual-labour occupations and industrial work. Working-class occupations (see also "Designation of workers by collar color")

2 include blue-collar jobs, some white-collar jobs, and most pink-collar jobs. Members of the working class rely for their income exclusively upon their earnings from wage labour; thus the category includes almost all of the working population of industrialized economies, as well as those employed in the urban areas (cities, towns, villages) of non-industrialized economies or in the rural workforce.

Being rich is everyone's desire because wealth is something happiness that can make everyone feel the beauty of life, rich is not easily obtained, they work hard to gather their wealth, they learn to build all businesses that can make them collect a lot of wealth or some of those who have inherited a lot of wealth from their parents or from their family tree. Their pleasure is very much sought after by the middle class or poor people, because they can buy expensive items easily, they can travel by private plane, have a large number of luxury vehicles, large houses and complete facilities, sometimes they have many opportunities in each circumstances that require a lot of money, as in today, most people who have a lot of money take precedence in any case. And being poor or middle class is not a pleasure, sometimes when they want something they can't get it as easily as possible but they have to work and try to get something they want. They also have to reduce each of their life's demands by eating simple and having a simple home. A person's wealth or poverty can not only be measured by their appearance but can be measured by all the luxury of life and the misery of life.

In common parlance, the term "social class" is usually synonymous with "socioeconomic class", defined as "people having the same social, economic, cultural, political or educational status", e.g., "the working class"; "an emerging professional

3 class". However, academics distinguish social class and socioeconomic status, with the former referring to one's relatively stable sociocultural background and the latter referring to one's current social and economic situation and consequently being more changeable over time. Social class’s definition is one of the most important discussed concepts that sociologists handle.

But in social class also has a big influence on human life, such as health, relationships, and education. many people become stressed of this wealth group because they are so obsessed with being the top class in social class, the various ways they try to make them into the upper class. But there are some people who feel inferior about their own social class, for example if there is a woman want to marry a man who is very rich, but she feels she does not deserve to marry him because she is afraid if people told that she only wants wealth that man. Because many of the upper classes feel that if there are people from the lower classes who want to enter their family, they feel that people are only after their assets, but not necessarily the people they value are like that.

Crazy Rich Asian is a series of novels written by a Singaporean

American novelist Kevin Kwan. Best known for his satirical novels Crazy Rich

Asians, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems. In 2014, Kwan was named as one of the "Five Writers to Watch" on the list of Hollywood's Most Powerful

Authors published by The Hollywood Reporter. In 2018, Kwan made Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people and was inducted into The Asian Hall of Fame, a project of the Robert Chinn Foundation established in 2004.

Nicholas Young or commonly called Nick, men of Sydney descent Australia and

Singapore families who inherited a lot. The young family has a lot of money, generations of money. Besides that, James married Shang Su Yi. The daughter of

Shang Loong Ma was an extraordinarily rich man in Beijing, and before the fall of the Qing dynasty, he cleverly transferred his money to Singapore, where he gained even greater wealth in shipping and commodities. Shang Loong Ma had tentacles in every big business in the Singapore area, he controlled all shipping lines from the

Indies, the Netherlands to Siam, and it was in the wake of the merger of early 30s

Hokian banks. That's how Nick's wealth is obtained.

Rachel Chu or commonly called Rachel, a girl who was only raised by her mother. His mother said that his father had died and his mother had chosen to live alone as a single parent. Rachel is a teacher in Chengdu between her undergraduate and postgraduate education. he is also an economist from a well-known university in

London. Rachel is not a girl in the upper class like Nick.

Rachel who only lives with her mother who chooses to live alone and works to raise Rachel. But behind the story of her life, it turns out Rachel's mother kept a big secret about her that made Nick's family not accept it. Nick's mother Eleanor Young looked for information about Rachel Chu that she got from investigators in

Shenzhen. And she found three reasons for refusing Rachel as her daughter in law, the first of which she found a Rachel's original birth certificate, and the second she find out that Rachel's father was still alive and in prison outside Shenzhen.

Eleanor had a clip of a 1992 newspaper that reported that a man named Zhou

Fang Min had ordered illegal measures to cut costs, which eventually resulted in a

5 construction accident that killed 74 workers in Shenzhen in 1992. The third was the announcement of a reward from Zhou's family An Mei, who was kidnapped by her mother, Kerry Ching, in 1981.

The news surprised Rachel because she really didn't know the situation. Rachel also chose to meet her father imprisoned after several silence in her friend's house named Peik Lin, but the news was heard by his mother and Nick, Nick was immediately brought Rachel's mother who was in America going to Singapore to meet Rachel and tell everything that happened in the past about her. Rachel's mother

Kerry said that Zhou Fang Min was not Rachel's biological father, Rachel's biological father was a man named Kao Wei who saved Rachel's mother from the crimes committed by Zhou Fang Min, after the incident Kao Wei and Kerry fell in love with each other until one day she was pregnant, the news of the pregnancy was very much awaited by all of Zhou's family, the family fortune-teller Zhou said that the child that Kerry conceived was male, but when Kerry gave birth to a daughter the

Zhou family was very angry and could not accept the daughter making them want to make the girl disabled so that they can give them back the descendants. But their crime was immediately known by Kerry, and she chose to leave Zhou's house by bringing her daughter, she was sent to America by his parents and lived with the Chu family who were in America and changed the name of his daughter to Rachel Chu.

Rachel is very surprised to hear all of her mother's stories, until she feels sorry for her mother and accepts her mother's story, she chooses to stay with her mother and make up with Nick even though their relationship is not approved by Nick's family.

Rachel is a girl from a family who, according to the nick family, is not honored

with a jailed father and a mother who hides her father's whereabouts. Rachel is also

not a family belonging to the upper social class, Rachel is just a girl who works as a

lecturer at one of the universities in America and is only raised by her mother so that

according to Nick's family, Rachel only uses Nick. But Nick rejected all of his

family's thoughts because Nick felt that Rachel wasn't a woman like that. According

to Nick, Rachel really loved him and wanted to live with him under any

circumstances so Nick didn't listen to the opinion of his mother and his grandmother.

The reason the writer chose to research Crazy Rich Asian Novel because this

novel contains many stories about the wealth of Asians which can be classified as

social classes and this novel also tells about the relationships and views of the impact

from inequality of social status.

1.2 Problems of the Study

Problems in this study formulated as follows:

1. What are the level of social classes found in Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asian

Novel?

2. What are the conflicts of social classes found in Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asian

Novel?

1.3 Objectives of the Study

Specifically this research aims to obtain a description objective about :

1. Levels of social classes found in Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asian Novel.

2. Conflicts of social classes found in Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asian Novel.

1.4 Scope of the Study

The scope of the study on this research is analyzing levels and conflicts

of social classes in the novel by applying the social classes and social conflict

theory proposed by Karl Marx. In the levels of social classes has three class.

upper, middle and lower class. The writer found and analyze two classes in the

novel, upper and midlle class, and in conflict social the writer found three

conflicts in the novel, conflict of involving social positions, conflict of interest

and conflict of role. Scope of study is necessary in order to make a research to

be specific and well managed. Thus, is research is only focus in Kevin Kwan’s

Crazy Rich Asian.

1.5 Significances of the Study

Every research is done to obtain the usefulness for the wider community as well as

the research. The usefulness of this research are as follows:

1.5.1 Theoretical Significance

Theoretically this research has the following benefits:

1. Give a concrete picture of the social classes in levels and conflicts and its

application in the study of literature.

2. Providing understanding that the social classes in novel will contribute to the

lectures of literature, especially literary theory.

1.5.2 Practical Significance

Practically this research has benefits as follows:

1) Provide insight to the reader about levels and conflicts social classes.

2) As an input material for other researchers to conduct similar research with a

broader focus

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Theory of literature

In this world we have a lot of stories, as for life stories that really happen

and stories that are made into writings and will be some effort such as novels,

poems, dramas etc. If the world does not have a story then all life will feel dark

and colorless.

The mirror of life is an expression that called by literature . This

expression explains the notion of representing society through literary texts.

Also, it can be considered as one among many definitions of literature which has

always been a challenge. Literature reflects good values and lacks of society in a

creative and imaginary way ( Berchaoua Radja, 2014)

Literary work is a creative work of art that describes human culture and

life which contains imaginative authors using languages and sentences or

beautiful wording. Literary works discuss social problems that exist in society.

Some of the problems that arise in the community include political, social,

economic, environmental, and population problems. The problems that occur in

people's lives are not only included in serious literary works but also poured into

popular literature. Popular literature can reflect the lives of everyday people, it

can be said that the daily reality of a society can be an indicator of the emergence

of popular literature.

Richard Taylor in his book Understanding the Elements of Literature

(1981 : 1) says that literature “like other arts, is essentially an imaginative act,

9 that is, an act of the writer’s imagination in selecting, ordering and interpreting life experience”. So, we can see that Taylor in defining literature focuses on the activity and the process of literary works. Literature is classified according to whether it is fiction or non-fiction, and whether it is poetry or prose. It can be further distinguished according to major forms such as the novel, short story or drama; and works are often categorized according to historical periods or their adherence to certain aesthetic features or expectations (genre).

Taylor in Martha Pardede (2016:14) say, they are three most important element consist :

1. Plot

According to Klarel in Martha Pardede (2016:15), plot is the sequence of

action and incidents which make up a story.

The plot is a very important basic framework. The plot regulates how actions

must be related to each other, how an event has a relationship with another

event, and how the characters are portrayed and play a role in the event.

2. Character

According to Abram in Ayu Wulan Dary (2017:10) says,

“Character is people who are appeared in a narrative prose or novel and it is

interpreted by the readers as a person who has moral quality and certain

tendency such as being expressed in what they say and what they do.”

According to Klarrel in Martha Pardede (2016:17), Characters in a text can

be rendered either as type or as individual. Two kinds of character.

- Flat Characters : is a typified characters in literature dominated by one

soecific trait.

- Round Charaacter : usually donates a person with more complexx and

differentiated features.

Characters and stories are two things that can not be separated. In a novel, the

two are not made to complement each other. Not infrequently interesting

from a story or novel not only comes from the idea of the story, but also

comes from the characters in it. In addition, if the characters in the novel are

unique, epic, and interesting characters.

Characterization is a very important element in novel (2016:17)

3. Setting

Setting is a time and place that novel needs. portrayal of the time, place,

and atmosphere of the events in the story. The characters in the story live at a

certain place and time (period). Therefore the events experienced by the

characters occur at certain times and places.

Setting is a main factor in the formulation of subject matter and the direct

influence on the expression of theme. It also become more active factor in

narrative, as in ghost story where setting characterizes action (2016:20)

2.2 Sociology of Literature

In general, the sociology of literature can be defined as the study of the

relationship between literature and society. This relationship can be two-way,

namely how the social context influences literary writers in building their

imagination and how the implications of his work on social life at large.

According to Posvelop in Ayu Wulan Dary (2017:11) says that literature is an art that develops in human society througout the ages quite independently of sociology, wheares sociology in a science whose purpose to discover the objective laws of social life in all its manifestations including creative art.

Literary sociology is a scientific and objective study of humans in society, about institutions and social processes. Sociology examines social structure and social processes including social changes that study social institutions. Religion, economics, politics and so on and form social structures in order to get a picture of the ways humans adapt to their environment, social mechanisms and culture. Literature as sociology deals with humans; because of its existence in the community to be enjoyed and utilized by the community itself. Literature as a social institution that uses language as a medium because language is a form of social expression that displays a picture of life.

Swingewood (1972 in Wiyatmi, 2013: 7-8 in Ayu, 2017:15) says that there are two forms of sociological research that uses the data of literature. The first, which began an investigation of the social environment to relate the literature with outside factors of literature is imagined in literature. By

Swingewood, this way is called sociology of literature. This investigation sees the social factors that produce a literary work at the time and specific communities. Second, a research relates to the genre structure of literature and certain society. The second way is called literary of sociology. The study of sociology of literature more likely to show the relationship between author and social life in the form of any aspect of both the content of literary works created

by the circumtances and social forces at any given time. Laurenson and

Swingewood (1971, in Endraswara, 2013: 79 in Ayu, 2017:16) says,

"There are three perspectives concerning the sociology of literature, namely (1)

study looked at literature as a social document that is in it is a reflection of the

situation at the time of literature were created, (2) studies that reveal the literary

as a reflection of the social situation of the author, and (3) research that captures

literature as a manifestation of historical events and sociocultural

circumstances. The text contained in literary works will be a reflection of the

current state of society so that aspects and can not be separated from the element

of imagination and socially of social life will be automatically reflected in

literature (Endraswara, 2013: 79-81).

2.3 Social Classes

Based on the characteristics of social stratification, we can find some

class divisions or groups in society. Term class does not always have the same

meaning, although in essence realizing a basic system of position in society.

Definition of classing line with the understanding of the layer without having to

distinguish the coating base that community.

Social class or social group has a relatively more meaning used to show

the social layer based on economic criteria. So, the definition of Social Class or

Social Group is: A group of people who occupy a social layer based on

criteria the economy.

In general, social classes are divided into three classes that are upper,

middle and lower. The upper class is the highest class which is the top social

group compared to other classes. The upper classes are usually influenced by

great wealth, influence or power in a good social, have a very sufficient income,

undergo a high level of education such as a master or the rest and can also

maintain family stability.

Whereas the middle class is the level of people who have enough wealth,

have jobs and income that can support them, have savings and future plans and

are usually involved in social activities. The lower class is the lowest class that

has a modest income even for saving it is difficult, looking for money to live

today and can not think about future savings, and relatively low education.

2.4 Levels of Social Classes

Karl Marx in Social Class Theory rests on the reason that "The history of

all societies which existed until now is the history of class struggle" (1977: 48-

50).

According to this view, since human society emerged from a primitive

state and was relatively distinguished, it remained basically divided between

classes which clashed in pursuit of class interests. The social class divisions are

classified as, upper class (rich people, business people, and industrialists, plus

top executives); the middle class (which includes most white-collar and

professional workers); and the working class (those with blue collars or manual

labor).The second group is the middle social class where life is adequate but not

as much as the first group. The number of the second group is quite a lot. The

last group or which is located at the bottom of the pyramid is a low social class

which is a very large number of ordinary people.

2.4.1 The Upper Class

The upper class in modern capitalist societies is often distinguished by

the possession of largely inherited wealth. The ownership of large amounts

of property and the income derived from it confer many advantages upon the

members of the upper class. They are able to develop a distinctive style of life

based on extensive cultural pursuits and leisure activities, to exert a considerable

influence on economic policyand political decisions, and to procure for their

children a superior education and economic opportunities that help to perpetuate

family wealth.

2.4.2 The Middle Class

Marxism defines social classes according to their relationship with the means

of production. The "middle class" is said to be the class below the ruling

class and above the proletariat in the Marxist social schema and is synonymous

with the term "petite-" or "petty-bourgeoisie." However, in modern developed

countries, Marxist writers define the petite bourgeoisie as primarily comprising

owners of small to medium-sized businesses, as well as the highly educated

professional class of doctors, engineers, architects, lawyers, university

professors, salaried middle-management of capitalist enterprises of all sizes, as

the "middle class" which stands between the ruling capitalist "owners of the

means of production" and the working class.

2.4.3 The Lower Class

Lower class (occasionally described as working class) are those

employed in low-paying wage jobs with very little economic security. The term

"lower class" also refers to persons with low income. The working class those

persons who hold low-paying, low-skilled, nonunionized jobs in such industries

as food service and retail sales. There are considerable differences within the

working class, however, and a useful distinction exists between skilled,

semiskilled, and unskilled workers that broadly corresponds to differences in

income level. What characterizes the working class as a whole is a lack of

property and dependence on wages. Associated with this condition are relatively

low living standards, restricted access to higher education, and exclusion, to a

large extent, from the spheres of important decision making. Aside from the

dramatic rise in living standards that occurred in the decades after World War II,

the main factor affecting the working class since the mid-20th century was a

general shift in the economy from manufacturing to service industries, which

reduced the number of manual workers.

2.5 Conflicts of Social Classes

Social class is the division of community members into a different class

status hierarchy so that the members of each class have relatively the same

status, and the other class members have higher or lower status. In the

community environment we see that there are differences that apply and they are

widely accepted by the community, but there are also some people who cannot

accept these differences.

From a social conflict theorist/marxism point of view social class and inequality emerges because the social structure is based on conflict and contradictions. Contradictions in interests and conflict over scarce resources between groups is the foundation of social society, according to the social conflict theory (Engels & Marx, 1848). The higher class will try to maintain their privileges, power, status and social position - and therefore try to influence politics, education, and other institutions to protect and limit access to their forms of capital and resources. Whereas the lower class - in contradiction to the higher class - has very different interests. They do not have specific forms of capital that they need to protect. All they are interested in is in gaining access to the resources and capital of the higher class.

The Social Conflict theory was first described by Karl Marx. It is the classic conflict between rich and poor. The idea that money causes conflict it gives one person power over another. To understands by power: the chance of a man, or a number of men to realize their own will in communal action, even against the resistance of others. Which such power can be exercised may vary considerably according to the social context (Coser in weber: 2010). 9 The several social theories that emphasize social conflict have roots in the ideas of

Karl Marx (1818-1883), the great German theorist and political activist. Conflict approach emphasizes a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical method of analysis, a critical stance toward existing social arrangements, and a political program of revolution or, at least, reform (Marx in McClelland:2000).

Karl Marx supports the ideas of deviance, claiming that individuals

choose to engage in such rebellious and conflicting behavior as a response to the

inequalities of the capitalist system (Eiil:2010).

2.5.1 Kind of Conflict Social

According to Lewis Coser (in Chris,2002:64-74 ) social conflict is

divided three categories. The types of social conflict namely; (a.) Conflict of

involving social positions, (b.) Conflict of interest and (c.) Conflict of role.

Whereas according to conflict sources, the explanation types that is conflict

between:

a. Conflict of Involving Social Positions Social position is the position of an

individual in a given society and culture. A given position (for example,

the occupation of priest) may belong to many individuals. A group of

social positions will create a social class and a social circle. Social

positions an individual may hold fall into the categories of occupation

(medical doctor, academic lecturer), profession (member of associations

and organizations), family (parent, sibling, etc). A social conflict caused

by interference between social positions is called a position conflict

(Kristina,2007:54-64).

b. Conflict of Interest A conflict of interest is a situation in which some

person (whether an individual or corporate body) stands in a certain

relation to one or more decisions. For example, It has a conflict of interest

if (1) person is in a relationship with another requiring person to exercise

judgment in the other's behalf (2) person has a (special) interest tending

to interfere with the proper exercise of judgment in that relationship

(Davis and stark, 2001:8). c. Conflict of Role Conflict of role is a conflict among the roles

corresponding to two or more statuses. We experience role conflict when

we find ourselves pulled in various directions as we try to respond to the

many statuses we hold. Role conflict can be something that can be for

either a short period of time, or a long period of time, and it can also be

connected to situational experiences. A situation in which a person is

expected to play two incompatible roles. For example, a boss will suffer

role conflict if forced to fire an employee who is also a close friend

(Mifflin:2005). Furthermore, to explanation for conflict of role. “an

example of role conflict would be a husband and father who is also Chief

of Police. If a tornado strikes the small town he is living in, the man has

to decide if he should go home and be with his family and fulfill the role

of being a good husband and father or remain and fulfill the duties of a

"good" Chief of Police because the whole town needs his expertise.”

From the above explanation, we can conclude that type of social conflict

is not limited to hostile or antagonistic opposition; it is not wholly a clash

of 12 coercive powers as often is implied, but of any opposing social

powers". Social conflict is usually recognized through violence, and

physical behavior. It is more that just fighting, and killing one another. At

times, it can deal with it throw a simple town in a conversation. It is

acknowledged by someone's power. The cause of conflict is something

that makes conflicts exits or happens. Therefore, cause must stand in the

front of conflict. This is the condition of conflicts establishment.

Generally, the cause of conflict is an unintended or unpredictable

circumstance as a result in a problem.

2.6 Postmodernism

The birth of postmodernism can not be separated from the notion of

modernism. The view of modernism assumes that the truth of science is absolute

and objective, meaning that there is no human value. Here is the birth of a new

idea of postmodernism which is one of figures are Jean Francouis Lyotard.

Jean-Francois Lyotard was the person who introduced postmodernism in

the field of philosophy and science in the 1970s in his book "The Postmodern

Condition: A Report on Knowledge". He interpreted postmodernism as all

criticism of universal knowledge, on metaphysical traditions, foundations and

modernism (Maksum, 2014: 305-306). So it can be concluded that

postmodernism is a new idea that refuses or even includes from the development

of an existing idea of the theory of thought of the past, namely the notion of

modernism which tries to give criticisms of modernism which are considered to

have failed and are responsible for the destruction of human dignity; it is a shift

in science from modern ideas to a new idea brought about by postmodernism

itself.

Postmodern wants to have ideals, namely to improve economic and social

conditions, awareness of historical events and developments in the field of

broadcasting. Postmodern criticized modernism which was considered to have

20 caused decentralization in the fields of economics and technology, moreover this was coupled with the influence of globalization. In addition, postmodern considers the current media to only dwell on the same problem and question each other. In the arts field, for example, aesthetic and ideological rejection of the modern art movement, such as: rejection of abstract expressionism in painting, appears. In literature, a representation of the beliefs of the final representation appears in the novel and also on the flow of poetry (Lestari: 2007).

Whereas postmodernity refers more to the situation and social social order of information technology products, globalization, lifestyle fragmentation, excessive consumerism, deregulation of the money market and public facilities, the aging of the country and nation and the re-excavation of traditional inspirations. This briefly actually wants to appreciate other factors (tradition, spirituality) which are eliminated by rationalism, structuralism and secularism.

Postmodernism is a movement of ideas that replaces modern ideas (which prioritize ratios, objectivity, and progress). Postmodern has aspirations, wants to improve economic and social conditions, awareness of historical events and developments in the field of broadcasting. Postmodern criticized modernism which was considered to have caused decentralization in the fields of economy and technology, moreover this was coupled with the influence of globalization.

In postmodernism wealth can be explained in social class. Social class is a relatively homogeneous and long-lasting group in a society, arranged in a hierarchical sequence, and members in each level have the same values, interests, and behavior. There are two main elements of the social system of class division

in society, namely status and role. Social position means a person's place in a

social environment, the prestige of his rights and obligations. This social position

can be achieved by someone with a business intentionally or obtained because of

birth. The role is a dynamic aspect of position. If an individual carries out his

rights and obligations in accordance with his position, he carries out a role.

2.7 Previous study

There are some relevant studies used to support this study. The first one

is the study that was done by Ayu Wulan Dary (2017) entitled An Analysis of

Social Stratification and it’s Impact on Woman in Jane Austen’s Persuasion.

This research explain the persuasion and it’s impact on woman. In this research

the writer uses the theory of sociology of literature and theory of social

stratification. The method that used in writing this thesis is descriptive

qualitative method.

The second is the study from Moh Arifin (2013) entitled Social Class and

Class Struggle In Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games. This study explain

about Class struggle has a very real existence in modern society. In Suzanne

Collins’s The Hunger Games there are two different classes in Panem social

structure. The Capitol as a representative of the bourgeoisie and District 12

become representatives of the proletariat.

The third one is the study that was done by Mei Haryanti (2014) entitled

Social Stratification Reflected At Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice Novel

(1813): A Sociological Approach The aim of this research is to analyze social

stratification reflected at Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice novel (1813) by

22 using a sociological approach. This research paper belongs to a qualitative research.

The fourth is the study that was done by Rubyanto (2016) Social Class

Conflict Presented In “The Kite Runner” Novel. Based On Marxism Theory. In this research the writer conducts the research related to class conflict which is presented in Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner” novel. This qualitative research is written to analyze the conflicts that happen in Afghan society which is mainly caused by difference of social class.

The last one is the study that was done by Dwi Adi Nugroho (2016) entitled The Social Classes and Reflection of 18th Century Life in Novel

Pamela. This study explain the phenomenon of social classes in the novel

Pamela, and social condition in 18th century life in England that reflected in the novel. This research used descriptive qualitative method.

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design

The writer uses qualitative method to analyze this novel because the writer considered explanation and description are the most important things in analyzes this novel. The reason why the writer use qualitative method is because qualitative research is a scientific method of observation to gather non-numerical data. This type of research

"refers to the meanings, concepts definitions, characteristics, metaphors, symbols, and description of things" and not to their "counts or measures. Hancock et.al. (2009:6) said that qualitative descriptive is a kind of research method focuses on descriptions and interpretations, concerned with developing explanations of social phenomenon.

3.2 Data and Data Source

In analysis this research the writer absolutely needs data. Data are factual information which also an important element to make a research. There are many ways to classifying data source of data divided into two, the first is primary data and the second is secondary data. The primary data of this research is found in the Crazy Rich

Asian Novel and the secondary data of this research is library research, reading the book, journals, articles, thesis and also open the internet to get other some information.

Nawawi (1993:30) says “Penelitian kepustakaan dilakukan dengan cara menghimpun data dari berbagai literature baik dari perpustakaan maupun tempat-tempat lain.”

(Library research is done by collecting data from books in the library or any other places).

3.3 Data Collection Method

The writer takes two types in process collecting the data. The two types of data collection in doing this research are primary data and secondary data. The first is primary data in this research is the novel that will be the source data to making this analysis, the writer will start to read the Novel Crazy Rich Asian carefully to understand the story and then takes some notes of important aspect or point in the story.

The second is secondary data in this research is library research, reading the book, journals, articles, thesis and also open the internet to get other some information which is relevant to the topic and the writer also selecting the data after read the novel carefully, and then the writer will select suitable data like quotation or statement. The quotation or statement which already collects will put in the thesis later to find the correlation with the topic and make a conclusion from the analysis.

3.3 Data Analysis Technique

After collecting and selecting all the data and some information that relates to with this study, the writer will be combined and analyzed the data to get what the writer want and has been planned in the object of this research. In analyze the data, the writer uses library research and applied the qualitative descriptive method. The writer has some steps to analyzing this research.

The first step in analyzing this research is re-reading the primary data to get the conclusion especially in levels and conflict of social classes in the novel to solve the problem of this study.

The second step in analyzing this research is interpreting the data. The writer interprets the Crazy Rich Asian novel based on their levels and conflicts of social classes. The writer searching and finding as many as possible the information or data needed related to object of analysis.

The last step in analyzing this research. The writer will combine all data for many sources. To complete the process of data analysis, the writer makes a conclusion and summarizes in the end. It makes the reader more understand the research overall.

1.5 Theoritical Framework

The chart of method can be summarized in the pattern bellow :

AN ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL CLASSES AND ITS IMPACT IN CRAZY RICH ASIAN NOVELS BY KEVIN KWAN

What are the level of social classes What are the impact of social found in Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich classes found in Kevin Kwan’s

Asian Novel? Crazy Rich Asian Novel?

Theory of Social Class and Impact of Social Class by Karl Marx

Descriptive Qualitative Method

Analysis and Findings

Conclusion 27

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

4.1 Analysis

In this life there are many levels of people in terms of wealth, position and education. Many people who want a perfect life and live happily. But everyone has their own definition of happiness. There are those who assume that having abundant wealth will bring happiness but there are also those who think that not having to have abundant wealth we can live happily. There are also those who do not accept the lives of others to enter their life class.

4.1.1 Social Classes Differences

Chinese life is indeed very famous for its glamorous life. Most of them are people who have a lot of wealth. Abundant assets owned by them can be categorized as inherited wealth. Wealth that will never end even a generation. Ibn Batuta (Fourteenth

Century) said, “Nowhere in the world are there to be found people richer than the

Chinese.” ( Kevin Kwan, 2013)

Crazy Rich Asian illustrates the fiction between the old rich and the new rich, and between overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese and Straits Chinese, the Straits Chines, also known as the peranakans, are the descendents of late-fifteenth and sixteen ceuntry

Chinese immigrants to the Malay region during the colonial era. They were the elites of

Singapore, English educated and more loyal to the British than to China. Often intermerried with the native Malays, the Straits Chinese created a unique culture that is a

28 hybrid of Chinese, Malay, Dutch, and Indian influences. (Kevin Kwan, 2013). Which can be used as a level in social class.

Crazy rich asian novel tells about Asian families who inherited wealth, they are descendants of Chinese Singapore who settled in Singapore. These families belong to the upper class because they are landowners and heirs of wealth. The rich Chinese in

Asia have two type of Chinese. Mainland China and Peranakan China. It is they who have abundant wealth by accumulating the wealth they have had for years. The following qoute that explains about their wealth.

"Well, first of all, you must understand that there are two

kinds of Chinese. There are the Chinese from Mainland

China, who made their fortunes in the past decade like all the

Russians, but then there are the Overseas Chinese. These are

the one who left China long before Communists came in, in

many cases hundreds of years ago, and spread throughout

the rest of Asia, quietly amassing great fortunes over time. If

you look at all the countries in Southeast Asia-especially

Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia-you'll see the virtually all the

commerce is controlled by the Overseas Chinese. Like the

Liems in Indonesia, the Tans in the Philippines, the Leongs

in-" His wife cut in. Kevin Kwan (2013: 46)

In the Crazy Rich Asian novel there are several families in the upper class. The most important is the Young family and the Shang family. Chinese families who

29 amassed their wealth and brought it to Singapore and turned it into a generation of wealth.

4.1.1.1 The Upper Class

The upper classes are very famous for their unusual wealth, not only are the heirs of wealth, but they also have a very luxurious life that is not necessarily lived by rich people in general.

“Rachel always knew that Peik Lin came from money.Theymet during freshman orientation at Stanford, and Peik Lin was the girl who showed up to ―8:00 a.m. classes looking as if she had just come from a shopping spree on Rodeo Drive. As a newly arrived international student from Singapore, one of the met first things she did was buy herself a Porsche 911 convertible, claiming that since Porsches were such a bargain in America "it's an absolute crime not to have one."...... She was generous to a fault, and Rachel spent most of her college years being showered with gifts, enjoying glorious meals at culinary desti- nations like Chez Panisse and Post Ranch Inn, and going on weekend spa trips all along the California coast courtesy of Peik Lin's handy American Express black card. “ Kevin Kwan (2013: 131)

From the above quotation, there are several characteristics of the upper class.

Peik Lin, a friend of Rachel from the upper class who went to campus in the style of someone who had just shopped at a Rodeo Drive shopping center, was famous for

Hollywood artists and jet set shoppers. All are branded boutique shops, from Europe or from America itself. And Peik Lin has an American Express black card that only billionaires or upper class can have.

In addition to the items owned by the upper class, the party they held also became big parties such as the party of the king and queen of the upper class.

“AH-LA-MAAAK! Colin Khoo is Khoo Teck‘s Fong grandson! He comes from one of the reee-chest families in the world! And Araminta Lee—she‘s the supa-moel daughter of Peter Lee, one of China‘s reee-chest men, and Annabel Lee, the luxury hotel queen. This is like royal weddeeeng! Nenna gushed.” Kevin Kwan (2013: 19) Colin Khoo is a friend of Nicholas Young who is also included in the upper class who will marry a model named Araminta Lee.

Besides that, Nicholas Young's family also came from the upper class who had very interesting properties, they also had a big house like a palace.

“Papa, I‘m telling you—the property was immense. It was like the Istana. The driveway itself went on for miles.” “Cannot be! Two or three acres I might believe, but fifty? No such thing, lah.” ―It was fifty acres at least, probably more. I thought I was dreaming. I thought I was in another country.” Kevin Kwan (2013-178) Like the Cheng family who also came from upper class families who married one of

James Young's daughters, Alexandra Young. Her husband surnamed Cheng is the most respected cardiac surgeon in Asia. His hands are so skilled that he is highly regarded throughout Asia. And his wife, who is always modest, even though she was the true architect of their fortune. Alexandra invested her husband's money in a large property.

Therefore the Cheng family owns one of the largest privately held real estate portfolios on the island.

Dr. Malcolm Cheng was Asia's most esteemed heart surgeon.So prized were his skilled hands that he was famous for always wearing lambskin gloves-made specially for him by Dunhill-to protect his precious hands whenever he ventured out in public, and he took additional measures to safe guard them from the wear and tear of driving, opting instead to be chauffeured in his Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit...... By the middle of the first decade of the new 31

century at with Hong Kong property going for more money per square foot than anywhere else in the world, the Chengs found the selves sitting on one of the largest privately held real estate portfolios on the island.” Kevin Kwan (2013:49-50) The Cheng family has three children, Edison Cheng,who had married a beautiful girl named Fiona Tung who came from a wealthy Hong Kong family and they had three sons. Constantine, Augustine, and Kalliste, who were always well-dressed and polite.The second child of the Cheng family named Cecilia Cheng who spent more time with his horses than with his son and married Tony Moncur they had a son named Jake.

And Alistair is the youngest child of the Cheng family who is dating Kitty Pong a Hong

Kong soap opera actress rumored to be the girl in the red wig from Crouch My Tiger,

Hide Your Dragon II.

In addition to the rich Cheng family there is also another family who also came from their clan, the Leong family who married a woman of Young descent. Henry Leong and

Felicity Young were married and lived in Singapore. Henry leong is one of Laurent's biggest clients.

― No, no, I‘am afraid you don‘t quite understand. Astrid‘s people have been wealthy for generations. Her father is one of Laurent‘s biggest clients,‖ Isabelle whispered.” Kevin Kwan (2013 : 43) Leong's family has four children, Henry Leong who is married to Cathleen Kah and their second child is a doctor, Dr. Peter Leong who is married to Dr. Gladys Tan and they chose to live in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Their third child is Alexander Leong, who is not married but already has a child out of wedlock with a Malay woman who lives in a luxury apartment in Bevelry Hills. The last is their daughter, who is very famous for her beauty, Astrid Leong who is married to Michael Tho and has a son

32 named Cassian. Astrid who has extraordinary beauty makes people always interested in her. Astrid has many other fortune besides her beauty she is also a woman born in the upper class, who has abundant wealth.

―She was born into the uppermost echelon of Asian wealth – a secretive, rarefied circle of families virtually unknown to outsiders who possessed immeasurably vast fortunes. For starters, her father hailed from the Penang Leongs, a venerable Straits Chinese family that held a monopoly over the palm oil industry. But adding even more oomph, her mother was the eldest daugther of Sir James Young and Shang Su Yi.” (Kevin Kwan, 2013:47)

Astrid Leong, who has always been a concern of people because of her beauty and wealth as a Straits Chinese, but her family does not want it to be known by many people. A distinguished family that holds a monopoly on the palm oil industry. That is one of nick's cousins who has abundant wealth and is always in the spotlight of every human who sees it. This leong family wealth makes them in the upper class. And become very famous Chinese people and have a lot of abundant wealth for their generation.

4.1.1.2 The Middle Class

In Crazy Rich Asia there is also a group of people who are not in the upper classes, they are in the middle class, who do not have abundant wealth or wealth of generation, but they have jobs that can finance their lives.

Kerry Chu's character who became the mother of Rachel Chu, girlfriend of Nicholas

Young, who was born into a Chinese family in Guandong province but was not a

Chinese who had abundant wealth. This is explained by the following quote.

“Back then, I was in my final year of secondary school and working nights as a waitress in the only bar in our village, so that is how I met him” (Kevin Kwan, 2013:512) “Guess who just closed the deal on the big house on Laurel Glen Drive?‖ Kerry Chu boasted excitedly in Mandarin as soon as she picked up the phone. “Wow, Mom, congratulations! Isn’t that your third sale this month?” Rachel Asked. “Yess!, I broke last year‘s office record! You see, I knew I made the right decision to join Mimi Shen at the Los Altos office,‖ Kerry said with satisfaction. (Kevin Kwan, 2013 : 31)

Rachel's mother, Kerry Chu was just a village girl who worked at night as a waitress in a bar in her village when she was still in her final year of school. At that time a rich young man came to their village, Zhou Fang Min, who fell in love with Kerry and took her away to Xiamen where Zhou lived. They married without the consent of the

Kerry family, which in the end the marriage was disastrous for Kerry Chu. Astrid

Leong's husband, Michael Tho, who also came from a middle class family who was always insulted by his wife's family.

“All these rumors came to naught when Astrid surprised everyone again by announcing her engagement to Michael Teo. The first question on everyone’s lips was “Michael who?” he was a complete unknown, the son of schoolteachers from the then middle class neighborhood of Toa Payoh. At first her parents were aghast and mystified by how she could have come into contact with someone from ―that kind of background,‖ but in the end they realized that Astrid had made something of a catch— she had chosen a fiercely handsome Armed Force Elite Commando who was a National Merit Scholar and a Caltech— trained computer systems specialist. It could have been much worse.‖ Kevin Kwan (2013:75)

Michael is just a worker in the defense department. Which can fix all kinds of electronic devices. He is also From there he got the money to live with Astrid who did have a lot of wealth. But Astrid never denied what her husband wanted because even though her parents could buy a big house, Atrid still chose to live in a small apartment that she lived with her husband and her son Cassian. apartment that she lived with her husband and her son Cassian.

4.1.2 The Conflict of Social Classes

In this research, the writer presents the data analysis based on the types of social conflict in the novel “Crazy Rich Asian”. The writer analysis kinds of social conflict such us Conflict of involving social positions, Conflict of interest and Role conflict in the Crazy Rich Asian novel using Lewis Coser’s perspective.

In this Crazy Rich Asian novel, the writer gets a lot of conflicts from the existing story. the conflict in family life, the conflict can be obtained from fellow families who are from the same class and the impact can also arise from social class inequalities.

Inequality of social class makes separation in the household, unfair treatment of the lower classes, always curious about the relationships of others, and educational groups that really have to be accepted in families that are in line with the upper classes.

4.1.2.1 Conflict Of Involving Social Positions

Every family must have a conflict. The conflict can come from between individuals or between families, and the conflict also come from between classes. Every conflict in the Crazy Rich Asian novel is in family life where they often have problems with their assets or their lives that they feel are still lacking.

People who have the upper class are usually difficult to accept people who are not in their class, because they think that other people want to control their property, they also usually limit their children to connect with others, which makes children from the upper social class must really prepare themselves partner to look perfect in the eyes of their families. In the qoutation below that explain about problem in family life.

Astrid sighed. “You know what will happen the minute you land to Changi Airport with this girl in your arm, don’t you? You know how brutal it was for Michael when we first started going out publicly. That was five years ago, and he‘s still getting used to it. Do you think Rachel is ready for all that? Are you ready for it?” Kevin Kwan (2013: 39) This is a conflicts where their children from the upper class must really prepare their partners to their families because their partners are not from the same class as them.The mother of Nickholas Young has a thought as to who should and should not be dated by her child, thus making her son not want to live with her and asking if she agrees or not with her girlfriend.

Eleanor did not accept Rachel to be her daughter-in-law not only because of her descendants but she also saw the social class of Rachel Chu that she considered inferior.

Eleanor was seething inside, but she tried to speak in a measured voice. "I'm sure Rachel is a nice girl, but she can never be your wife." "And why is that?" Nick leaned back in his chair, amused by the absurdity of his mother's words. "She is just not suitable for you, Nicky. She does not come from the right background." "Nobody is ever going to come from 'the right background in your eyes," Nick scoffed.

"I'm only telling you what everyone is already thinking, Nick. You haven't heard the horrible things I've heard. Do you know her family comes from Mainland China?" "Stop it, Mum. I'm so fed up with this ridiculous snobbery you and your friends have toward the Mainland Chinese. We are all Chinese. Just because some people actually work for their money doesn't mean they are beneath you." Kevin Kwan (2013:436)

Eleanor Young is very ambitious with her family, she does not want her children to choose the wrong partner, because she thinks Nick is a good catch for materialistic girls.

That is a conflict in a rich family where mothers are too afraid to give their children the confidence to choose what they want. Not only girl-friend or boyfriend of their children.

The conflict of social class is not only felt by differences in social class, but also felt between individuals who belong to the same social class, as in the Cheng family, Edison

Cheng was never satisfied with the wealth he had, he was also ashamed to be born from the Cheng family. Though his life can make the envy of prestigious people who come from Hong Kong. Edison did not want himself to look poor, so this could have an impact on his family's life, where the mother of Eddison Cheng did not want to live a luxurious life even though they were from wealthy families. The quotation below that explain about the conflict happens in the family.

―Eddie glanced around for a second and continued on his tirade. “Why are you always like this, Mummy? Why do you always behave so provincial? You are filthy rich! Why can’t you be a little less cheap for once and have more a sense of your own self-worth?.” His three children looked up momentarily from their math practice test books. They were used to his rages at home bud had rarely seen him so upset in front of Gong Gong and Ah Ma. Fiona pulled at his sleeve, whispering, ―Lower your voice! Please don‘t talk about money in front of the children.‖

His mother shook her head calmly. ―Eddie, this has nothing to do with self-worth. I just feel this sort of extravagance is completely unnecessary. And I am not Singaporean royalty. Singapore has no royalty. What a ridiculous thing to say.‖ Kevin (2013: 53) This conflict between family members is a big part of the upper class family in the

Crazy Rich Asian novel.Edison Cheng is Nick's spoiled Hong Kong cousin who works as a banker. He is one of the few members of his clan who lives up to his birthright as a member of one of the wealthiest families in the world

4.1.2.2 Conflict of Interest

In addition to conflicts between positions, conflicts of interest also become conflicts that are very common in Crazy Rich Asian. Conflicts occur as follows: The person gets a judgment of another person., the situation of person employed in the jobs, and the relation of person to one or more in the decisions.

Michael Toe, husband of Astrid Leong who is in a middle class than his wife, chose to separate from his wife after having a son named Cassian, Astrid Teo is Nick's famous cousin whose beauty is well known all across Asia. Although she maintains a positive image to her family and society, her marriage is suffering. Michael, her long-suffering husband, is a self-made young man who is looked down on because he does not come from money. Astrid discovers that he might be having an affair with someone in Hong

Kong. When she confronts him, Michael admits to having an affair and leaves. With the help of her ex-fiancé Charlie Wu, Astrid confronts him again in Hong Kong where he reveals that he has, in fact, not been having an affair and has only made it seem like he had so that she would want to divorce him, being no longer able to deal with Astrid's family.Michael Toe chose to part with his wife because he felt very depressed by his life

38 that was always insulted when meeting with family his wife. This is Astrid and

Michael's conversation

―Everyone in Singapore thinks I married you for your money, Astrid.‖ “You’re wrong, Michael!” ―No, you just don‘t see it! But I can‘t face another dinner at Nassim Road or Tyersall Park with some minister of finance, some genius artist I don‘t get, or some tycoon who has a whole bloody museum named after him, feeling like I‘m just a piece of meat. To them, I‘m always ―Astrid‘s husband.‖ And those people—your family, your friends—they stare at me with such judgment. They‘re all thinking, ‗Aiyah she could have married a prince, a president—why did she marry this Ah Beng (Derogatery Hokkien term for a Lower- class young man who lacks education or taste) from Toa Payoh?‖ Kevin Kwan (2013:464)

The views of rich families make the people from middle classes feel unworthy to enter their families.The upper classes always want a group equal to those who enter their families. They cannot even assume that someone is really a part of them even if someone has married their child.Even Michael was very angry because his family from middle class was never invited to eat with his wife's family. This conflict can occur because of differences in social class. When the wife's social class is higher than the husband, the husband will feel that he is not fit to be a husband so he decides to divorce his wife.

4.1.2.3 Conflict of Role

This conflict also occurs in Crazy Rich Asian, a conflict based on;. A conflict among corresponding to one or more statuses in the roles, the role conflict something

39 happens for a short period time or a long period time, and the conflict can also be connected situational experiences.

Families from the upper class who cannot accept people from other groups also have a conflict on relationships that have not been based on marriage, such as Rachel Chu who does not want to marry Nickholas Young because she feels that she is not fit into

Nick's family and she does not want to be bound by one family who won't be able to accept it. The qoutation below explain about the role conflict something happens for a short time or a long period time.

“So you’ll have to understand that, as much as I love you, Nick, I don‘t want to be your wife. I never want to be part of family like yours. I can‘t marry into a clan that thinks it‘s too good to have me. And I don‘t want my children ever be connected to such people. I want them to grow up in a loving, nurturing home, surrounded by grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins who consider them equals. Because that‘s ultimately what I have, Nick. You‘ve seen it yourself, when you came home with with me last Thanksgiving. You see what it‘s like with my cousins. We‘re competitive, we tease each other mercilessly, but at the end of the day we support each other. That‘s what I want for my kids. I want them to love their family, but to feel a deeper sense of pride in who they are individuals, Nick, not in how much money they have, what their last name is, or how money generatiosns they go back to whatever dynasty. I‘m sorry, but I‘ve had enough. I‘ve had enough of being around all these crazy rich Asians, all these people whose lives revolve around making money, spending money, flaunting money, comparing money, hiding money, controlling others with money, and runing their lives over money. And if I marry you, there will be no escaping it, even if we live on the other side of the world.‖ Rachel eyes were brimming with tears, and ass much as Nick wanted to insist she was wrong, he knew nothing he could say now would convince her otherwise. In any part of the world, whether New York, Paris, or Shanghai, she was lost to him.” Kevin Kwan (2013: 480-481)

Rachel and Nick finally broke up. Nick tried to convince Rachel to keep in touch with him, Nick stated that he no longer cared about what society and his family expected from him. Rachel didn't believe it, claiming that no matter how hard they tried to disregard their family inheritance, they knew they might not be able to. She told Nick that she wanted his children to grow to be valued and loved by their families as Rachel's own family did, not to be raised with families whose primary concern was their own wealth, family inheritance, and the kind of rich people they knew. As a result Rachel broke up with him and Nick realized that he lost her.

The impact of social class is also felt by Kerry Chu who is not from the upper class.

After he chose to run away from his parents' house to marry a rich man named Zhou

Fang Min. After getting married without the blessing of Kerry's parents, they chose to live with Zhou Fang Min's parents, but the happiness that Kerry felt was only brief, because the mother of her husband made her like a maid. Her husband's mother never made him forget that she was just a girl from the village. The quotation below explain about the conflict that be connected situational experiences.

“Then, a few months later, when the construction project was finished and Fang Min was heading back to Xiamen, we made plans for me to run away with him. That‘s why I never finished my studies. I ran away to Xiamen, and we quickly got married. My parents were devastated, but I thought all my dreams had come true. Here I was living in a big house with his rich and important parents, getting to ride in a big Nissan Sedan that had white curtains on the back windows. See, Rachel, you are not the only one who has experience dating a rich boy. But my dream quickly turned sour. I soon found out hoe awful his family was. His mother was one of those extremely traditional women, and she was a northerner, from Henan. So she was very snobbish, and she never let me forget that I was just a village girl who got very, very lucky because of my looks. At 41

the same time, I was expected to perform a million and one daughter-in-law duties, like preparing tea for her every morning, reading the newspapers to her, and rubbing her shoulders and feet after dinner every night. I had gone from being a student to being a servant.‖ Kevin (2013:513-514)

This conflict explain the experience Rachel’s mother who has married a rich man and got bad treatment from her husband and parents-in-law. Where a daughter-in-law who is not from the same social class as they are treated as a maid.

4.2 Findings

Crazy rich asian novel tells about the lives of rich Chinese people in Singapore, who have abundant wealth so that they belong to the upper class, but they also like to interfere in other people's business, find out about other people's lives. The Chinese who are in abundant wealth cannot simply accept others who want to enter their family.

Moreover, if other people were not from a wealthy group like them.

Based on this study, the writer found. The social class found in Kevin Kwan's

Crazy Rich Asian novel covers social class differences between upper and middle class. this social class differs from the wealth, power and lifestyle and thinking of the upper and middle classes. The social class in Crazy Rich Asian tells the life of a Chinese who had moved to Singapore and had a wealth of wealth that made them into the upper classes. The middle classes in this crazy rich asian novel are a son-in-law and their beloved son who is not as wealthy as they are. These are the two social classes that the author discusses in order to analyze the crazy rich asian novel that is the problem in this thesis. The upper class and middle class.

The conflict of social classes on as potrayed in Crazy Rich Asian is inequality of family life and relationship on social class. Chinese people have a class in their culture which they call mainland and peranakan Chinese, these Chinese raise a lot of money for their next generation. But those who are in the upper social class do not really accept those in the middle social class who want to enter their family group.

Many conflicts occur in this social classes difference, such as a mother who cannot accept her son's girlfriend because she feels the woman chosen by his child is not in accordance with what she wants so she looks for the origins of the woman who is dating her son, his mother has a very strong opinion about who her son may or may not marry.

There is also a husband who belongs to the middle class who has married a woman who comes from the upper class, wants to divorce with his wife because he is unable to get insults from his wife's family.

In the Crazy Rich Asian novel there are also many upper class people who abuse their power as upper social class. They feel entitled to judge others. Most of the conflicts that occur with family relationships in this crazy rich asian novel are based on the difference in social class that occurs in someone who belongs to the upper class, those who are in middle social class feel they have no power to face people from the upper class.

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

5.1 Conclusion

After analyzing this thesis, the writer comes to this part which consist of conclusion and suggestion. The conclusion is drawn based on the research problem and the result of analysis. The suggestion is given for everyone who is interested in this study and for the next researcher.

In this research, the writer found two different social classes which have been written in the Crazy Rich Asian novel, the first is upper social class and middle social class. Crazy Rich Asian tells about the lives of peranakan Chinese and mainland

Chinese, who have different social classes and have an impact on their lives.

The impact of social class inequality is a social conflict that can occur within the family or their environment. In Crazy Rich Asian there are many social conflicts that become differences and disputes between families and between social classes. Conflict from this study is the social class differences that make people in the middle class feel themselves very low. So the conclusion in this research is the difference in social class and the impact that occurs because of differences in social classes.

5.2 Suggestion

God has created humans with their strengths and weaknesses, wealth is another gift from God for those who want to always try to improve their lives and work hard. But there are also many people who can only complain but do not want to try and those who want to get instant wealth such as deceiving others, seizing other people's property, etc.

Wealth also should not make people feel arrogant and feel unable to accept other people who are not from their class.

Through this thesis, the writer hopes to make the readers understand the contents of this research and can take a lesson from this research. The writer also hopes that there is no more human who distinguishes other humans only from their social class. Because a wealth is not something that is eternal, wealth can be lost want it suddenly or periodically. Many people feel themselves rich, so they feel they do not need others, even though every human will need help from other people, no matter how small he or she need.

REFERENCES

Dary, A. W. 2017. An Analysis of Social Stratification and Its Impact On Woman In

Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Medan : Universitas Sumatera Utara

Eagleton, T. (1976).Marxism and Literary Criticism. United States: Routledge Classics

Edition

Eiil, 2010. Social Conflict. Retrieved from; http://www.r4d.ch/E/social-

conflicts/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed on 09th, Sept 2013.

Hancock, B., Ockleford, E., & Windridge, K. (2009). An Introduction to Qualitative

Research, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR RDS

EM/YH.

Kwan, Kevin. 2013. Crazy Rich Asians. New York: Achor Books.

Lyotard, J. F. 1984. The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge. Manchester:

Manchester University Press

Nawawi, H. Hadari. 1983. Metode Penelitian Deskriptif. Gajah Mada University Press.

Yogyakarta.

Ogburn, William F. And Meyer F. Nimkoff. 1964. Sociology. ed.4th. Boston: Houghton

Mifflin

Robert, Edgar V & Henry E. Jacobs. 1995. Literature An Introduction to Reading and

Writing. New Jersey : Prentice-Hall Inc.

Pardede, Martha. 2016. Literature: An Introductory Material. Medan: USU press.

Sarup, Madan. 2007. Posstrukturalisme&Posmodernisme. Yogyakarta: Jendela

Veenhoven, Ruut. 2003. Hedonism and Happiness. Spinger Netherlands.

Wright, E. O. (2003). Social Class. Madison: Sage Publications.

April 2019. Hedonism. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonism

(April 2019)

April 2019. Postmodernism. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmo

dernism (April 2019)

April 2019. Definition of Social Class. Retrieved from http://www.business

dictionary.com/definition/social-class.html

April 2019. Social Class retrieved from http://repository.usu.ac.id/bitstream/

handle/123456789/48074/Chapter%20II.pdf?sequence=4&isAllowed=y

April 2019. Teories of Social Class. Retrieved from https://www.coursehero.com/sg

/introduction-to-sociology/theories-of-social-class/

Juni 2019. Social Differentition about Social Class. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-class

July 2019. Social Conflict Theory. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

/Social_conflict_theory

July 2019. Kelas Sosial Dalam Novel Du Contrat Social. Retrieved from

https://www.academia.edu/31016069/KELAS_SOSIAL_DALAM_NOVEL_DU

_CONTRAT_SOCIAL

July 2019. Sebuah Catatan Sastra. Retrieved from http://sebuahcatatansastra.

blogspot.com/2009/01/apa-itu-plot.html

August 2019. Crazy Rich Asian Summary. Retrieved from http://www.bookrags.

com/studyguide-crazy-rich-asians/#gsc.tab=0

APPENDICES i. Biography of Kevin Kwan

Kevin Kwan was born in Singapore as the youngest of three boys on 1973, into

an established Chinese family. His great-grandfather, Oh Sian Guan, was a founding

director of Singapore's oldest bank, the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation. His

paternal grandfather, Sir Arthur Kwan Pah Chien M.D., was an ophthalmologist who

became Singapore's first Western-trained specialist[8] and was knighted by

Queen Elizabeth II for his philanthropic efforts. His maternal grandfather, the Rev. Paul

Hang Sing Hon, founded the Hinghwa Methodist Church. Kwan is also related to Hong

Kong-born American actress Nancy Kwan.

While in Singapore, Kwan studied at the Anglo-Chinese Schooland lived with

his paternal grandparents. Kwan's father and mother, an engineer and pianist

respectively, moved the family to the United States when Kwan was 11. The family

moved to Clear Lake, Texas and Kwan attended Clear Lake High School, graduating

when he was 16.

He attended the University of Houston-Clear Lake, where he earned a BA in

Media Studies, after which he moved to Manhattan to attend Parsons School of

Design in order to pursue a BFA in Photography. In New York, Kwan worked for Andy

Warhol's Interview Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, and Tibor Kalman's design firm

M&Co. In 2000, Kwan established his own creative studio, clients of which

included Ted.com, Museum of Modern Art, and The New York Times.

Kwan became inspired to write Crazy Rich Asians in 2009 while caring for his

father, who was dying of cancer. Kwan and his father would reminisce about their life in

Singapore while driving to and from medical appointments, and Kwan began writing

stories to capture those memories. Kwan stated one of his goals was to showcase the

"educated families with style and taste that have been quietly going about their lives for

generations" which went beyond the typical contemporary coverage of Asia which

focused on conspicuous consumption. Friends had been urging him to commit his

memories to paper as well. Moving to the United States has westernized his view of

Asia, and he likens himself to "an outsider looking in" when describing his life in

Singapore.

Kevin Kwan is an American novelist best known for his satirical novels Crazy

Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems. In 2014, Kwan was

named as one of the "Five Writers to Watch" on the list of Hollywood's Most Powerful

Authors published by The Hollywood Reporter. In 2018, Kwan made Time magazine's

list of 100 most influential people and was inducted into The Asian Hall of Fame, a

project of the Robert Chinn Foundation established in 2004. ii. Summary of Crazy Rich Asian Novel

The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Kwan, Kevin.

Crazy Rich Asians. Anchor Books, 2013. Rachel Chu, a 28-year-old Economics

professor at New York University, has been happily dating Nick Young, a 32-year-old

History professor at NYU, for the past two years. One day, Nick tells her that his

childhood best friend, Colin Khoo, is getting married over the summer. Nick plans on

flying back home to Singapore for the wedding and wants Rachel to accompany him.

Skeptical about being away from New York for so long—and curious as to whether or

not an international trip means something more serious for her relationship with Nick—

Rachel is apprehensive but ultimately agrees. As an economist, Rachel knows Singapore has one of the highest concentrations of wealth in the world, and she is excited to see the island up close with Nick as her guide. Plus, she would like to visit her best friend from college, Peik, who lives in Singapore. However, Rachel knows next-to-nothing about

Nick’s family and is nervous about what to expect. As Rachel fishes for details about them, Nick clams up.

Nick does not know how to begin to explain his mysterious, powerful family and his opulent life in Singapore to Rachel, since it is so far removed from their frugal lives as professors in New York. He turns to his cousin and close confidant, Astrid, for advice, and she warns him several times to prepare Rachel for the culture shock that awaits her in Singapore. Ultimately, Nick chooses not to heed to Astrid’s advice and defiantly thinks that he should be able to bring his girlfriend home with him without it being a big deal.

Before Rachel and Nick even leave for Asia, gossip swirls amidst the Singaporean upper crust. Rumor has it that Nicholas Young has a new girlfriend and is bringing her home to Singapore with him for the wedding of the year, between ultra-wealthy Colin

Khoo and supermodel Araminta Lee. Some people say Nick’s new girlfriend is just a no- name American-born Chinese girl, while others say she is a Taiwanese socialite. No matter the case, Nick’s mother, Eleanor Young, is not pleased. As the potential heir to a massive fortune—and a member of one of most mysterious, wealthy, and powerful families in Asia—Nick should only be dating women in their social circle. That is, he should absolutely not be dating some unheard-of woman from New York. Despite knowing nothing about Rachel, Eleanor is certain Nick’s girlfriend is a gold digger after

Nick’s fortune. Eleanor decides to take matters into her own hands, hiring a private investigator to conduct a full background check on Rachel and her family and enlisting her best friends and their daughters to help sabotage her son’s relationship.

Meanwhile, Nick’s cousin Astrid is dealing with relationship problems of her own.

Her husband, Michael, has been traveling constantly and working long hours for his struggling startup. It is only when Astrid discovers an anonymous, dirty text message on

Michael’s phone that she grows suspicious that he is cheating on her. The clues begin piling up, like the receipt in Michael’s wallet for an extraordinarily expensive dinner at a

French restaurant in Hong Kong, or the bracelet that Astrid’s personal jeweler sold to

Michael months ago that Michael never gave to Astrid. Eventually, Astrid hears rumors that Michael was spotted in Hong Kong with another woman and a child, which confirms her suspicions. When she confronts Michael about his infidelity, he admits to having a mistress in Hong Kong and hastily moves out, despite Astrid’s pleas that they work on fixing their relationship. Later, with help from her ex-fiancé (and now friend),

Charlie Wu, Astrid tracks down Michael in Hong Kong at his mistress’ apartment to confront him again and find closure. Michael breaks down and admits that there was no mistress and that he never cheated on Astrid. His female cousin was posing as such to make it seem like Michael was cheating on Astrid. Michael confesses that he never wanted to actually marry Astrid, that he hates her family, and that he has grown increasingly unhappy over the past five years. He thought that if he looked like he was cheating on Astrid, she would find out and would want to leave him. He begs Astrid to let him go and move on, which breaks Astrid’s heart.

Once Rachel and Nick arrive in Singapore, Rachel is immediately faced with confusing cultural differences, snide remarks, and most of all, the shocking discovery that her history-professor boyfriend also happens to be one of the wealthiest and most sought-after men in all of Singapore. Eleanor and her friends perpetuate the rumor that

Rachel is a gold digger, as they try to turn the island against her while making several attempts to break Rachel and Nick up. Most notably, Eleanor enlists Francesca, her best friend’s daughter, to take the lead on sabotaging the relationship. Francesca leaves

Rachel threatening notes, tries to make her jealous, and humiliates her in public.

Eventually the truth spills out, as Rachel relays to Nick every cruel word and action she endured over their trip. Nick is horrified and shocked at how vicious his family and friends can be, especially to someone he loves.

Rachel wants to return to New York immediately, but Nick convinces her to stay a few more days so that they can go on a road trip together and escape from all of the people who mistreated Rachel. The next morning, they leave for Malay to spend a few days at Su Yi’s summer lodge. Nick has already decided to ask Rachel to marry him once they arrive at the lodge—seeing her in the crowd at Colin’s wedding reaffirmed to him that he wants to spend the rest of his life with Rachel. However, when Rachel and

Nick arrive at the lodge, Nick’s plans are shattered, as they find Eleanor and Su Yi waiting for them. In front of both Nick and Rachel, Eleanor and Su Yi blatantly say that

Nick is not allowed to marry Rachel, as she is from an improper background. Eleanor divulges that Rachel’s father did not die in a construction accident—he is alive and in jail in Shenzhen, while Rachel’s mother, Kerry, is wanted for kidnapping charges.

Reeling from the shocking news and Eleanor and Su Yi’s cruelty, Nick and Rachel leave

53 the lodge immediately. Rachel begs Nick to give her time alone to process all that she has heard, so he drops her off at a nearby lodge for the night. Once he leaves, she takes a taxi to Peik Lin’s house, where she then hides out for several days, ignoring Nick and still reeling from the pain and shock. While at the Goh’s house, Rachel decides that she needs to go to China to meet her father and is adamant that Peik, not Nick, accompany her. The Gohs talk Rachel into at least seeing Nick face-to-face once before the trip.

Rachel obliges but uses the opportunity to break up with Nick and get away from all the pain and cruelty she has experienced in Singapore. In his heartbreak, Nick spends several days wasting away at Colin’s house while Colin is away on his honeymoon.

Worried about Nick, Colin comes back early and convinces Nick to go after Rachel again, even if it seems impossible.

On the day Peik and Rachel are meant to leave for Shenzhen, they find their driveway blocked by an SUV. Nick hops out, followed by Kerry, fresh off of the plane from Cupertino. Surprised and angry to see both Nick and her mother, Rachel tries to leave for Shenzhen anyways. Kerry begs her daughter to not go to China and launches into the story she has been carefully hiding for twenty-nine years. Kerry reveals that long ago, she was living in China, married to an abusive alcoholic. She was able to cope with the abuse for a short while with help from an eighteen-year-old neighbor boy, whom Kerry began having an affair with. Eventually, Kerry became pregnant, and Kerry knew the child belonged to the neighbor, not her husband. Luckily, no one suspected

Kerry of infidelity. Soon, Kerry gave birth to a baby girl, but her husband’s family, wanting an heir, were furious and plotted to harm the baby. With help from the neighbor

54 boy, Kerry ran away with her infant daughter and eventually made it to America to start their lives over.

When Kerry finishes her story, Rachel is appalled at her mother’s dark past.

Realizing that the man in jail is not her father but is the man who made Kerry’s life miserable, Rachel is glad Kerry stopped her from going to China. Rachel and Kerry patch up their relationship, and Kerry reaffirms how much she likes Nick and thinks

Rachel should give him a second chance. Rachel obliges and steals off to have a moment alone with Nick. The two forgive one another wholeheartedly, and the novel closes as everyone bickers playfully about where to go for a meal.

Shang Wang Lan Yin Loong Ma

Ah Jit Rosemary T'sienTsay

Alexander Young Tay Shang[a]

Richard Anna May

"Dickie" T'sien[c] T'sien[b]

Sir Mark Clarence Shang Su Yi, James [d] [e] Lady Young T'sien T'sien Young

Mabel Alfred

T'sien Shang

Sir Charles Frederick Cassandr

Leonard Shang[g] Shang[h] a Shang[i] Shang[f]

Catherine Eleanor Philip Alexandr Dr

[j] Young Sung Young a Young Malcolm

Cheng

Henry Victoria Felicity Young "Harry" Young Leong Sr.

Kerry Chu

Edison Nichola Alistair Rachel Fiona Tung "Eddie" Chu s Young Cheng [k] Cheng

Tony Michael Peter Cecilia Astrid Leong Moncu Teo Leong Cheng r

Henry Alexander Leong, Jr. Leong

CassianTe Three Jake o children Moncur