Lies and Weddings

Rufus Gresham is Eden’s love interest, and he exemplifies the trope of the romantic hero: handsome, chivalrous, kind, and sophisticated. Rufus is also sensitive and creative enough to find himself inspired by the natural beauty of Hawaii, and he dreams of working as an artist or curator. Rufus’s character is shaped by his identity as an Anglo Asian man; he feels a strong connection to his Chinese heritage and does not see himself as a typical British aristocrat. Rufus has loved Eden since they were both children, and he is unwaveringly committed to her, even though he could have his choice of many women. Rufus is sometimes torn between family pressures and his own desires, but he generally stays true to himself and listens to his heart. For example, he is honest with his father when he claims to have no interest in managing the Gresham estate, and he is adamant that he will only marry for love. Rufus remains a stable and consistent character throughout the novel, embodying the ideal romantic hero.

Arabella Gresham is the wife of Francis Gresham and the countess (the title for the wife of an earl); she is the mother of three children. Arabella is a woman of Chinese descent. She was born into a well-to-do Hong Kong family but felt stifled by the predictable life that lay ahead. She became a model and ended up marrying a British aristocrat, at which point she endured significant racism and discrimination because she was an Asian woman who married a wealthy and titled white man. Arabella’s traumatic history has made her rigid, ambitious, and calculating. She becomes obsessed with the marriages of her children because she sees these matches as the ultimate way to solidify her social status. At first, Arabella wants to see her children marry titled European aristocrats because she sees this as a form of revenge against those who mistreated her because of her cultural heritage. After learning about her family’s financial crisis, Arabella changes tactics and fixates on her children (notably Rufus), angling for them to marry wealthy partners. Arabella sees her children as assets to be leveraged to achieve the optimal outcome for the entire family, and she struggles to see them as independent people with their own desires and values.

Arabella functions as the antagonist in the novel because she creates significant conflict for Eden and opposes the burgeoning romantic relationship between Eden and Rufus. Even though Rufus makes it clear that he wants to marry Eden and no one else, Arabella actively schemes to disrupt their relationship. Arabella treats Eden in a cruel fashion and even resorts to blackmailing her when she learns about the true identity of Eden’s father. Arabella’s hatred toward Eden is rooted in her own shame, trauma, and self-loathing; she has internalized much of the anti-Asian racism that she encountered, and she now dislikes the idea that her only son will marry a Chinese woman. Arabella also experiences strong class prejudice. She doesn’t trust women who may want to marry a wealthier man from a higher social position, even though this is what she did herself. She becomes willing to tolerate a prospective Chinese daughter-in-law (Martha Dung) only when she knows that this marriage would come with significant economic benefits. Ultimately, Arabella’s values fluctuate depending on her circumstances, and she mostly fixates on controlling the people around her.

Arabella does not change or grow as a character, even though she becomes aware that she is gradually driving her children away. All of her children communicate their unhappiness, but Arabella is unable to stop herself from trying to control them. Instead, she remains focused on her materialistic values; when she learns that Eden is rich, she quickly tries to encourage a hasty marriage between Eden and Rufus, even though she had been adamantly opposed to such a match when she saw Eden as belonging to a lower, less wealthy social class. While Rufus and Eden are able to find happiness in spite of Arabella’s meddling, she never sees the impact of her actions or acknowledges the pain she causes.

Thomas is an important secondary character. He raised Eden as his own daughter although he is her biological uncle. Thomas is a gentle, unassuming person who works hard to take care of everyone around him. He is intelligent and highly valued in his field as a doctor of oncology. Thomas is also the trusted confidante of both Francis Gresham and Rene Tan, which shows that he is worthy of trust and respect. Thomas stands out as an example of a loving parent who does a good job of raising a child; he and Eden enjoy a close relationship, and she makes it clear that she will always think of him as her true father. Thomas does display some moral ambivalence because he tends to conceal secrets on behalf of others, even when those secrets might be impactful. For example, Thomas does not tell anyone about Francis’s financial problems, and as a result, these problems increase. He also keeps a lifelong secret from Eden about her true family heritage and does not tell her this secret until she finds out the truth for herself. Eden is very forgiving of her father’s decision, but he does contribute to deceiving her.