The Last Rose of Shanghai
75 pages • 2-hour read
Weina Dai RandelThe Last Rose of Shanghai
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Themes
The Psychological Effects of Wartime Violence
Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses drug addiction, domestic violence, and misogyny as well as its graphic depictions of violence and death. It also discusses racism and antisemitism.
The Last Rose of Shanghai frequently depicts wartime violence, ranging from casual to traumatic and often random or surprising to the characters. These qualities make violence so pervasive that the characters begin to suffer psychological effects, such as growing numb to others’ suffering. Most importantly, Aiyi and Ernest are led to blame each other and their relationship for the tragedies they suffer, as the unpredictability and scope of wartime violence is incomprehensible.
In the first 1940s scene, Aiyi witnesses the murder of a Shanghainese man by a Japanese soldier but feels that “there [is] nothing [she can] do but look away” (4). This is out of necessity to her mind, as the persecuted Chinese have “no choice but to remain unseen” (4). This indifference returns regarding the Jewish refugees; Aiyi thinks that Ernest shouldn’t risk his life for other refugees and rather should keep a low profile. Sinmay remains “unperturbed” by the bombing of the International Settlement, feeling that his apathy is righteous retaliation for the “foreigners” unconcern about the destruction of Chinese neighborhoods. Even empathetic Ernest is worn down by his time in the designated area, being unmoved by “bodies strewn in the corner” because he is so used to corpses in the streets (339).
If the omnipresence of mass death and trauma renders the characters indifferent to strangers, personal wartime tragedy ends in Ernest and Aiyi blaming themselves and each other. When Yamazaki orders Aiyi’s club sealed, she thinks that her infatuation with Ernest is the reason, despite the Japanese being able to take over the business at any time. Similarly, after Miriam’s death, Ernest “look[s] at his lover’s face, knowing it had cost his sister’s life” (292), though Ernest fears Yamazaki’s violence before Aiyi appears in the doorway. At age 60, Aiyi states that “[h]ad it not been for [Ernest], none of the tragedies could have happened” (239). This blame almost ends Aiyi and Ernest’s relationship permanently.
With this theme, Randel highlights the psychological costs of war, not just the physical losses. Aiyi’s insistence that the many deaths in her and Ernest’s lives were their fault continues almost 40 years later, emphasizing that the emotional effects of violence can be permanent.
The Challenges and Rewards of Cross-Cultural Connection
In the first chapter of The Last Rose of Shanghai, Aiyi expresses that “the Chinese and foreigners [are] like salt and sugar that must not be mixed” (4), a metaphor that persists throughout the novel. Yet Randel counters this outlook through the power of her protagonists’ love and other rewarding moments of reciprocity between cultures.
Intolerance and xenophobia form the basis of the difficulties faced by Ernest and Aiyi. Both experience violence in spaces in which the other feels comfortable. Aiyi goes through a racist assault in Sassoon’s hotel lobby, demonstrating the attitude that the Chinese people deserve no rights. At Aiyi’s nightclub, Ernest senses animosity towards him, culminating in a knife attack. Though these moments of violence are impersonal, motivated by widespread social hatred, romantic relationships provoke anger in the immediate community of the couple. Cheng calls Aiyi “sick” for her fascination with Ernest, and Sinmay ostracized for his affair with Emily. Ernest’s also bakery employees don’t approve of Aiyi. Leaving Sinmay, Emily articulates that “Chinese have these suffocating customs and traditions” (178), meaning Chinese insularity and family roles, to persuade Aiyi to end things with Ernest.
Yet cross-cultural connection provides many rewards. Aiyi’s club flourishes thanks to Ernest, making her think of them as “the perfect winning pair; we were meant to be” (86)—a thought directly countering the sugar and salt metaphor. Ernest makes his fortune getting supplies through Chinese associates, with whom he has a positive reputation. Emily quits smoking opium after Aiyi helps her and gives Emily information for a rehabilitation doctor. In turn, Emily inspires Aiyi to be more “free, open, independent” (147). Most importantly, the core of the book is Ernest and Aiyi’s cross-cultural love. Aiyi often shares aspects of Chinese belief with Ernest, as when she tells him that lovers earn “a divine coin of happiness […] by making good choices in this life” (253), suggesting the positivity of love, no matter the pair’s backgrounds.
Randel titles the book after a (fictional) Shanghai jazz song, as that genre is “a blend of American jazz and Chinese folk song” (34). This symbol of beauty through merging aesthetics represents Aiyi and Ernest and makes clear that The Last Rose of Shanghai honors cross-cultural connection, despite the difficulties.
Oppression Versus Safety in Traditional Roles
There is tension between being oppressed by traditional expectations and the safety offered by conformity in The Last Rose of Shanghai. Randel’s exploration of this is entwined with the theme of The Challenges and Rewards of Cross-Cultural Connection, but it focuses more on how social mores and family expectations can shape an individual’s life.
Tradition dictates restrictions on Chinese women in the novel. Early on, Aiyi fears that Sinmay has “been looking for an opportunity to kick [her] out [of the house] since [their] inheritance fight” (71)—her older brother has control even over Aiyi’s access to shelter. Because their inheritance fight involved Sinmay trying to pull rank as firstborn son and becoming angered by Aiyi’s claim to inheritance, this relationship is doubly indicative of unequal gender roles. Even the tradition-focused Peiyu expresses her sorrow that women are “[o]nly birth tools” (304), highlighting women’s lack of agency in this society. This attitude is not unique to Chinese traditions; even kind Ernest falls into thinking of women as objects. He views Aiyi romantically yet thinks at one point that he “wouldn’t mind having her” (108), “have” being a possessive verb. Later, he imagines Golda as “the banner of his success” (313), making her a mere display of his wealth. Yet Ernest also suffers under tradition, haunted by his mother’s exhortation to marry a Jewish girl, and he ultimately regrets using his authoritative family position to prevent Miriam from going to America.
Both Aiyi and Ernest find safety and comfort in tradition. As Aiyi tells Ernest, “[w]e always remember our roots, remember our home” (181). Although she rebels against it, Aiyi knows that her mother betrothed her to Cheng for her safety and comfort. Ultimately, Cheng’s adherence to tradition in marrying Aiyi brings her “a good life” (316), albeit briefly. Ernest, too, finds comfort in marrying Golda, a woman of his faith, feeling that she gave him “the joy of living but also a purpose” (364). This idea is buoyed by Ernest entering a synagogue and having a warm spiritual experience “feel[ing] the togetherness […] the pulse of life […] a tradition that bound generations past and generations to come” (256). Intergenerational connection pinpoints the best possibility for tradition: bringing people closer.
The Last Rose of Shanghai offers no clear message that tradition is positive or negative, instead portraying it in all of its complexities. At its worst, tradition stifles. At its best, tradition embraces and uplifts.
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