Free Food for Millionaires: The Allure Of The Gilded Cage
The Allure of the Gilded Cage | A study of themes of ambivalence, class disparity and social stratification present in Free Food For Millionaires by Min Jin Lee
“As a capable young woman, Casey Han felt compelled to choose respectability and success. But it was glamor and insight that she craved”.
The very first page of Min Jin Lee’s debut novel sets the stage for the multifaceted character that is Casey Han, a character whose flaws and ambivalence is immediately apparent in her every action and nuance. Wildly ambitious yet contentedly stagnant, stubbornly proud but delicately vulnerable, her complexities resonate throughout the book. But it’s not just Casey who presents as flawed– Lee populates her pages with a cast of characters who, like Casey, have their own idiosyncrasies, problems and failings. It is thus within their contradictions that lay the foundation for the themes Min Jin Lee so delicately unravels: the generational divide; the Asian-American immigrant struggle, societal expectations; and the complexities of social class and privilege.
“Money was something people had or didn’t.” – Casey.
The theme of class distinction can be seen most clearly in the character of Casey. Born to a poor Korean-American immigrant family in Queens, Casey is drawn to the “bright glittering life” that is Manhattan high society. From the first chapter, we are made keenly aware of Casey’s insecurity as an outlier in the privileged bubble she resides in. Studying in Princeton, she is exposed to a world where wealth, connections and privilege reign supreme. Despite her exceptional achievements that earned her a place at Princeton, she is conscious of the gaping divide that separates her from her peers. At Princeton, she is exposed to a reality where meritocracy is nothing but an American form of aristocracy– surrounded by “kids who went to Exeter and Hotchkiss, their parents belong to country clubs”, having dads “who could always make a call to save their ass”. These private schools not only symbolize wealth, their tuition costing in the tens of thousands (Exeter being $64,789 per year), but also are exclusive pipelines into the ivy league as “feeder schools”. In this environment, where pedigree and prosperity are the currency of acceptance, Casey grapples with the fact that she is an outsider. She is an interloper in a world where her struggles and accomplishments are eclipsed by the ease with which her affluent counterparts navigate life. Furthermore, she is acutely aware of this, stating that she has had “kids step away from me like I’m unwashed after I tell them you manage a dry cleaner”,“have people who are supposed to be your equals look through you like you’re made of glass and what they see inside looks filthy to them”, to “make and keep friends when they think you’re from nothing because you’re from nowhere”. Despite inhabiting the same social and academic spheres, there is an obvious dichotomy between her and the silver-spoon-fed lives of her peers. She is not and will ever be fully accepted simply because she was not born into wealth. As Ted Kim sadistically illustrates, she’d only gone to Princeton, she was not of Princeton. Inevitably, the insecurity and imposter syndrome this realization comes with becomes a defining theme that shapes Casey’s actions and journey throughout the novel.
“After graduation, a divide had risen between them like a drawbridge sealing up a castle. From the other side of the moat, Casey had to make her own way.” – Casey, about Virginia.
Themes of class distinction manifest themselves most vividly through the ecosystem of character that Casey interacts with. The first character that comes to mind is no other than Virginia Craft. She was Casey’s roommate in Princeton, and is one of, if not Casey’s best friend. The first example of our realization of the class disparity between the two is when the two meet with friends for Virginia’s send-off to Italy. Virginia enthusiastically tells Casey that “(She) can come to Italy”, “(raising) her hands enthusiastically”. Virginia is the adopted son of the Crofts– rich, privileged, pretty. Unknowingly arrogant, she believes Casey can simply “come to Italy”. (“You should at least visit me”.) Directly after graduation, she does not take into consideration that Casey has a future to think about, that Casey might not have sufficient financial resources to go on a whim to a foreign country in Europe. Unlike Casey, Virginia is able to make the decision to study overseas– simply because money is of no object to her. Her ability to whimsically choose higher education in Europe underscores her financial immunity, a luxury far out of Casey’s reach. This is further explored by Min Jin Lee saying that “even as Virginia got drunk, slept with too many men, and lost her house keys on a regular basis”, she “didn’t feel deterred by shame or failure.” In a letter to Casey later in the novel, Virginia candidly admits, “I’ve given up the prospects of my degree. It is impossibly hard to remain cloistered in these glorious libraries and pretend that I care any more about my subject when I fear that it is irrelevant.”, preferring her whirlwind romances with various Italian men– Paolo, Gio, and others— over the rigor of academic commitment. This is not to say that Virginia’s choices are inherently hedonistic or a condemnation of her character, but they prove of her carefree freedom in opting for short term romantic attachments versus the long-term benefits of a masters degree. Therein lies the distinction between the wealthy and the poor. T. Harv Eker puts it best– being rich is about having the freedom to make any decision you want. In this way, Virginia is a classic example of privilege. Thus, her ability to shrug off failures raises questions about where her resilience stems from. (Virginia didn’t feel deterred by shame or failure) Is it resilience derived from genuine strength of character, or does she exhibit carefreeness as a consequence of her immunity to real consequences?
In spite of the ridiculous financial investment in moving to Italy and paying for a two year masters degree (which is by no metric close to cheap), Virginia exemplifies the paradigm of privilege. She possesses the choice, and exercises this choice, to forgo her degree. Higher education is often seen as the gateway into high-paying sectors, into wealth. Thus, her choice to forgo the opportunity the average Joe would kill for serves as a compelling reminder of the choices open to the wealthy that the less fortunate will never see. A key example would be Joseph’s reactions to his daughter’s career choices. Tina choosing endocrinology over the prestige of a surgeon was unspeakable to him, while Casey choosing to pursue business over a law career disgusted him. In his own words, “This was her life– how could the girl be so careless with it?” Given Joseph's strong opinions on his daughters' career paths, one cannot help but wonder how he would react to Virginia's seemingly carefree approach to life. Virginia's actions, characterized by spontaneity and a lack of concern for traditional markers of success, stand in stark contrast against Casey’s stress-filled worries of her future. Her decisions, when viewed through the lens of characters like Joseph and their rigid expectations, serve to exemplify the significant impacts of financial privilege on the ability to navigate and shape one's future.
Tina smiled weakly, feeling so disappointed and hurt for her parents that she could hardly speak.
The ecosystem of characters Casey interacts with are unsurprisingly composed of a large number of Korean-Americans. Casey’s relationships with her fellow immigrant tribe of Korean-Americans are thus extremely telling of themes of class distinction, even between members of the same race. This can be seen during Tina’s rehearsal dinner for her wedding, marking the first meeting of the soon to be conjoined families, Han and Baek. As Korean wedding tradition dictates, the exchange of small gifts, such as luxury watches, jewelry, handbags, suits, and hanbok between the two families is a very important part of the wedding. However, it is precisely this tradition that sparks tension between the two families. The Hans present lavish gifts, “Anna received a gold-and-diamond necklace and bracelet set, and the sisters each received gold and diamond earrings. The father was given a burberry raincoat, and Chul got his Cartier watch.” The Hans, despite significant financial burden and the money coming out of their retirement savings, meticulously selected items meant to warmly embrace Tina into the Baek family. They worried that “engagements could be broken off if inferior presents were given, and there were instances where daughters were beaten or resented from the memory of a bad gift”, something Leah (and I should hope all mothers) wanted to avoid. On the contrary, the Baeks' gifts to the Hans reveal a stark contrast in effort and sentiment. Joseph received a “black and white YSL logo necktie and a pair of electroplated silver cufflinks, while Leah and Casey received red wool mufflers.” Tina “received an old fashioned jade brooch in a gold frame”, but the gifts had “all come from Macys”, and were not more than $500 in total. Meanwhile, the Hans gift’s totaled well over $6000.
This difference in gifts can immediately be seen as too severe to ignore, with the conspicuous difference in the quality and thoughtfulness of the gifts becoming an undeniable marker of class disparity. The Baeks, who make “seven or eight times more than (Casey’s parents)” deliberately choose gifts that pale in comparison to their own affluence. They owned several houses, a membership at a country club, and wore exclusively Armani and Chanel. Thus, their conspicuous shopping at Macy's, as noted by Casey, were indicators of the fact that they had “gone out of their way to let her family know its place”, serving as a deliberate reminder of the social hierarchy at play. None of them "would have worn less than cashmere around their throats," yet the Baeks unapologetically presented the Hans with wool mufflers—a subtle yet all too echoing message that the Baeks' believed that the Hans did not belong on the same rung of the social ladder. This disrespect is further magnified when we contrast Leah’s meticulous efforts to choose perfect gifts for the Baeks for months on end against the Baeks buying all of their gifts at one department store. Lee states, "Within immigrant communities, there's an enormous distinction of class, depending on who your parents are," and this distinction surfaces palpably in the stark divergence in gift-giving between the families. "One of the untold secrets of minority communities is very often there's a very horrible prejudice against class,", and Min Jin Lee uses this scene to bring to light the often underlooked aspect of immigrant culture.
“Why couldn’t she take her time? Why couldn’t she fall on her face? That's what you were supposed to do in America– find yourself, find the goddamn color of your parachute.”
– Casey.
Lastly, we circle back to Casey. Casey’s journey is a search for self– she inhabits the wealthy and privileged bubble, yet is acutely aware of her outsider status. However, she does not belong in the camp that wears poverty as a badge of honor. With Lee noting that "she is caught between two worlds", Casey feels strong pulls from both worlds, and rather than integrating them, she finds herself split between the two of them. Casey is characterized as a complex mash of brashness, stubbornness, pride – yet remains extremely driven and ambitious. There’s a voracious appetite within her for wealth, for privilege, a relentless pursuit of everything she lacks. However, this drive is marked by ambivalence, a paradox where her aspirations coexist with choices that seemingly leave her stagnant. Despite possessing the qualities and connections that could undoubtedly propel her forward, she repeatedly turns down nearly guaranteed opportunities presented to her on a silver platter.
Whether it's declining a Columbia Law acceptance, rejecting Sabine’s offer to pass her luxury fashion store down to her or accepting her help to pay for B school, or foolishly applying to only one post-undergraduate banking position, Casey’s drive is tainted with a peculiar ambivalence. At the core of this ambivalence is Casey’s pride, which becomes a limiting force that prevents her from leveraging connections or accepting help. She simply “could not imagine incurring that kind of debt”, but this hesitation acts as a ball and chain that encircles her ambition, keeping her frustratingly locked into place.
As Casey learns, “Free Food for Millionaires” serves as a metaphorical lens through which the author not only explores the insatiable hunger for money, status, and power that seems to intensify with abundance, but the lengths to which people will go to achieve it. In this way, this is everything Casey is not: her self imposed limitations starkly contradict her vast hunger for luxury. The irony is that the executive directors, CEOS, COOs are the first to jockey each other to pile on heaps of food onto their plate, while, as Yoojin Han puts forward so succinctly in her blog “Ink + Butter”, “those who don’t enjoy as much privilege — those whose appetites remain tame and modest — hold themselves back at the metaphorical buffet of life.”
In essence, the fear and self-imposed restrictions depicted within the middle class of "Free Food for Millionaires" are rooted in perspective—how individuals are defined and limited by their perspectives, shaped by generational, cultural, and socio-economic influences. The rich are afforded choices that the less fortunate will never see– the choice to travel, the choice of jobs, the choice to simply be unbound by consequences. The class distinction, exemplified by the contrasting appetites of the wealthy and the restrained have-nots, weaves through the narrative, offering profound insights into the complexities of ambition, pride, and the pursuit of privilege within the social fabric of the novel. The novel ends with Casey realizing that all her material possessions are lost– but she finds solace in what remains: her relationship with Unu, an understanding of her true ambitions and self. In resisting the allure of the gilded cage, Casey discovers the true wealth of liberation within her unburdened self.
