Dial A for Aunties

In this section, the theme of The Karmic Justice of Honesty and Lies is prominent. Nathan’s reappearance and clear lingering feelings for Meddy increase her struggle with—and the stakes of—hiding the corpse. The wedding will make or break not only Meddy’s family business but also Nathan’s hotel, so she has multiple reasons to fear him discovering the body in the cooler. At the same time, she fears her family learning about her relationship with Nathan, and when they meet him, she is as embarrassed about her family’s behavior toward him as she feared she would be. Because of all of these factors, Meddy lies to and avoids Nathan and lies to her family about her relationship with Nathan, referring to him merely as a “college friend.” This lack of honesty continues to negatively impact her relationship with Nathan, even as she hopes to rekindle it.

The theme of Familial Duty Versus Independence is reflected in Meddy’s increasing frustration with her family. She stays obedient, but her patience with the aunts’ shenanigans grows thin as they put their operation at risk. Discovering Ah Guan’s true identity and cause of death drives Meddy to speak up for herself. The moment is brief, and she immediately feels guilty, but it foreshadows her character arc. Fourth Aunt’s discovery of Nathan and Meddy’s kiss also strains Meddy’s relationship with her family, as Fourth Aunt uses it against Ma in their rivalry, compounding Meddy’s guilt about never confiding to Ma about her relationship. In short, the debacles with the corpse increasingly highlight how Meddy’s total deference and passiveness around her family are unsustainable.

The symbolism of the Corpse continues to develop in this section. The dramatic discovery that Ah Guan had been alive when they put him in the cooler, as well as Nathan’s near discovery of the blanket in the corpse cooler, parallels Nathan’s official entrance into the novel and Fourth Aunt’s discovery of Meddy’s relationship with him. If Meddy wasn’t technically responsible for Ah Guan’s death before, she definitely is now, and the risk and consequences of the corpse being discovered are all the greater—ruining the wedding would also hurt Nathan’s business. Similarly, if Meddy’s secret past relationship and wish for independence weren’t already bubbling at the surface before, they are now. The apparent consequences for coming clean with Ma also appear to escalate as Fourth Aunt wheedles her over the secret.

Another symbol is also introduced in this section: Meddy’s Camera. As a wedding photographer, Meddy is very involved with weddings and all their intricacies and intimacies—from the gorgeous cake and tearful anticipation to the drunken drama and unexpected hysterics. This familiarity parallels Meddy’s involvement in the family business. She is an integral member of the business, in terms of both her profession and her role in keeping her aunts focused. However, as a photographer, although Meddy is present for and documents all the important components of a wedding, she herself is invisible, separated from the tableau by her camera. This invisibility is also reflected by her uniform; compared to Fourth Aunt’s flashy performance attire and feathered manicure, Meddy is dressed in unobtrusive black. The camera and Meddy’s role as a photographer thus demonstrate her passive role within her family: the quiet, obedient offspring who obeys her outspoken elders. The camera also helps to show that Meddy is a keen observer, able to capture poignant moments just right, even though those moments are not her own; in this sense, it also shows that Meddy is someone with a dream that she is struggling to capture, unable to step into the frame herself.

The theme of Intergenerational Immigration is also discussed, this time through class. Although the Wijayas, Sutopos, and Chans are all Chinese Indonesian families, there are distinct differences between them, highlighting the fact that immigrant stories are not a monolith. The Chans are working/middle class; they are only at such a fancy hotel and such an elaborate, expensive wedding because they are working it. They earned every penny they have. In contrast, Jacqueline Wijaya and Tom Cruise Sutopo are extremely wealthy; their wedding is extremely high profile and arranged to socio-economically benefit both family conglomerates. They have 2000 guests, many of whom flew internationally from Indonesia to attend. In short, the wedding party is very wealthy, the kind of wealth that the Chans can only dream of. This contrast increases Meddy’s sensitivity regarding class and cultural differences between her and Nathan, especially when her family exclaims over his physical and career “assets” (140-41).

The theme of Loyalty Versus Fear and Selfishness is also introduced here through Maureen and Jacqueline’s relationship. While their interactions are more limited in this section, Maureen’s loyalty to Jacqueline is clear through her anger at the hungover groomsmen and her subsequent haranguing of the groomsmen on Jacqueline’s behalf. In return, Jacqueline’s dependence and confidence in Maureen is also evident, as she turns to Maureen for comfort with each disaster. However, both women are currently hiding their true feelings for each other, giving into social pressures and fear about risking their current friendship.

The motif of Weddings continues to serve as a backdrop. The wedding preparations highlight the messy, chaotic, unpredictable nature of major change, especially change involving emotional risk. On the one hand, the surface-level aspects, such as the cake, the dress, and the jewelry, are gorgeous, symbolizing hope for the future. On the other hand, the groom’s party is a mess, and the bride is clearly distressed. In turn, Meddy desires change, but she simultaneously dreads the potentially negative fallout of instigating it.