Chapter 4 Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

⚠️ Spoiler warning: This summary and analysis covers events from Chapter 4 (titled “Chapter 4” in the book). If you haven’t read this chapter yet, you may want to do so first.

Summary

The chapter opens with Meddy on a plane to London with her boyfriend Nathan, heading to meet his parents for Christmas. She is nervous and excited, and the two share a playful moment about his lack of an English accent. Nathan explains that he attended international schools because his family moved often. He also reveals that he bought Selena the AirPods she wanted, signing the gift from both of them, acknowledging that Selena’s help made this trip possible—she told Meddy’s mother that Meddy would spend Christmas with her in Northern California, which allowed Meddy to travel without suspicion.

During the flight, they watch a movie and fall asleep. When Meddy wakes, her neck is stuck at an awkward angle, causing her pain and embarrassment. Nathan tries to massage it, but the stiffness persists. She worries about meeting his parents with a crooked neck, but Nathan reassures her.

After landing, they meet Nathan’s parents, Annie (a tall blonde) and Chris (an Asian man who resembles an older Nathan). Annie insists Meddy call her by her first name. The drive to Oxford takes nearly two hours, and Meddy feels out of place, noting how different Nathan’s parents are from her own loud, expressive family. She reflects on her decision to keep Nathan separate from her family, fearing the “family curse” and wanting to maintain her independent identity. She worries that Nathan might think she’s ashamed of him, but she also wants to protect him from her overbearing relatives and from seeing her as the quiet, compliant version of herself that she becomes around them.

At Nathan’s childhood home, Meddy is struck by its tidiness and tasteful decor, contrasting sharply with her own family’s cluttered, hoarder-like home. Nathan takes her to his bedroom, and they become intimate. Afterward, lying together, Meddy realizes how much she loves Nathan and how much he means to her. She decides to defy the family curse and tells herself that she will reveal their relationship to her mother and aunts when she returns home, planning to do so over Sunday dim sum, when they are most receptive.

Key Events

Meddy and Nathan fly to London to meet his parents for Christmas.
Nathan reveals he bought Selena AirPods as a thank-you for covering for Meddy.
Meddy wakes from a nap with a stiff neck and worries about meeting Nathan’s parents.
They meet Annie and Chris at the airport; Annie insists on being called by her first name.
The drive to Oxford highlights cultural differences between the families.
Meddy reflects on her secret relationship and the reasons for keeping it hidden.
Nathan shows Meddy his childhood home and bedroom, which are immaculate.
The couple becomes intimate in Nathan’s bedroom.
Meddy resolves to tell her family about Nathan over Sunday dim sum.

Character Development

Meddy is the central focus of this chapter. Her internal conflict deepens as she navigates the joy of being with Nathan and the guilt of hiding him from her family. She acknowledges her selfishness in wanting to keep Nathan separate, but she also recognizes that she wants to be seen as her true self—sarcastic, sharp, and free—rather than the quiet, subdued version she becomes around her mother and aunts. Her fear of the family curse is palpable, yet by the end of the chapter she makes a conscious choice to reject that fear and commit to Nathan. This marks a significant shift from passive acceptance of her family’s beliefs to active defiance.

Nathan is portrayed as supportive and affectionate. He reassures Meddy, laughs at her quirks, and shows thoughtfulness by buying Selena a gift. His easygoing nature contrasts with Meddy’s anxiety, and his desire to meet her family becomes a point of tension. His childhood home and tidy bedroom suggest a stable, orderly upbringing, which highlights the differences between his world and Meddy’s.

Annie and Chris are introduced as warm but reserved, using words like “lovely” and “delightful.” Their politeness and composure stand in stark contrast to Meddy’s family, reinforcing her sense of cultural displacement.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

The Family Curse – Meddy half-believes in a curse that has affected her mother and aunts, and she fears that bringing Nathan into her family will accelerate its effects. This motif represents her internalized fear of inherited misfortune and her struggle to break free from it.

Independence vs. Filial Duty – Meddy’s decision to keep Nathan a secret stems from her desire to carve out an identity separate from her mother and aunts. She feels guilty for wanting autonomy, but she also recognizes that her family’s expectations have shaped her life choices, such as staying in L.A. for her mother.

Cultural Contrast – The tidy, magazine-worthy Chan home versus Meddy’s cluttered, hoarder-like family home symbolizes the divide between Nathan’s world and hers. Meddy’s embarrassment about her family’s habits reflects her shame and her fear that Nathan will judge her.

Secrecy and Shame – Meddy’s hidden relationship is a source of both excitement and guilt. She worries that Nathan will think she’s ashamed of him, but she is also ashamed of her own family’s chaos. This duality drives her internal conflict.

Love vs. Curse – The chapter culminates in Meddy’s decision to prioritize love over superstition. Her declaration that “curses go to die” in Oxford signals a turning point in her mindset.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is pivotal because it marks Meddy’s conscious choice to defy the family curse and commit to Nathan. It also deepens the reader’s understanding of the cultural and emotional barriers that have kept their relationship secret. The contrast between Nathan’s orderly family and Meddy’s chaotic one highlights the stakes of introducing him to her relatives. Meddy’s resolution to tell her family over dim sum sets up future conflict and foreshadows the complications that will arise when the two worlds collide.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Meddy keep her relationship with Nathan a secret from her family?

Meddy keeps Nathan a secret for several reasons: she fears the family curse, she wants to maintain her independent identity, and she is embarrassed by her family’s loud, cluttered lifestyle. She also worries that Nathan will see her as the quiet, compliant version of herself that she becomes around her mother and aunts, rather than the free, sarcastic person she is on campus.

2. How does the setting of Nathan’s childhood home contrast with Meddy’s family home, and what does this reveal about Meddy’s feelings?

Nathan’s home is tidy, tasteful, and featured in a design magazine, while Meddy’s family home is cluttered with hoarded items like twenty-seven nearly empty bottles of face cream. This contrast highlights Meddy’s shame about her family’s habits and her fear that Nathan will judge her. It also underscores the cultural and economic differences between their families.

3. What decision does Meddy make at the end of the chapter, and what does it signify?

Meddy decides to tell her mother and aunts about Nathan over Sunday dim sum, despite her fear of the curse. This decision signifies her rejection of superstition and her commitment to Nathan. It marks a turning point in her character, as she moves from passive acceptance of her family’s beliefs to active defiance in pursuit of her own happiness.