Chapter 7 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.
Summary
The chapter opens with Meddy sitting in her car in the garage, too emotionally drained to drive to the police station. She's paralyzed by indecision, wondering whether she should still report what happened. Ma finds her and, after Meddy confesses that she killed Jake, initially dismisses it as a joke or a misunderstanding. When Ma opens the trunk and sees the body, she briefly wonders if it's a mannequin before the reality sinks in.
Ma's response is swift and practical. She takes charge, slams the trunk shut, and herds Meddy inside. She gives her a cup of traditional Chinese medicine tea, explaining that Meddy has too much 'yang' and needs to cool down internally. The tea, despite Meddy's skepticism, provides genuine comfort.
Ma then reveals she's already called Big Aunt, who is summoning all the aunties. Meddy protests—this is murder, or at least self-defense, not something to share with family—but Ma insists that family is exactly who you share these things with. Ma also insists Meddy help prepare fruit for the aunties' arrival, prioritizing hospitality even in a crisis.
When the aunties arrive, they greet Meddy warmly and immediately start snacking on the fruit, discussing the quality of Indonesian mangoes and arguing about the merits of TCM. Big Aunt eventually calls everyone to attention and asks Meddy to tell the full story from the beginning.
Meddy recounts the date with Jake, his insistence on driving her home, and his advances. The aunties are horrified that Ma set Meddy up with such a man. Ma defends herself by showing the dating-app messages, and the family discovers a series of catastrophic misunderstandings. Jake's offers to cook eggplant and references to being 'thirsty' and 'wet' were sexual innuendos that Ma, unfamiliar with emoji symbolism, interpreted as innocent conversation. Even worse, Ma's literal translation of 'tidak enak badan' as 'my body not taste so delicious' made her sound sexually forward to Jake. The eggplant emoji, in particular, is revealed to be a phallic symbol, which Ma had taken as a reference to Meddy's favorite food.
Meddy then explains that she Tased Jake in the neck when he wouldn't stop, causing him to crash the car and die. The aunties are briefly distracted by curiosity about her Taser model, and Ma approves of the neck as a target. They then debate what to do. Fourth Aunt argues for going to the police, noting it seems like a clear case of self-defense. Ma refuses, citing distrust of police and fear that they'll see the body in the trunk and assume murder. After a tense exchange, Big Aunt sides with Ma, and the family decides to dispose of the body. The chapter ends with them heading out to examine Jake's body.
Key Events
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Meddy confesses to Ma that she killed Jake
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Ma sees the body in the trunk and takes charge
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Ma gives Meddy TCM tea and calls the aunties
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The aunties arrive and snack on fruit
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Meddy recounts the date and Jake's advances
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The family discovers the eggplant and water emojis were sexual innuendos
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Ma learns she inadvertently encouraged Jake's behavior through mistranslation
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Meddy explains she Tased Jake in the neck, causing the crash
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The family debates going to the police
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Ma insists on disposing of the body; Big Aunt agrees
Character Development
Meddy moves from paralyzed shock to reluctant acceptance of her family's help. She's torn between guilt over killing Jake and gratitude that her family doesn't question her account. Her attempt to tell the story in Indonesian is shut down by Second Aunt, who finds her language skills painful, forcing her to switch to English.
Ma transforms from confused and horrified to decisively in control. Her maternal protectiveness overrides any hesitation, and she immediately shifts into crisis-management mode. Her vulnerability shows when she realizes the eggplant emoji was a sexual reference—she looks 'lost and small'—but she recovers quickly, insisting on family solidarity.
Big Aunt emerges as the family's authority figure. She commands attention with a clatter of her fork, listens carefully, and ultimately makes the call to dispose of the body. Her brief distraction over Meddy's Taser model shows her practical, unflappable nature.
Fourth Aunt serves as the voice of reason, pushing for the police and correcting Ma's English. Her bluntness—calling Jake a 'douchebag' and explaining the eggplant symbolism—provides both comic relief and a counterpoint to Ma's emotional response.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Family complicity: The chapter establishes that the aunties will go to extraordinary lengths to protect Meddy, treating the body disposal as a collective family problem rather than a crime.
Hospitality and saving face: Ma's insistence on preparing fruit and offering tea to the aunties, even with a dead body in the car, underscores how deeply ingrained social obligations are in this family.
Language and cultural mistranslation: The eggplant emoji, the 'body not delicious' mistranslation, and Ma's polite conversational style all demonstrate how cultural and linguistic gaps can have catastrophic consequences.
Traditional Chinese medicine as comfort: The TCM tea, despite Meddy's initial skepticism, provides genuine physical and emotional warmth, symbolizing Ma's care.
Distrust of police: Ma's refusal to go to the police reflects a deep-seated fear that the system won't believe them, prioritizing family loyalty over legal process.
Absurdist humor: The aunties' reactions—admiring the Taser, arguing about TCM, discussing mango quality—create a surreal contrast with the gravity of the situation.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is the turning point where the family's decision to cover up Jake's death is made, setting up the entire premise of the novel. It also reveals the crucial backstory of how the date went wrong, including the dating-app messages that explain Jake's behavior. The chapter establishes the family dynamics—Big Aunt's authority, Ma's protectiveness, Fourth Aunt's pragmatism—that will drive the rest of the story. It also introduces the central tension between self-defense and murder, and the family's willingness to bend the law to protect their own.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Ma refuse to go to the police, and what does this reveal about her character?
Ma refuses because she doesn't trust the police to believe that Jake's death was self-defense. She fears they'll see the body in the trunk and assume murder, especially since Meddy already moved the body. This reveals her deep protective instinct toward Meddy and her belief that family loyalty trumps legal process. It also shows her pragmatism—she's willing to take enormous risks to keep her daughter safe.
2. How does the eggplant emoji misunderstanding function in the chapter?
The eggplant emoji serves as a symbol of cultural and generational miscommunication. Ma interpreted it as a reference to Meddy's favorite food, while Jake used it as a sexual innuendo. The misunderstanding explains why Jake felt emboldened to make advances on the date—he believed Ma's messages indicated sexual interest. The revelation also provides comic relief and a moment of vulnerability for Ma, who is horrified to learn she inadvertently encouraged Jake.
3. What role does food play in this chapter?
Food serves multiple functions. The TCM tea provides comfort and symbolizes Ma's care. The fruit preparation represents the family's commitment to hospitality even in crisis, with Ma insisting they can't let the aunties arrive without refreshments. The mango and dragon fruit discussion creates a surreal, normalizing atmosphere that contrasts with the dead body in the car. Food is both a source of comfort and a way of maintaining social norms in an extraordinary situation.