The Prologue: A Dead Body, a Wedding Disaster, and the Setup for Chaos

⚠️ 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

Eight years before the main events of the novel, Meddy introduces the family curse that has followed her relatives from China to Indonesia and finally to California. In China, the curse killed her great-grandfather in a freak farm accident; in Indonesia, it claimed her grandfather through a stroke at age thirty. Her mother and aunts believed the curse would not follow them to the West, so they moved to San Gabriel, California. But the curse mutated: instead of killing the men, it made them leave.

The first to go was Big Uncle, then Second Uncle, and then Meddy's own father, who vanished without a word in the middle of the night. Meddy recalls waking up and asking where he was, only to have her mother silently place a bowl of congee in front of her. When her male cousins graduated, they also left, choosing out-of-state universities like NYU and Penn State rather than staying in California.

Meddy's mother announces that Meddy has applied to eight California schools, with Berkeley being the farthest. Her aunts comment on how lucky her mother is, noting that daughters never leave and are blessings. Big Aunt's son Hendra is at Boston College and rarely calls; Second Aunt's son Nikky is in Philadelphia and only visits once a year, while her other son Axel moved to New York and told Meddy to fly far and not look back when it was her turn. Fourth Aunt, who usually disagrees with Ma, gives Meddy a wink of approval.

Meddy reveals that she secretly applied to a ninth school, Columbia, even though she never expected to get in and worried about the tuition. Months later, she holds the acceptance letter in her hands, stares at it, and then crumples it and throws it away. She decides she cannot abandon her family, especially her mother, and believes the curse will eventually claim her future husband, leaving her with only her mother and aunts. She tells her family she will attend UCLA. Her mother cries, and her aunts celebrate, hugging her and praising her loyalty. Meddy forces a smile and reflects that she is the only one not heartless enough to leave, and she expects to stay with them forever.

Key Events

Meddy explains the family curse's origins in China and Indonesia, where it killed men.
The curse mutates in California, causing men to leave instead of die.
Meddy's father disappears without explanation; her uncles and male cousins also leave.
Meddy applies to eight California schools and secretly a ninth, Columbia.
She receives an acceptance letter from Columbia but crumples and discards it.
She lies to her family, saying she will attend UCLA.
Her mother and aunts celebrate her decision, praising her as a loyal daughter.
Meddy reflects on her belief that she is doomed to stay with her family forever.

Character Development

Meddy is the narrator and protagonist. This prologue establishes her deep sense of filial obligation and guilt. She is torn between personal ambition (the Columbia acceptance) and her fear of abandoning her family, especially her mother. Her decision to crumple the letter shows her self-sacrifice and internal conflict. She sees herself as the only one who is not “heartless” enough to leave, which suggests both pride and resentment.

Ma is portrayed as a mother who expects loyalty and closeness. She is pleased that Meddy applied only to California schools and celebrates the idea that her daughter will stay nearby. Her reaction to her husband's disappearance—silently serving congee—shows her stoicism and emotional repression.

The Aunts (Big Aunt, Second Aunt, Fourth Aunt) reinforce the cultural expectation that daughters are blessings because they stay, while sons leave. Big Aunt and Second Aunt express envy over Ma's good fortune, while Fourth Aunt, despite her rivalry with Ma, shows quiet approval of Meddy. Their comments highlight the gendered nature of the curse and the family's reliance on female loyalty.

The Male Relatives (father, uncles, cousins) are absent or distant, serving as examples of the curse's effect. Their departures shape Meddy's fear of leaving and her determination to stay.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

The Family Curse is the central motif. It evolves from killing men to making them leave, symbolizing the family's fear of abandonment and the idea that men are unreliable. The curse also represents the weight of tradition and the difficulty of breaking free from generational patterns.

Sacrifice and Filial Obligation are prominent. Meddy gives up her dream of Columbia to stay near her mother, reflecting the cultural expectation that daughters care for their parents. Her crumpled acceptance letter is a powerful symbol of her sacrifice.

Gender Roles are explored through the aunts' comments that daughters are blessings because they stay, while sons leave. This creates a binary where women are expected to be loyal and men are expected to be independent, reinforcing Meddy's internal conflict.

The Lie about attending UCLA is a motif of hidden truth. Meddy's deception allows her to maintain family harmony but also isolates her, as she cannot share her true feelings or ambitions.

Why This Chapter Matters

This prologue establishes the emotional and cultural foundation for the entire novel. It introduces Meddy's internal conflict between personal desire and family duty, which will drive her actions throughout the story. The family curse and the theme of abandonment explain why Meddy is so protective of her mother and why she feels trapped. The chapter also sets up the contrast between Meddy's self-sacrificing nature and the male relatives who left, creating a tension that will likely resurface. Additionally, the prologue foreshadows future events, as Meddy predicts that her future husband will leave her, which may be a key plot point. By showing Meddy's decision to stay, the chapter establishes her character as loyal but conflicted, and it invites readers to question whether her sacrifice is truly noble or a form of self-imposed imprisonment.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Meddy decide to throw away the Columbia acceptance letter?

Meddy throws away the letter because she feels she cannot abandon her family, especially her mother. She believes the curse will eventually make her future husband leave, leaving her with only her mother and aunts, so she chooses to stay close to them. She sees her male relatives as heartless for leaving and does not want to be like them.

2. How does the family curse change when the family moves to California?

In China and Indonesia, the curse killed men, such as her great-grandfather and grandfather. In California, it mutates to make men leave instead of die. This is seen in the departures of her uncles, her father, and her male cousins, who all move away from the family.

3. What do the aunts' comments reveal about their expectations for Meddy?

The aunts' comments reveal that they expect Meddy to stay with her mother and be a loyal companion. They praise daughters as blessings because they do not leave, unlike sons. Their remarks reinforce the cultural pressure on Meddy to prioritize family over personal ambition, which influences her decision to attend UCLA instead of Columbia.