Free Food for Millionaires

Ella Shim is a young Korean American woman who lives in New York City. Her father attends the same church as Casey’s parents do, and Ella and Casey have known each other since childhood. Ella is the only child of a wealthy and successful physician, and her position in society helps shape the theme of Tension Alongside Class Mobility as the other characters evaluate themselves next to her. Ella is also very beautiful, embodying qualities of femininity and delicacy. On Ella’s wedding day, Casey observes this beauty at full strength: “[A]s a bride, she stopped your heart” (139). Initially, Ella seems to care primarily about living a quiet life as the wife of a wealthy man and eventually as a mother. However, Ella also has a willful streak and the ability to gently persuade people. Most importantly, she is very empathetic and nonjudgmental. When Casey first tells Ella about losing both her family and boyfriend, Ella responds with understanding, telling Casey that “anyone could be in your situation […] anyone at all” (50). Later, Ella offers similar reassurance to Unu, reminding him that “there are no winners or losers, Unu […] that’s just bullshit” (529). Despite being very privileged and fortunate, Ella is compassionate to anyone who is suffering.

Ella matures significantly as a character because of the problems she faces over the course of the plot. She experiences true anger for the first time when she learns that Ted has been unfaithful to her, and she learns to be much more independent and assertive after their marriage breaks down. Ella becomes focused on being a good mother and building a life for herself and Irene. Her decision to return to work reflects her desire for independence and autonomy. Eventually, Ella is able to find true love with David because she is no longer afraid to be her true self and does not feel pressure to be perfect. Early in the novel, Casey recognizes that there’s more to Ella than meets the eye: “there was a strength there she hadn’t noticed before” (50). As Ella develops as a character, that inner strength and resilience become more and more apparent.

Leah Han is a Korean American woman, the mother of two daughters: Casey and Tina. Leah is very modest and never draws attention to her appearance, but she is strikingly beautiful nonetheless: “[H]er smooth face looked as if lit from within” (323). Leah is quiet, humble, and devoutly religious; she finds deep joy in singing with her church choir. Within her family dynamic, Leah typically defers to her husband; even though she loves her children fiercely, she does not challenge him when he pressures or tears down their daughters. Throughout the novel, Leah does her best to maintain a relationship with Casey and to gradually facilitate a reconciliation between Casey and Joseph (Casey’s father and Leah’s husband).

Leah experiences development as a character due to a traumatic experience: She is raped by Charles Hong. Leah, unable to fully comprehend what happened, blames herself. As she later explains to Casey, “a man can’t stop when he’s excited” (515). Leah even expresses a wish to die because she feels so guilty about what she perceives as a sinful action. Casey firmly tells her mother that she is not to blame; however, it is left unclear as to whether Leah is able to internalize this perspective and stop feeling shame.

Unu Shim is a Korean American man who serves as the love interest for Casey; he is also a significant secondary character who experiences growth and development in his own right. Unu is calm, competent, and pragmatic, and his quiet self-assurance is part of what attracts Casey to him. However, Unu has also been scarred by an unhappy marriage: “Unu didn’t intend to get married again. He was done with romance and the idea of forever” (223). He cares very deeply for Casey, but he also sets strict boundaries on their relationship. Nonetheless, he is deeply hurt when he learns that Casey has had sex with another man.

Unu has a gambling problem. Initially, he is quite pragmatic and matter of fact about this aspect of his life, such as when he tells Casey, “I spend nearly everything I have, and I gamble for fun” (250). However, later, when Unu is penniless and has been evicted from his home, he expresses much more shame and self-loathing to Ella: “I don’t want to be like this […] I don’t want to be a loser” (529). Unu’s gambling problem enables him to have compassion for others; when Casey first confides to him about her credit card debt, he tells her “we all fuck up. Even those of us who know better. So we’ll fix it” (251). Because he loses everything, Unu also does not place excessive value on money or material items. He encourages Casey to prioritize her dreams above a lucrative career, and he is open to rebuilding his own life. At the end of the novel, Unu has developed into a man who is much more open to experiencing love and reimagining what his future could look like.