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74 pages 2 hours read

Charles Yu

Interior Chinatown

Charles YuFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020

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Chapters 5-7Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 5 Summary: “Act V: Kung Fu Dad”

Willis takes the stolen car and drives to his family’s home. Karen is raising their five-year-old daughter, Phoebe, alone. Phoebe is happy to see her father, though he’s embarrassed that he hasn’t come around sooner. Willis spends days bonding with his daughter and discovers her blossoming personality. He thinks, “You were a bit player in the world of Black and White, but here and now, in her world, you’re more. Not the star of the show, something better. The star’s dad. Somehow you were lucky enough to end up in her story” (201-02).

Willis sees that Phoebe isn’t at all self-conscious about being Asian. He has great hopes that she’ll grow up without his sensitivity regarding race. One night, as the family settles in peacefully to sleep, the detectives from Black and White arrive. Willis, or the Kung Fu Guy character he plays, is a suspected car thief.

Chapter 6 Summary: “Act VI: The Case of the Missing Asian”

Willis must stand trial in “the case of the missing Asian.” The courtroom scene seems a little over the top from his perspective as a bit player. The judge flirts with the prosecutor while the prosecutor flirts with Detective Green.