Rich People Problems

The central question that hangs over the first half of Rich People Problems is about who will inherit Tyersall Park. The house is not only the grand residence in which Shang Su Yi’s immediate and extended families gather, it is a symbol of the opulent wealth in which a select few Singaporeans exist. For those who want to sell the property, particularly Victoria Young, it is their access to financial freedom and independence.

The house is also the focal point of a rivalry between Nicholas Young and his cousin, Eddie Cheng. Nick and Eddie are positioned as foils in the novel, with the former being more concerned about what the loss of the house will do to the family, while the latter wants to inherit the property only to advance his social position and is willing to betray members of his family to achieve his aims. The ancestral home—what ought to be and later becomes a focal point of family bonding—initially becomes the source of internal strife, fomented by Eddie’s greed and social ambition.

Similarly, later in the novel, Tyersall Park becomes yet another object in a tug-of-war between