While the main argument in Rose Hsu Jordan's story is to explain her mother's belief in nengkan (belief in the power of luck and prosperity), her recollections are interrupted with pieces of her broken marriage and her struggle with an imminent divorce. While explaining her mother's lost faith in God and nengkan, Rose shares the tragic memory of her younger brother's death at the beach. In many ways, Rose's section in the book is about moving on. Rose watched her mother lose her son, and then lose her faith - moving on in a negative way. She was unable to overcome the loss of another family member, possibly because of her childhood experience of losing her own mother. Rose is now dealing with how she is going to tell her mother that she can no longer stay in her marriage because she is losing her personal identity, "After a while, there were no more discussions. Ted simply decided. And I never thought of objecting." Rose is losing herself by staying with her husband, the very person who should be lifting her up and supporting her growth.
Rose's mother tells her plainly that what she thinks of her daughter's marriage when Rose confides in her, "And my mother says, 'You must think for yourself, what you must do. If someone tells you, then you are not trying.'" The woman sees right to the root of her daughter's failing relationship. But, at this point, it may be too late for Rose. In her story, we can find an all too aparent message - don't let others decide your fate. Love is not blind, we see each others faults and recongize when those faults have taken over and poisoned a relationship.
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