The Interior (Lisa See)

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The Interior
Author	Lisa See
Country	US
Language	English
Genre(s)	Novel
Publisher	HarperCollins
Publication date	1999
Preceded by	Flower Net

The Interior is a very apt title for the second novel in the Red Princess series. Not only does it refer to the interior of China but also to the need of Hulan and David to see beneath the masks of the many characters around them as well as their own.

The characters stand out – especially the women: Suchee, Miaoshan, Peanut, and Hulan. Hulan says at one point that to solve Miaoshan’s murder, she needs to understand Miaoshan. As for Hulan herself, she continues to remain a woman of mystery, torn by many conflicting feelings and memories. Her comment to David that she has never received unconditional love says a lot about her.

As for David Stark, in one sense, he is the traditional hero – intelligent, strong, principled, and loving. He also serves as the eyes and ears of the reader. We see him mostly in China, where he doesn’t understand much about Chinese languages or China’s rituals and culture. As he admits himself, although he is a very able attorney, he knows little about Chinese law.

In terms of plot, See has once again crafted a complex narrative in which everything fits together at last. The plot centers on the conniving of both Chinese and American businessmen to exploit China for profit and power. See describes in great detail the mistreatment of the women working in a Chinese toy factory without adequate quality control. In treating this theme in 1999, See anticipates the more recent concern in America over the importation of defective toys and other goods from China.

The Interior begins with Hulan's friend Suchee and ends with Suchee, working in the fields, unable to forget her daughter and the role Hulan has played in her painful past.