In the realm of contemporary literature, "Yellowface" by Rebecca Kuang stands out as a gripping novel, a testament to the brilliance of its author. This compellin novel tells the story of June, an unsuccessful writer who takes a dangerous and dark turn after her famous friend Athena dies. June, consumed by jealousy and desperation, decides to steal Athena's novel in order to live a life of renown and wealth. Under the surface, though, June is a very sad and unhappy person.
Rebecca Kuang's skill as a storyteller shines through as she
makes us look at the thin line between success based on social media and real
creative desire. What do you desire if you wish to become a writer? Eternity or
the web's endless forgetfulness. The story takes place in a world where social
media platforms can be both addicting and used to trick people, making it hard
to tell what is real and what is just an illusion. Through June's character, we
are reminded of how important it is to find a balance between our online and
real lives as we try to figure out who we are and what we want. "Yellowface"
urges us to look at our digital presence and asks how much we are willing to be
influenced by a virtual world where the line between fact and fantasy is often
blurry.
June's unrelenting desire for fame and wealth is tainted by
her constant dread of exposure. As the plot unfolds, we witness the tables turn
as someone else subjects June to the same treacherous scheme she once
perpetrated against Athena. Kuang shows how envy can be a subtle and
manipulative force that makes people do desperate things out of fear of not
being good enough.
However, at the heart of the story lies a critical theme—one
that underscores a narrative of exploitation and injustice. The central plot
device revolves around Juniper stealing a book that tells the harrowing tale of
Chinese labor exploitation by Western armed forces during World War I. It's a
chapter erased from history, a story silenced by the passage of time. What
makes this central theme even more poignant is the fact that Juniper is not of
Asian origin, whereas Athena is. In essence, Juniper is once again exploiting
and not acknowledging the work of someone from a minority background in the
West—an injustice upon an injusticeThe question here is not whether a white
woman can or cannot write a story that belongs to another cultural context, but
rather how she should approach it.
But this story shows in a roundabout way that work is what
matters most at the end of the day. The genuine beginning may be traced back to
a well-written book. June's quest is more concerned with the events leading up
to the book than with the book itself, even if it is motivated by the need for
fame, recognition, and recompense for the inadequacies and hole left in her
life by terrible occurrences. She hopes that, by being acknowledged and
appreciated, she might finally feel whole, an emptiness she has felt since
childhood. The sad part is that this cycle of never-ending envy is not finding
even a moment's rest.
Without the fundamental creative object, the core
creativity, there can be no real success, as "Yellowface" quietly
tells us. The results of someone else's hard work can be copied, but they will
never measure up to the original. What matters most is not how many words are
in a book, but how much thought and care went into each one.
The complex web of jealously, manipulation, and imposter syndrome that "Yellowface" spins challenges us to examine who we are and what we hope to achieve when we call ourselves writers. It's a striking reminder of how difficult it is for humans to deal with aspiration, self-discovery, and the attraction of the digital realm.
In the end, "Yellowface" beckons us to ponder these questions and more, providing a literary journey that is both thought-provoking and hauntingly evocative. 📖✍️
Author R.F. Kuang
Title Yellowface
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