Yellowface: A Thought-provoking Satire On Racism, Scandal, And Truth.

‘Yellowface’ by R.F. Kuang is a best seller and Goodreads Winner For Best Fiction(2023). As a regular on Goodreads, the later title prompted me to explore this beautiful and thought-provoking piece of fiction. The story is told through the lens of June Hayward. She is an aspiring author who becomes entangled in a web of jealousy, plagiarism, and ambition. The story soon mixes with the complex themes of social media witch-hunting, online scandals, racism and white privilege in publishing. It converts into a satire on the publishing industry. As the layers of the story peel off, it becomes more satisfying to get involved with the plot.

Yellowface’s central character, June Hayward, represents the white privilege in the publishing industry. June claims a deceased friend’s unfinished manuscript. She publishes it as her own by taking advantage of a system that favours white authors. The author shows through the plot how June’s jealousy towards her deceased friend Athena, her mediocre debut and her lack of originality led to her justifying her actions. Kuang meticulously shows June’s manipulation. June rebrands the manuscript by erasing the characters cultural specificity, created by her deceased friend. She then amplifies the roles and voices of white characters to suit a predominantly white readership. Kuang’s writing here is stark sarcasm. It mocks the publishing industry, which subtly perpetuates racial stereotypes and sidelines marginalized voices.

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‘Yellowface’ also explores the disturbing trend of social media trolls and scandals. It shows their real psychological impact, as seen in June’s plight. Kuang masterfully captures the public tendency to get involved in a brewing online controversy. The plot shows June’s fall as an author. Then, the assassination of her professional and personal life on social media. The subsequent fallout of her plagiarism scandal becomes fodder for social media and trolling. The readers get an insight from June’s reflection on her state – “Most of the accounts that participate so clearly do not care about the truth. They’re here for the entertainment. These people love to have a target, and they’ll tear apart anything you put in front of them.”

Kuang has also highlighted a paradox related to scandals: that, in the end, scandals drive sales and “the frenzied discourse will drive sales”. This presents a contrarian viewpoint, where profits come not from content quality but from its perverseness. At the end of the story, June fully embraces this paradox. She sees its importance and shows how, with thought and planning, scandals can be used to drive profits and sales.

‘Yellowface’ mirrors the uncomfortable truths of publishing. The industry prioritizes profits over principles, which is reflected in the following: “And once you’re writing for the market, it doesn’t matter what stories are burning inside you. It matters what audiences want to see, and no one cares about the inner musings of a plain, straight white girl from Philly.” Furthermore, a society which relishes and finds entertainment in the spectacle of others’ downfall, scandal, and controversy, as, “online, you can tune into all the hot gossip, even if you’re not nearly important enough to have a seat in the room where it happens. Online, you can tell Stephen King to go fuck himself. Online, you can discover that the current literary star of the moment is actually so problematic that all of her works should be canceled, forever. Reputations in publishing are built and destroyed, constantly, online.”

Through the story, Kuang touches on broader subjects. These include an individual’s moral decay and the flaws in the system that allow such decay and yet reward it. The broader question for readers is to question their role in a culture that often ignores subtle ethical transgressions in the name of entertainment. And role racial privileges that come with birth and can never be bridged.

In conclusion, ‘Yellowface’ starts with a gripping narrative and soon transforms into a social satire on morality, ethics, ambition, scandal, social media, and race’s pervasive influence in the publishing industry. Kuang’s writing is gripping, and her social portrayal is masterful. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, which resonated with me for quite some time. It is a mark of great storytelling that leaves its readers to reflect and ponder long after the last page is turned.

My Rating:- ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Yellowface: Goodreads Rating: 3.82

Reviewed On:

• e-book
• Total Pages: 326
• Genre: Fiction/Satire
• Yellowface: R.F. Kuang