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Chapter 9
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Yellowface, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Critique of the Publishing Industry
Identity, Power, and Privilege
Social Media and Cancel Culture
Ambition, Success, and Notoriety
Loss, Grief, and Guilt
Revenge and Retribution
Summary
Analysis
After the disastrous embarrassment of the Rockville Chinese American Social Club, June has Emily decline all engagements except for award ceremonies. Those are too exciting and validating to give up. And The Last Front has been nominated for dozens of regional and national awards. June spends a lot of time practicing her appropriately surprised, gracious acceptance speeches.
The contrast between public speaking events and awards ceremonies shows that June isn’t stopping because she feels bad about what she did, just about getting caught out and made to feel (in her opinion) uncomfortable. It should be apparent by now just how much her sense of self-worth is dependent on strangers, partial thanks to the winner-takes-all stakes of the modern publishing industry which has given June the understanding that if she’s not winning awards, neither she nor her work are worth anything. Finally, note how she practices speeches to make them sound genuine, adopting a faux humility of the kind she used to ascribe to Athena.
Active
Themes
Then, Brett emails June to say that a production company called Greenhouse is interested in optioning The Last Front for a movie. June arranges to meet up with Greenhouse executive Justin and his assistant Harvey at an upscale coffee shop near Georgetown. Before the meeting she does some research on Greenhouse, specifically Jasmine Zhang, an award-winning Chinese American producer and director who is associated with the company. June assumes it must be she who was interested in the book.
Although she’s quick to blame others for making what she labels racist assumptions about who she is based on the subject of The Last Front, June is guilty of the same offense with Jasmine Zhang. This can also be interpreted as the book’s subtle dig at June’s inflated ego. So thoroughly has she bought into narratives about her genius that she can’t imagine any serious person disliking or not paying attention to her work.
Active
Themes
But when June meets up with Justin and Harvey, she learns that Jasmine is busy with other projects. Justin mentions other (White, male) directors he thinks he could tap instead. He feels out how much of the story June is willing to let them change. For instance, Justin floats the idea of making the British attaché a more important character and casting an A-list British star like Benedict Cumberbatch to play him, as a way to broaden the potential film’s appeal. June essentially gives them carte blanche, which surprises and pleases them.
Active
Themes
After she gets home, June emails Brett about the meeting. He tells her that they’ll just have to wait and see what comes of it. June knows that most books that are optioned end up languishing for years—and sometimes forever—without being turned into movies. But still. She can’t help but indulge in a fantasy of attending the premier in a bespoke gown, on the arm of the handsome Asian actor cast to play A Geng. Stephen King and Neil Gaiman have this kind of fame and fortune, so why not her, too?
Active
Themes
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