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Chapter 8
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
Lily Wu’s question—more specifically, her Twitter thread about her exchange with June—kicks up a minor controversy online in which, June smugly notes, most people are on her side. A few weeks later, she receives a request to give a reading at the Rockville, Maryland chapter of the Chinese American Social Club. She accepts, hoping to prove that she isn’t, in Lily’s words, a “disingenuous, self-interested faux ally” of the Asian-American community.
It’s characteristic of June that she pays more attention to the online discussion of her interaction with Lily than the interaction itself, showing how heavily she values online public opinions. It’s also telling that instead of weighing her actions against an internal moral compass, she allows the public consensus to dictate both her actions and how she feels about herself from moment to moment. She’s crowdsourcing morality, with predictably poor results. By allowing readers to see what June is actually up to, the book critiques the online discourse for excusing her when readers (and June) know that she actually is the person Lily described.
Active
Themes
Susan Lee, president of the club, picks June up at the closest metro station to Rockville. June is a little put out that Susan is so casual about the whole thing—after all, June is an up-and-coming writer. But then, as they make small talk in the car, June realizes that Susan believes her to be Chinese American. Sheepishly, June admits that her last name is actually Hayward and that neither of her parents are Asian. Susan falls silent. June feels ashamed, but also defensive. She justifies herself to readers by pointing out that doesn’t claim to be Chinese and doesn’t feel that she should be held responsible for other people’s assumptions about her.
Despite knowingly participating in efforts to position herself in a racially ambiguous way, June refuses to accept any responsibility for the potential harm her actions might cause others. It’s certainly not right that the publishing industry as depicted in the book only allows a few AAPI voices at a time to occupy the small niche assigned to them, but it’s also not right that June, a White woman, is occupying one of those coveted spaces under false pretenses. Although she isn’t lying, she isn’t being truthful, either. Additionally, insisting that those who believe her Juniper Song persona are the problem, not her, June once again evades responsibility.
Active
Themes
When June and Susan arrive, the rest of the club has already assembled in the basement of a Presbyterian church. Susan marches up to the podium, tersely introduces June, and hands over the mic. June reads slowly to accommodate audience members who seem to have a hard time understanding her (either because they’re hard of hearing or don’t speak English, she doesn’t know) and to eat up some of the Q & A time. But she needn’t have worried; most of the questions are softballs, although one man does ask her what she thinks Chinese Americans should do to gain better political representation.
Active
Themes
Afterwards, June tries to slip out before the buffet dinner, but Susan intercepts her and steers her toward Mr. James Lee. It turns out his father was a member of the CLC who immigrated to Canada after the war. He expresses his gratitude to June, whom he also clearly believes is Chinese American, for telling their story. For the first time since she sent the manuscript off to Brett, June feels guilty for appropriating history that doesn’t belong to her. It should be Athena here, she thinks, basking in the praise of her elders. Breaking from Mr. Lee, June makes a thin excuse to Susan and flees the gathering.
Active
Themes
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