Wai and Ling, two Chinese language teachers in Hong Kong, struggle with the transition from Cantonese to Mandarin as a medium of instruction. Wai becomes obsessed with learning Mandarin, fails the qualification exam, loses her job, becomes mentally ill, and kills herself. Ling, on the other hand, is polished and cunning, but she sees herself haunted and mirrored by Wai's tragedy. The novel explores betrayal, power imbalance, and rapid social change.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 06 June 2024
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd

Wai and Ling are secondary school Chinese language teachers in Hong Kong who are struggling to adapt to a forced transition from using Cantonese to Mandarin as a medium of Chinese-language instruction. Wai, awkward and unpopular, becomes obsessed with Mandarin learning but fails the qualification exam, loses her job, becomes mentally ill, and kills herself by inserting a drill into her head. Ling, polished and cunning, believes she can tactfully dodge the Mandarin challenge through her social savviness. However, things around her slowly spiral out of control, and her colleagues begin to shun her too. The novel explores themes of betrayal, power imbalance, and rapid social change.

Wai and Ling: Secondary School Chinese Language Teachers in Hong Kong

Wai and Ling are secondary school Chinese language teachers in Hong Kong who are struggling to adapt to a forced transition from using Cantonese to Mandarin as a medium of Chinese-language instruction. Wai, awkward and unpopular, becomes obsessed with Mandarin learning but fails the qualification exam, loses her job, becomes mentally ill, and kills herself by inserting a drill into her head. Ling, polished and cunning, believes she can tactfully dodge the Mandarin challenge through her social savviness. However, things around her slowly spiral out of control, and her colleagues begin to shun her too. The novel explores themes of betrayal, power imbalance, and rapid social change.

Wai's Obsession with Mandarin Learning

Wai, awkward and unpopular, becomes obsessed with Mandarin learning. She spends hours studying and practicing, but her efforts are in vain. She fails the qualification exam and loses her job. She becomes mentally ill and is unable to cope with the pressure of the transition. In a desperate attempt to regain control, she inserts a drill into her head, killing herself.

Ling's Tactful Dodge of the Mandarin Challenge

Ling, polished and cunning, believes she can tactfully dodge the Mandarin challenge through her social savviness. She knows how to please her superiors and believes she can avoid the challenge by being tactful and diplomatic. However, things around her slowly spiral out of control, and her colleagues begin to shun her too. Ling sees herself haunted and mirrored by Wai's tragedy, and she realizes that she cannot escape the consequences of the transition.

The Novel's Themes

Tongueless is a taut, compelling novel of betrayal, power imbalance, and rapid social change. It explores the consequences of a forced transition from Cantonese to Mandarin as a medium of Chinese-language instruction and the impact it has on the lives of Wai and Ling. The novel also explores the themes of betrayal, power imbalance, and rapid social change, and how these themes are intertwined with the characters' lives.

Weight: 312g
Dimension: 136 x 216 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800812819
Edition number: Main