Intentional formatting in Interior Chinatown

Charles Yu utilizes inventive formatting and a conversational tone to immerse his readers in the confines of racial stereotypes in his contemporary novel Interior Chinatown. By using the template of a screenplay, Yu illustrates the feeling of being typecast in one’s own life. Through tropes commonly seen in daytime TV series like cop shows, kung fu movies, and other popular media, he is able to depict the novel’s main character, Willis, as feeling like there are finite possibilities for him as an Asian man in America.

The screenplay format becomes confusing at certain points, perhaps intentionally, since it seems that the “show” is of Willis’ own invention. In the final act of the novel, Turner, a character labeled “Black” in the metaphorical cop show “Black and White” that is perpetually being filmed in Interior Chinatown, points out Willis has “internalized a sense of inferiority. To White people, obviously. But also to Black people” (224). Turner’s quote effectively encapsulates the thesis of the novel, which is that racial stereotypes exist and one can be conditioned to remain within the stereotypes’ small scope if he or she never goes off the so-called script. 

Additionally, the format of the novel allows for exceptionally engaging, comedic dialogue that adds levity to the troubling state of racial stereotyping in America, making it more palatable to readers. Some may say this watering-down of a serious situation is reminiscent of how the make-believe world of Interior Chinatown was created to help Americans digest the otherness of Asian immigrants. They both create novelty out of something white Americans may find uncomfortable. Whether or not this is a positive or negative way of tackling contemporary racial issues is debatable.

Regardless of how the comedic nature of the novel reflects on real world situations, it gives Willis a flippant tone that gives the emotional scenes in the novel more bite. For example, when Old Fong dies slipping in the shower, it is particularly devastating to the reader. Willis remarks, “He died waiting on his son’s phone call … he lived absolutely sure that one person in the world would always care … then in his last moment, he was unsure of whether that was still true” (64). This could happen to any young person living far away from his or her parents, which is striking.

To conclude, Interior Chinatown is a refreshing novel. Author Charles Yu makes clever writing choices that appeal to a younger demographic with a short attention span. The new style of storytelling opens doors for other contemporary novels yet to be written.