Girls, hysteria and the power of rage
(ANN/THE STAR) – In her latest young adult novel, The Hysterical Girls Of St Bernadette’s, Malaysian author Hanna Alkaf sets the stage on a seemingly ordinary, sleepy afternoon at an elite all-girls secondary school in Kuala Lumpur—until piercing screams shatter the calm.
Mass hysteria among schoolgirls is a well-known phenomenon in this part of the world, earning Malaysia the label of “mass hysteria capital.” But the perplexing question remains: why does it persist?
Through the eyes of two students, Khadijah and Rachel, The Hysterical Girls Of St Bernadette’s explores the eerie events and personal struggles unfolding against the unsettling backdrop of recurring hysteria in their school.
The story combines several of Hanna’s obsessions – horror and the supernatural – which should come as no surprise to fans of her work, and they involve haunted buildings.
“I’m also fascinated by the concept of mass hysteria and how that spreads from person to person without any rhyme or reason. Nobody seems to really understand what causes it, how it spreads, or how to stop it from happening,” said Hanna, 39, during an interview.
But if you look deeper, the underlying thread that ties everything together is rage – a deep, primal, shared anger towards the injustices that women and girls around the world have faced and continue to face today.
“I was very angry when I was reading all the news about the crimes that are being levied against women, specifically young women and girls. So I had a lot of thoughts about victimhood, particularly what it takes to be the ‘perfect victim’ and how you have to perform a certain type of victimhood in order to be believed and receive support.
“It was then all wrapped up in the idea of hysteria and how as a society we tend to label girls as overly emotional and brush them off when they’re trying to tell us something,” she added.
The book also explores the power in being able to decide when to raise your voice and when to stay silent, which is depicted through Khadijah, who chooses to stop speaking after a terrible incident.
“After experiencing a loss of agency, how do you take back control? For Khadijah, it’s by deciding when and how she uses her voice,” explained Hanna, who has two young school-going children.
As for Rachel, those raised by strict, demanding parents will likely find her dilemma relatable, as she’s torn between following her innermost desires and fulfilling the lofty expectations of a controlling mother.
“I don’t think there’s any one way to experience trauma or victimhood, so it was important to me that you could come at this from two different angles…” said Hanna.
Next month, she will be appearing at the Singapore Writers Festival, where she will be part of two panel discussions.
Hanna, who graduated with a degree in journalism from Northwestern University, the US, said that ultimately, she hopes that society will soon reach the point where it does not demand victims to barter their bodies in return for belief.
“I also hope that young girls understand that their anger is not a liability. A lot of people will tell you that anger is unbecoming and unladylike, but I think you have to understand that there’s a time and place for anger, and in those times and places, it is one of your best weapons,” she added.
Love letter to mission schools
All of Hanna’s works so far have been distinctly Malaysian, including The Girl And The Ghost – tale of a lonely Malaysian girl who inherits a mischievous dark spirit – which was featured among “Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club” recommendations for middle school girls last month.
The Hysterical Girls Of St Bernadette’s is no exception.
Though the school in the story is fictional, it’s inspired by Hanna’s memories of her time at Convent Bukit Nanas in Kuala Lumpur. The title also pays homage to her mother, a former student of St Bernadette’s Convent in Batu Gajah, Perak.
In the acknowledgments, Hanna described the story as “a love letter to my mission school days”, reflecting a deep, personal connection to her formative years and the lasting impact of that experience on her life and work.
“It might seem weird to dedicate a horror-thriller book to your former school, but I think readers who went to mission schools or all-girl schools will get it,” says Hanna.
She added that mission schools in Malaysia have a distinct atmosphere, each carrying a unique blend of tradition and character.
“They’re old, filled with history, and there are dark nooks and crannies everywhere!”
