A Question for Wellington

A Question for Wellington

Author	Gao Wenzhong
Original title	維鈞的一个问题 (Huajiangite）
Translator	Liu Bei
Country	Huajiang
Language	Huajiangite
Genre	Moralist Fiction
Publisher	Gao'an Literary Company
Publication date	January 5, 1915
Published in English	August 12, 1928
Media type	Print
Pages	228

A Question for Wellington (Huajiangite: 維鈞的一个问题; Alphabetized Huajiangite: Wéijūn de yīgè wèntí) is a dystopian social-science novel written by Gao Wenzhong and published by Gao'an Literary Company in January 1915. A Question for Wellington is centered on questioning authority, both secular and religious, as well as scientific nature and the idea of the individual within a society. It also touches on the behaviors of those that are within a secular authority and those of a religious authority to exterme degrees and the difference of what exactly the individual has become within this kind of world.

The novel takes place in Huajiang (Renamed the Holy Kingdom in the novel; 圣王国 (Shèng wángguó)) with the lead character being a man Wellington. Wellington is a common civilian who had recently applied as a detective at a local police precinct. Within the book his thought process as a citizen of the Holy Kingdom is taken into consideration, as once he becomes a detective, he is then allowed to see the outside world. Wellington soon is introduced to the Western Republic (西共和国 (Xī gònghéguó)) from modern-day Guakok. From here he discovers the extreme differences between the two countries and becomes disillusioned with the two ideologies, with the Holy Kingdom focused on extreme theocracy and the Western Republic focused on extreme secularism. He quits his job as a detective, which to the Holy Kingdom was seen as treason and Wellington retreated to the border, where he lived in relative seclusion. The remainder of the book talks about his thoughts about both the Holy Government and the Western Republic, before fraternizing with rebels that wished to take down both authorities. The book ends with Wellington meeting his fate in a firefight in Kaiyang, which is a battle between the Holy Kingdom and the Western Republic to destroy the rebels.

Unlike other novels that Gao had published before, he had put his full name in the title as opposed to putting his pen-name, Wellington.