kornell_911's Full Review: David Henry Hwang - M. Butterfly
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Be warned: This M Butterfly review reveals plot and critiques characters in the play
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David Henry Hwang, in M Butterfly attempts to dispel any stereotypes of the artificially constructed Orient as created by the West. In the play, Hwang uses Song, an Asian male actor to teach the West (the audience and the characters in the play) a lesson about their colonialist attitude and prejudice towards the East. Song plays the role of a submissive Oriental woman in order to seduce a powerful man, Rene Gallimard from the West. Through Song’s actions, Hwang shows that the East is not at all a “weak” place – “a place that wants to be dominated”. But instead, the East could very well be like the West-- a “masculine, big gun, big industry and big money place” (pp. 85).
Song plays on the fact that the Western man is attracted to weak Oriental girls. Aware of this, Song puts on a performance that attracts Gallimard, and lets him think she is frail and needy of help. In the Madame Butterfly play, Song carries herself in such a way. Gallimard, after hearing her sing comments: “They say in opera the voice is everything. Here...here was a Butterfly with little or no voice—but she had the grace, the delicacy...I believed this girl. I believed her suffering. I wanted to take her in my arms –so delicate, even I could protect her, take her home, pamper her until she smiled. (pp. 15)”. Gallimard, in this scene, typifies the Western mentality. He believes that Song wants to be dominated, and wants to be helped. But Song has feigned weakness and neediness—traits of the Oriental construct. As a result Gallimard falls right into Song’s trap.
As the play progresses, Song continues to play to Gallimand’s fetish of the Orient. In one scene, Gallimard requests seeing Song naked. Here, Song mentions her submissive Oriental nature and responds to his request: “ No, Rene. Don’t couch your request in sweet words. Be yourself—a cad—and know that my love is enough, that I submit—submit to the worst you can give me. Well, come. Strip me. Whatever happens, know that you have willed it. Our love, in your hands. I’m helpless before my man. (pp. 60)”. In this scene, Song leaves herself so weak that Gallimard is shocked. Never before had Song allowed anyone to see her naked. She had before commented that she was a very modest oriental girl. And now, she was giving Rene the chance to see her naked. Gallimard, somewhat shocked, chooses not to see her naked because he thinks that he would wield too much power of the Oriental.
Although Song makes Gallimard think he is powerfull, she is the one who has the upper hand. She plays on his feelings and desires, and makes him feel as though he is able to control her. In fact, Gallimard may believe he is gaining more power, but Song has plans that will weaken Gallimard. These plans, which call for a more committed emotion-filled relationship allow Song to gradually wield more power. Having a relationship filled with more trust and responsibility forces Rene to reveal secrets to her, which he otherwise would not.
Song further attaches Gallimard to her by telling him she is pregnant. She is fully aware that having his baby would help solidify a connection with him forever. When Song leaves with the baby, Gallimard remarks on his feelings toward her: “It is possible that her stubborness only made me want her more...But it is also possible that by this point she could have said, could have done... anything, and I would have adored her still.”
Indeed after this moment, Rene has completely fallen in love with his butterfly. He explains his strong feelings for Song: “Happiness is so rare that our mind can turn somersaults to protect it...To be replaced by something new, something unnatural, that flew in the face of all I’d learned in the world—something very close to love. (pp. 60)” Indeed Gallimard falls into Song’s trap and falls in love with her. And now that he is in love with her, he would be controlled by his heart-- and not by what is right or wrong. As a result, Song easily persuades Gallimard to reveal vital information about his countries’ activity in the region. And ultimately, Song gains more important documents from him. And this leads Gallimard to become imprisoned.
Even at the end of the play, Song continues to wield power over Gallimard. Here, Gallimard, the once respected, powerful Westerner purges his emotions and tells of his mistakes that were made over a course of a lifetime: “My mistakes were simple and absolute—the man I loved was a cad, a bounder. He deserved nothing but a kick in the behind, and instead I game him...all my love. Yes—love. Why not admit it all? That was my undoing, wasn’t it? Love warped my judgement, blinded my eyes, rearranged the very lines on my face...until I could look in the mirror and see nothing but...a woman. .... Death with honor is better than life...life with dishonor. The love of a Butterfly can withstand many things—unfaithfulness, loss, even abandonment. But how can it face the one sin that implies all others? The devastating knowledge that, underneath it all, the object of her love was nothing more, nothing less than .... a man. (pp. 92)” Gallimar, at the end of the play, becomes so disheartened that Song was a man. The love Song showed Gallimar was so great and beautiful. It seemed to good to be true. And, indeed it was too good to be true. Song, like the Orient is an artificial construct. Song turned out to be a man. And Gallimar failed to even realize this point. Song’s lasting image—the idea of the Orient and Orientals—consumes Gallimar to the end. He could not control his feelings or actions any longer—he would become the butterfly and live the rest of his life (after life) in this manner.
Song is more deadly as femme fatale because most people would never assume an “oriental” woman as capable of inflicting harm to anyone; “She is as harmless as a fly.” Most people would never assume Asian women as capable of committing such crimes because they still are bounded by a sort of stereotypical view of the Orient and Orientals. As Song points out during the trial: “Her mouth says no, but her eyes say yes. The West believes the East, deep down, wants to be dominated---because a woman can’t think for herself. (pp. 83)”
In fact, the East, deep down, does not want to be dominated, and as David Hwang illustrates through Song, a woman can think for herself. (pp. 83)
Indeed M Butterfly provides us with a lesson. We should erase the ridiculous stereotypes and prejudices we hold against others. They are painful and hurtful. Ultimately, society must stop contributing to the stereotypes and provide equal opportunities for all.
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