In "M. Butterfly" David Hwang tried to link imperialism, racism, and sexism in a very complicated love affair between a French diplomat named Rene Gillimard and a Chinese male actor named ... of her body because he is in love with her. After the love affair begins, he compares his relationship with Song to the one in Puccini's opera "Madame Butterfly." In that opera a submissive Asian woman waits for her western lover for 3 years, however when he does return he takes his child and the Asian woman kills ... Song: are u crazy? Song: to come here- at this hour? After after eight weeks? Gillimard...

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• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... Southeast Asia Treaty. This tension between the East, representing Communism: Vietnam and China, and the West, representing Democracy: France and the United States, becomes the central theme of the play "M. Butterfly." Rene Gallimard represents the French or West and Song represents China or East. When Rene Gallimard is first introduced to us in the play we already know something is wrong ... the play changes what we know about the characters. In all actuality, Song was always Pinkerton, the manipulative and deceiving person in the relationship. This leaves Gallimard to be the Butterfly...

• Word Count: 1107
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... are a few different themes in Hwang's M. Butterfly. One is the Western stereotyping of Asia. How all of the westerners are always saying that Asia is very submissive, weak, and a place that wants to be dominated. Hwang shows ... that the East could be very similar to the West, a "masculine, big gun, big industry and big money place" (pg. 1712). Hwang hopes to break the old butterfly myth of Asian submissiveness to western dominance. This is why Song dresses up as a woman and acts like the typical needy oriental woman, to lure Rene Gallimard into her trap ... is a man. He wants to keep ...

• Word Count: 856
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... by Sophecles. In this play our tragic hero, Oedipus, is doomed to a fate that he will not accept because of the pride that he possesses. The play "M. Butterfly" by D.H. Hwang is also a tragedy. This one is slightly different. It is a more recent play in which the main character, Rene Gallimard is the tragic hero. ... meets and kills his father along the road. Oedipus rejects the wise words of the prophet and makes a fool of himself in the process. Our tragic hero in M. Butterfly, Rene Gallimard, makes a fool out of himself as well before his death. "Women do not flirt with me. And I nor...

• Word Count: 939
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... of manipulation and deceit. Rene was only in it to fulfill his perverse fantasies regarding submissive oriental women. Every time he asked Song, "Are you my Butterfly?" I almost dropped my popcorn! The way in which she submitted to his wants and desires sickened me. She abandoned her morals and "ancient Chinese ... of the movie that I felt some sympathy towards Rene when Song's true identity was revealed. The pain he must have felt after finding out that his "butterfly" was a man in disguise, and on top of that a spy for the Chinese government, must have been tremendously tragic and hear...

• Word Count: 1192
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... play with a greater understanding of our interiors, we have witnessed and participated in the operation of power and resistance on physical bodies in a Foucauldian system. Much of the criticism on M. Butterfly has focused merely on the plot and indeed the content of the story is such that it ought to incite interest. Most mainstream plays do not have a collection of "tabloid ... to see the playas more than a case of cross-dressing, but his analysis remains firmly in a psychoanalytic understanding of Gallimard that leaves him confused with the ending: "Gallimard's transformation into But...

• Word Count: 918
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School