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“Madam Butterfly” Role Playing in M. Butterfly

초록/요약

M. Butterfly was written by the famous Chinese—American playwright David Henry Hwang. The play is adapted from a real spy case between France and China in the 1960s. M. Butterfly won the Tony Award in 1988 and David Henry Hwang became the first Chinese—American playwright to win this award. M. Butterfly subverts Giacomo Puccini's opera Madam Butterfly and especially deconstructs the stereotype of the Asian woman by revealing the power relations between the East and the West. This thesis focuses on the Madam Butterfly role exchange between Rene Gallimard and Song Liling and argues that their role exchange is caused both by Orientalism, cultural conflict between the East and the West, and gender misunderstanding. Most of the researchers have investigated the power relations between the East and the West in M. Butterfly, thus stepping up to the political level. But they have ignored the real purpose of the author, to show “our respective layers of cultural and sexual misperception” in all sides of life (Hwang “Afterwards” 989). How to solve the cultural differences and misunderstanding gender problems is still a challenge faced by today's international society. This thesis attempts an intensive study of how Rene Gallimard, a western man’s ‘cultural and sexual misperception’and confusion of gender identity lead both himself and Song Liling to their tragic ending. Chapter one offers the background of this thesis. First, it introduces the background of David Henry Hwang and explains the basics of M. Butterfly. Second, it offers the social background of America where Hwang was born and has lived. Third, it highlights the difference between Madam Butterfly and M. Butterfly. Madam Butterfly is a story about the illusion of the West to the East. However, M. Butterfly deconstructs that illusion and shows how the West has misunderstood the East, and argues how the power relationship between the West and the East can be reversed, along with the gender exchange between Gallimard and Song. Chapter two discusses the reasons why Orientalism caused the crisis among the characters. It explores the survey of the West’s misunderstanding of the East by describing the origin of Orientalism. Then it argues the cultural differences between the East and the West to further explore the causes for the Western misconception of the East. Chapter three is divided into two parts. First, I argue that Gallimard is influenced by Madam Butterfly: he believes the perfect vision of the Oriental woman. Second, his personal frustration in both family and workplace makes him take solace in the Oriental woman. At the same time, Song acts as ‘Madam Butterfly’, showing the perfect image of a woman which Gallimard wants. Chapter four argues that Gallimard is disillusioned. As‘the Butterfly’dream is broken, Gallimard becomes the real‘Madam Butterfly’. As the‘Madam Butterfly’roles are changed, so too are Gallimard and Song’s gender power relationships. Chapter five is a conclusion of this thesis in which I expound not only the tragic fate of Gallimard and Song Liling, but also today’s social problems such as racial discrimination, religious conflicts and gender discrimination caused by cultural conflicts and cultural misunderstandings. And I conclude that to respect and understand each other’s cultures is a key to solving the problems.

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목차

I. Chapter 1: Introduction 1
1.1 The background of David Henry Hwang and M. Butterfly 1
1.2 The background of America 2
1.3 Madam Butterfly and M. Butterfly 3
1.4 The significance of the study 8
II. Chapter 2: the Western Illusion 10
2.1 Orientalism 10
2.2 Orientalism in M. Butterfly 13
2.3 The different culture between “the East” and “the West” 15
III. Chapter 3: Gallimard’s Illusion 19
3.1 The history of the“Madam Butterfly”character 19
3.2 Reasons for Gallimard’s tragedy 22
IV. Chapter 4: The“Madam Butterfly”role transformation 27
4.1 The collapse of the “butterfly dream" 27
4.2 “Madame Butterfly” role transfer between Gallimard and Song 29
V. Chapter 5: Conclusion 32
Works cited 34
Abstract(한글초록) 35

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