Analysis Of M. Butterfly By David Henry Hwang Essay

M. Butterfly, by David Henry Hwang, focuses and explores on this central theme of sexism towards women in most cultures. Sexism refers to the prejudice, discrimination, or stereotyping of an individual on the basis of their sex. Throughout M. Butterfly, sexism is illustrated through the actions of the protagonist, Rene Gallimard. Aside from this, sexism is also illustrated in most of the conversations that the characters in the play exchange. David Henry Hwang explores the different stereotypes and discriminations against women and how these stereotypes and discriminations not only affect Oriental women but women of the West as well. The plot of the story surrounds this man, Rene Gallimard, who is a French diplomat being sent to China. Although a married man, he begins to fall in love with Song Liling, an opera singer. Gallimard and Liling begin a secret relationship but at the end it is uncovered that Song Liling was actually a Chinese spy and not other than a man. The theme of the play begins to unravel here when it comes to the reader’s notice that the focus of this play is based on this fantasy stereotype which Gallimard holds for Song, even when finding out she is in reality a man. Throughout M. Butterfly, Gallimard manner of speaking towards Song demonstrates this idea of this fantasy stereotype. This term of â€Å"fantasy stereotype† refers to this concept that men hold of women and how the â€Å"perfect woman† should act and be. Fantasy stereotype is part of the sexismShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of M. Butterfly By David Henry Hwang1772 Words   |  8 Pagesalong Western and Eastern lines, and we expect the nation-states to act accordingly. David Henry Hwang, author of M. Butterfly, describes the scenario through one of his characters, Song Liling, as â€Å"The West thinks of itself as masculine – big guns, big industry, big money – so the East is feminine – weak, delicate, poor†¦but good at art, and full of inscrutable wisdom – the feminine mystique† (Hwang 1988). Hwang lays out this relationship between the East and West as a relationship between man andRead More Feminism in M. Butterfly Essay2722 Words   |  11 PagesFeminism in M. Butterfly In the 1989 drama M. Butterfly, the masterwork of contemporary American playwright David Henry Hwang, the topic of sexual politics underlies all other themes, and creates a tension between the genders that pervades throughout the text; moreover, Hwang subverts traditional thematic aspects of sexual politics by questioning the most fundamental unit of sex by considering the very nature of gender and what defines a male or a female. These elements unite and develop a