The Use of Stereotypes

Takaya Matsuki

Professor Bei

English 1302

3 May 2019

The Use of Stereotypes

The multiple stereotypes between the inferior and superior relating to gender, race, and culture is what constructed M. Butterfly. It is referring to the gender and ethnic stereotype that one is inferior to the other. In most cases, the East is inferior to the West, and women are inferior to men. Yet, in this case, Hwang is able reverse the stereotype to make the Western man the weak minded compared to the Oriental woman. Now imagine the Westerner obsessing and loving the Oriental. The woman no longer being considered the inferior, flipping the table to create a plot. Not only that, but it was due to politics to create such conflict involving the stereotypes. The stereotype of gender and race is able to negotiate with each other in order to create such a conflict which propels the story.

It is evident with the history between the Chinese and the Western part of the world, the Westerners look at Orientals with a shameful attitude. This hierarchy that is placed in the world is what Hwang is trying to reverse and deconstruct in the play. As Hwang explains in an interview with John Louis DiGaetani, “I wrote M. Butterfly as an attempt to deal with some aspects of Orientalism” (DiGaetani 141). This allows Hwang to present a conflict based on ethnic and sexual inequity. Hwang executes this perfectly by the setting and characters presented in the play. Gallimard, a Western white man involved with Song, an Oriental “female”, who is also a communist, during the 1960’s in China. In the late 1960’s, Orientals were looked down at by the Westerners due to the wars and political dispute between the two sides of the world. That is why Gallimard is so obsessive towards Song, because to him, she is this submissive being that he can take control of. “Gallimard adheres to stereotyped images of women and of the Orient” (Kondo 15). Yet, to Song, Gallimard is this white parasite who likes to attach to passive woman, which she takes advantage of. “One of the things I found interesting is that your play suggested the Western naivete about the East. Many Westerners tend to think of the East as a pretty little Madame Butterfly rather than seeing what is actually there in the orient” (DiGaetani 141). Gallimard so naïve about the stereotype that he underestimates the orients. When he is brought to the court about how Song is a male communist, Gallimard is ashamed of himself. It is not because Song is a man, but because he let an Oriental fool him like that. The stereotype between the superior and inferior are able to compliment each other in order to create a conflict for the story. At the end the East sees the West as inferior like how the West sees the East as the inferior. There are more similarities than differences between the two and that is Hwang is trying to portray. “I think one of the more simple things the play’s trying to say is that eventually one must look past all the cultural stereotyping we do of each other, West to East and East to West, and deal with each other just as humans if we’re really to reach any point of true understanding” (DiGaetani146).

The gender inequality is what conflicts M. Butterfly. This whole story is man versus woman. Even though Comrade Chin has a higher placing in the military, Song is still considered the superior because of the gender hierarchy placed in China. “You don’t understand the mind of a man” (Hwang 72). Till now in modern day China, men are still the superior. Gallimard is so attracted to Song not only to the fact that Song is an oriental, but also the fact in Gallimard’s eyes, he is a woman. “Suddenly, it hit me–“All he wants is for her to submit. Once a woman submits. a man is always ready to become ‘generous’ ” (Hwang 62). That is why Song is able to manipulate him so flawlessly, he knows what a man wants from a such submissive woman. “Right. Song Liling is able to be such an effective fantasy for Gallimard because, as a man, she knows how a man wants to see women, and therefore can become a man’s woman-which is why Gallimard says toward the end of the play: “I was a man in love with a woman created by a man, and now everything else simply falls short” (DiGaetani 146). Gallimard being such a parasite for inferior woman, Song acts in such a passive way to please Gallimard. This superiority feeling over women gives Gallimard a confidence boost.

“His superior congratulates Gallimard on his masculine performance: “A year ago, you would’ve been out. But the past few months, I don’t know how it happened, you’ve become this new aggressive confident … thing” (37-38). Admiring the extramarital interracial (and supposedly heterosexual) activity of his “thing,” the representative of Western society approves of Gallimard’s machismo” (Saal 632).

Once Gallimard found out Song is man, he felt so embarrassed. His confidence he gained from dominating over the submissive Song went down the drain.

The whole reason as to why this is a story is due to the political differences between the East and West. China rising as a communist nation and is trying to spread communism throughout the world. Song being a communist spy, is assigned to get intel from his enemy. Meeting Gallimard, then realizing his weakness for submissive women, Song takes advantage of that. Thus, creating the entire plot. From the beginning to the end this is all because of politics. Song is willing to do anything to serve his people, that’s all he wants to do. As he yells to Comrade Chin, “I want to serve the people” (Hwang 60). He did do anything to complete his mission. He faked a love story between him and Gallimard, gaining as much intel he can. He even goes to extreme measures just to get information from Gallimard. “I let him put it up my ass!” (Hwang 70). He committed an act of homosexuality, which is looked down upon in Chinese culture, just to get intel so he can give weekly reports to Comrade Chin. It was his commitment for his people that made him act as a woman and homosexual. His devotion for communism made him do what he did in the story.

Hwang centers his entire story around gender, race, and politics. Politics being the main reason as to why there even is a conflict. Using a character’s devotion to communism to propel a story. Using the stereotype of gender and race as more as an advantage for Song. Politics is the whole reasoning behind the story, but the story focuses on the gender inequality and racial stereotype. Having two characters from the opposite of the world, having completely different mindset and views come together. Of course, with having different views on each other, they will treat one another differently than how they would normally treat their own. Hwang wanted to use that to plot a story.

“One of the things I wanted to do was to indicate both the differences between cultures as perceived by Asians and the similarities as perceived by Westerners. In other words, the West looks at the “East” as sort of a monolith. Whether we’ve been at war against Japan or Korea or Vietnam or in a Cold War with China, it’s all “Oriental.” But of course, the Asians see themselves as very different. I also have to say, again, that the reverse is true, that Asians tend to see the West as very monolithic. Perhaps from each point of view, it’s a legitimate position to take because there are probably more similarities between the Asian cultures as opposed to the West than differences, and vice versa. But from the point of view of the West, America does not consider itself to be the same as France. And Japan does not consider itself to be China” (DiGaetani 146).

Not only that, but he also wanted to put in the topic of gender inequality. Which is a perfect to include that because China is well known for their hierarchy regarding men and women. Hwang stirs the three topics together in order to create a conflict which propels the story.

Works Cited

Hwang, David, and Giacomo Puccini. M. Butterfly. New York, N.Y: New American Library 1989. Print.

Hwang, David Henry, and John Louis DiGaetani. “‘M. Butterfly’: An Interview with David Henry Hwang.” TDR (1988-), vol. 33, no. 3, 1989, pp. 141–153. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1145993.

Kondo, Dorinne K. “‘M. Butterfly’: Orientalism, Gender, and a Critique of Essentialist Identity.” Cultural Critique, no. 16, 1990, pp. 5–29. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1354343.

Saal, Ilka. “Performance and Perception: Gender, Sexuality, and Culture in David Henry Hwang’s ‘M. Butterfly.’” Amerikastudien / American Studies, vol. 43, no. 4, 1998, pp. 629–644. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41157422.

Outline

Introduction

Thesis: The stereotype of gender and race is able to negotiate with each other in order to create such a conflict which propels the story

Body 1

Topic Sentence: It is evident with the history between the Chinese and the Western part of the world, the Westerners look at Orientals with a shameful attitude.

-Discuss about how Hwang presents the West and Orientals in the play.

-How are both perceived at by the world.

-The conflict is based on the point of views by each race towards one another.

Body 2

Topic sentence: Even now, women in China are known as the inferior because that is just their culture.

-Even though Song dressed as a woman, he still is a man which puts him above Comrade Chin.

-Gallimard only was in love with Song because her being an Oriental woman in China makes her submissive towards him, which he liked. Yet, as soon as Song was revealed as a man, Gallimard did not want to do anything with him. As if he was scared of him.

Conclusion: Discuss the race and gender topic and how it created a conflict in the story.