The Triumph of an Asian female over a western male in David Henry Hwang's M. Butterfly

Kencono, Sani Puspa (2009) The Triumph of an Asian female over a western male in David Henry Hwang's M. Butterfly. Bachelor thesis, Petra Christian University.

Abstract

M. Butterfly is a unique work of art that the story combines a true story and an opera by Giacomo Puccini, Madame Butterfly. The play is actually a critic toward the opera itself, which is sexist and racist toward Asian female. Gallimard the male main character falls in love with Song Liling for over twenty years without ever knowing that the person he loves most is actually a man. It makes me interested in finding out what makes Gallimard fall in love with Song and how Song seduces Gallimard to his untimely death. The purpose of studying this play is that I would like to reveal the concept of a perfect Asian female as seen by Gallimard and fulfilled by Song Liling. Furthermore, I would like to unearth the seduction strategies as carried out by Song Liling in Conquering Gallimard's soul. Song manages to reflect the concept of counter hegemony by using the concept of hegemony of Asian female in the opera of Madame Butterfly and seduces Gallimard to his untimely death.

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