Orientalism in M. Butterfly

Reverse Orientalism Manipulation. Deception. Scandal. Through these three words, David Henry Hwang is able to convey the basic principles of Orientalism in his play, M. Butterfly. Orientalism was created by Western culture—primarily European countries—in order to separate Eastern and Western cultures: the Orient (China and other Asian countries) and the Occident (France, England and other Western European countries). According to Edward Said’s, The Edward Said Reader, “…the Orient is an idea that has a history and a tradition of thought, imagery, and vocabulary that have given it reality and presence in and for the West” (71). This implies that the Occident created the idea of the Orient as a fascinating culture, which gives the Occident the belief that they are entitled to have control over the Orient. The West thus created a stereotype of how “Occidental” males and “Oriental” women are to act; Occidental men are to be dominant and confident, whereas Oriental women are submissive and desperate for a western man. It is thought that, “Song: The West believes the East, deep down, wants to be dominated—because a woman can’t think for herself” (Hwang 83). Gallimard is from France—he is the Occident—and Song is a male spy, disguised as a woman, from China—she is the Orient. Or so it may seem at first. Through M. Butterfly, Hwang depicts a reversal of roles in the ideals of Orientalism where, Gallimard exemplifies characteristics of the Orient and Song portrays qualities of the Occident. Although Gallimard may be from a country that is in the Occident, his passive temperament makes him more a representative of the Orient. In accordance with the philosophy of Orientalism, the typical male would act controlling, domineering, and even cruel when it came to his relationships with women of the Orient, yet Gallimard is not able to exhibit any of those traits. He is far more submissive when it comes to women, stating after one of his first encounters with Song that,

Cited: Hwang, David. M. Butterfly. Ney York City: Penguin Group, 1988. Said, Edward. The Edward Said Reader. New York City: Vintage Books, 2000.