M Butterfly Stereotypes

There are several stereotypes present in the play M. Butterfly in which they fall into the category of political, race and gender which are challenged throughout the play about Asian men and women. One stereotype that exist in the play is that Asian women tend to be passive and- submissive to Western males. According to the OED, the word “submissive” can be defined as “characterized by or displaying submission; yielding to power or authority”. In other words, Asian women tend to give control over themselves to Western males that control them and making them conform because of their love. This is evident in the play as Cio-Cio-San is seen as an example of Asian women who is submissive to her husband Pinkerton. Cio-Cio-San is married to Pinkerton

Even the birth of their son and her yearning for him to come back didn’t change Pinkerton’s feelings for her. Instead, his return brings back Cio-Cio-San’s death since he married an American women breaking their trust. However, everything between Pinkerton and Cio-Cio-San was destroyed expect the cultural stereotype. As Pinkerton states in act one, “Not like American girls, It’s true what they say about Oriental girls. They want to be treated bad.” (pg.6), reveals his power as a Western male. This line makes it seem like White men have a lot of power over Asian women where they can use them and leave them crying like he did with Cio-Cio-San by not taking her. In other words Pinkerton reflects back on the stereotype that Asian women choose their way of life like this where men like Pinkerton is seen as more powerful and Asian women as oriental. His control and power is even visible when she says that “…she eats out of my hand!” (pg.6) explaining that Cio-Cio-San does what he wants her to and making it seem like she has not ability to be herself because she is controlled by a White man who tells her how to love under the name of

From the beginning of the play we as readers saw how Gallimard’s wanted to be superior to Song and be a typical figure that controls the Oriental women. However, towards the end of the play we see a reversal of roles where the stereotype is broken. In this case, Gallimard’s can be seen as the Asian women who fell in the evilness that an American man would do. As Gallimard states, “She would always have prepared a light snack and then, ever so …she would start to pleasure….” (Act two, page 49). This line explains that Song greatly fooled Gallimard being a submissive women who listened to him and took care of him without really showing that he was really a man. We as readers can see the role reversal seeing that in Gallimard is the one left his family, carrier, and life for Song like Cio-Cio-San did as an Oriental women. In this case, Gallimard is the Oriental women and Song is the man in the relationship with control and mission. At the end of the play, Gallimard states, a very important line that, “In the prison on the outskirts of Paris. My name is Rene Gallimard-also known as Madame Butterfly” (Act three, pg. 93). I think this is a great ending at it all concludes that Gallimard has become the butterfly that he always desired for and Song remains the male figure all powerful enforcing the role reversal. All of Gallimard’s