In David Hwang 's play "M. Butterfly" the antagonist Lilling Song, who is a man disguised as a woman performs feminine traits while in disguise and masculine traits outside of it. Men and women in today 's society are expected to act in a certain way based on their gender. Masculinity and femininity are viewed as having opposite characterics besides the natural biological differences between genders. Holly Devor explains in her article "Gender Blending" "These two clusters of attributes are commonly seen as mirror images of one another, with masculinity usually characterized by dominance and aggression, and femininity with passivity and submission" (Devor 407). Song is a spy who is disguised as a woman in order to get information out of a
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Liling sends, Gallimard a series of letters during a time when Rene has not come to see her. Song further plays into her stereotype by continuing to pursue him via mail. She is doing as she is expected because as an Asian woman how could she not be totally enamored with a western man. Also Song is strategically playing to Rene 's masculinity in this passage because she is pursuing him. In society men are expected spend a large amount of time pursuing women for courtship because it is a mans thing to do. So when a woman actively pursues a man it makes that man feel more confident about his masculinity because he is so desirable to women he does not have to try. After nearly two months song sends a letter to Rene stating "I am out of words, I can hide behind dignity no longer. What do you want? I have already given you my shame" (Hwang 30-31). In this scene Song parallels the butterfly she played earlier in the story. She has grown to like the western man but he will only come around when convenient. Just like Pinkerton leaves his butterfly "in the lurch" Rene leaves his as well. What Rene does not know is the fact that he is playing right into her hand when he decides to come back around to …show more content…
In scene 13 Rene arrives at Songs apartment after a near two month absence to change there relationship. After a short dialog the couple begin to fully embrace their gender expectations. At this point in the play Rene is assuming the more dominant position that is expected of a man and Song begins to assume the more submissive role of a woman. In the dialog Rene asks "Are you my Butterfly?" (Hwang 33). He insists on her verbalizing her submission to him which makes him feel powerful in the situation. After another short exchange of dialog where she refuses to verbalize her submission Song finally concedes. What Rene wanted was to possess Song because in puts him in a position where he is powerful. Every man wants to gain dominion over something in his life. The old saying "A mans home is his castle" attests to this fact. Castles are meant for kings who are powerful rulers, regardless of his position in other situation a man must be the dominant force in his home. This in turn means that his wife should be submissive to him which would put him at a position of
Liling sends, Gallimard a series of letters during a time when Rene has not come to see her. Song further plays into her stereotype by continuing to pursue him via mail. She is doing as she is expected because as an Asian woman how could she not be totally enamored with a western man. Also Song is strategically playing to Rene 's masculinity in this passage because she is pursuing him. In society men are expected spend a large amount of time pursuing women for courtship because it is a mans thing to do. So when a woman actively pursues a man it makes that man feel more confident about his masculinity because he is so desirable to women he does not have to try. After nearly two months song sends a letter to Rene stating "I am out of words, I can hide behind dignity no longer. What do you want? I have already given you my shame" (Hwang 30-31). In this scene Song parallels the butterfly she played earlier in the story. She has grown to like the western man but he will only come around when convenient. Just like Pinkerton leaves his butterfly "in the lurch" Rene leaves his as well. What Rene does not know is the fact that he is playing right into her hand when he decides to come back around to …show more content…
In scene 13 Rene arrives at Songs apartment after a near two month absence to change there relationship. After a short dialog the couple begin to fully embrace their gender expectations. At this point in the play Rene is assuming the more dominant position that is expected of a man and Song begins to assume the more submissive role of a woman. In the dialog Rene asks "Are you my Butterfly?" (Hwang 33). He insists on her verbalizing her submission to him which makes him feel powerful in the situation. After another short exchange of dialog where she refuses to verbalize her submission Song finally concedes. What Rene wanted was to possess Song because in puts him in a position where he is powerful. Every man wants to gain dominion over something in his life. The old saying "A mans home is his castle" attests to this fact. Castles are meant for kings who are powerful rulers, regardless of his position in other situation a man must be the dominant force in his home. This in turn means that his wife should be submissive to him which would put him at a position of