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Western Governors University *
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Subject
Arts Humanities
Date
Nov 24, 2024
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3
Uploaded by zaq12wsx19
M. Butterfly
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_5u40wq
1.
Playwright
David Henry Hwang
2.
Dramatic Struc-
ture
Circular
3.
Exact setting in the opening scene
M. Gallimard's prison cell. Paris. 1988.
4.
Final scene
M. Gallimard, in his prison cell, dresses up as Butterfly and kills himself as Song is dressed as a man smoking a cigarette and says "Butterfly? Butterfly?"
5.
Total # of charac-
ters
16
6.
Who is the play about? Main, sup-
porting and minor characters.
Main
Rene Gallimard- A French diplomat who is on as-
signment in China. He desires a relationship with a cruel white male (himself) and the submissive oriental woman. He falls deeply in love with Song's performance of Madame Butterfly whom he fetishises as his perfect woman despite Song being biologically a man.
Song Liling
Supporting
Marc
M. Toulon Comrade Chin Minor
Kurogo
Man #2
Consul Sharpless
Renee
Woman at Party
Girl in Magazine
Suzuki
Shu Fang Helga Man #1
Judge
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M. Butterfly
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_5u40wq
7.
Stage action: what happens? Plot summary, what "triggers" the plot in the opening?
Gallimard enters into an affair with Liling, who's famous for her performance in Puccini's Madama Butterfly after seeing Song's performance, this triggers the plot. Galli-
mard continuously denigrates Liling, forcing her to say that she's his "butterfly."
The singer spies on Gallimard for the Chinese gov-
ernment, using Gallimard's own fantasies of submissive oriental femininity to deceive and manipulate him. Gallimard lets his prejudiced idea about race and gender get in the way of his work, and he's sent back to France. Liling gets sent to a labor camp, but is later released so that she can travel to France and continue spying on him for the government. Later, it's publicly revealed that Liling is a man, and the dynamic between Gallimard and Liling changes. Galli-
mard becomes subservient, and Liling becomes domi-
nant.
8.
What is the domi-
nant conflict of the action, when does it reach its high-
est point of com-
plication, how is it resolved? What do the characters need or want that drives us to the end.
The dominant conflict of the action is that Gallimard has his own perception of who he wants Song to be but Song deceives him by acting as a woman who Gallimard wants when in reality he is a man.Gallimard realizes that for 20 years he has been in love with a man dressed as a woman and he feels betrayed. It is "resolved" at the end when he kills himself.
9.
What social, moral, ethical, political, psychological, or historical issues are visible in the world of the play? From what pov do you see them in the action?
Moral issues are visible in the world of the play of M. But-
terfly through the decision of Song to deceive Gallimard and also spy on him even though Song is evidently in love with Gallimard. This morally conflicts with one another, Songs work comes in conflict his love for Gallimard. He also has to decide whether to be morally correct and tell the truth to Gallimard even if it means risking losing him.
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M. Butterfly
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_5u40wq
10.
How is the play world created, what is the style of the play? Realistic /non-realistic? Representation-
al/presentational? Fantasy world, historical, ancient?
The world of the play is created in a realistic yet presen-
tational style. Though the plot depicts a realistic world though the fourth wall is not being kept and therefor is a presentational style and we also go back and fourth in time. It is a presentational play in which the main character, Gallimard breaks the fourth wall and acts as a narrator, this allows for us to understand his thoughts from his own perspective.
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