1. Introduction
The figure in the middle of the high room seems to be alone, despite all the people around him. He (apparently a male person) kneels on a kind of a stage wearing a kimono and a wig. It must be a prison, because all the people around wear prison clothing. Like spectators in an arena (or in a theatre) the prisoners occupy the balconies above, and the space in front of the stage. He starts to speak:
"I have a vision. Of the Orient. That, deep within her almond eyes, there are still women. Women willing to sacrifice themselves for the love of a man. Even a man whose love is completely without worth."
In my paper I want to show, how Eng′s text can help to analyze three particular passages of David Cronenberg′s movie to look behind Gallimard′s psyche. I will take those three sequences which appear in chronological order in the film, and apply parts of Eng′s theory on them. How does Gallimard manage the situations, and why "it is, after all, only through Gallimard′s sustained identifications with and Song′s sustained investments in conventional stereotypes and fantasies of the Oriental geisha that Hwang′s drama can unfold to its pitiable end." Doing this, I am also briefly going to look on certain cinematic techniques (especially the setting of light in the first scene I have chosen) to find out, how David Cronenberg interprets Hwang′s Drama and how he creates Gallimard′s psyche, Gallimard′s feelings for Song, and how Cronenberg deals with the question of gender and race. And finally, I will raise the question, if Gallimard is homosexual. Does Eng′s theory give a proper answer for that or can that question be solved, though Eng does eventually not give any answers.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Three scenes
2.1. The first meeting
2. 2. The second scene - living the fantasy
2. 3. The death scene – a failing fantasy needs to be saved
3. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines the interplay of race, gender, and personal fantasy in David Cronenberg's film adaptation of "M. Butterfly." The research explores how the protagonist, René Gallimard, constructs and maintains a destructive, exoticized fantasy of an "Oriental woman" to uphold his own sense of white, masculine superiority, ultimately leading to his tragic undoing when this internal reality collapses.
- The intersection of colonial Orientalism and individual fetishism
- Cinematic representation of gender performance and cross-dressing
- The psychological function of the "Butterfly" fantasy in preserving the protagonist's psychic integrity
- Analysis of the relationship between racial identity and sexual power dynamics
- The impossibility of sustaining a fantasy-based identity in the face of reality
Excerpt from the Book
b.) The Dragonflies – the fantasy shows its other side
Cronenberg does not make his film as political as the play, but still his movie has the same implications of race and gender as in the drama. To distinguish the Butterfly fantasy Gallimard wants to see (and live) from reality, which is that Song is not what Gallimard sees in "her", he uses a very short scene where an old Chinese man catches dragonflies. Right after Gallimard has kissed Song the first time, Gallimard leaves Song to go home, and he observes the old man while he is catching those huge flying insects. The old man donates Gallimard one and René watches it with admiration. But quite soon it escapes his hands and flies away.
The whole scene is quite unnecessary unless one tries to put it into the context with the other image of Oriental women Davis shortly explains in his text: the model of the Dragon Lady. The Dragon Lady is mainly the opposite of the Butterfly: "With her talon-like six-inch fingernails, her skin-tight satin dress slit to the thigh, she can poison a man as easily as she seductively smiles and puffs on her foot-long cigarette holder." This scene shows that Gallimard has rather caught a dragon than a butterfly. His built up reality is nothing, but a fantasy, and he is not even able to see the truth of his fantasy. He is absolutely fallen for Song who lets Gallimard's longing work for "herself". The Dragon Lady knows how to seduce men.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction sets the scene by describing the final moments of the film and establishing the theoretical framework provided by David L. Eng to analyze Gallimard's psyche and his obsession with race and gender.
2. Three scenes: This chapter analyzes pivotal moments in the film, including the initial meeting of the characters, the progression of their secret liaison, and the final revelation, using cinematic and theoretical perspectives to show how the fantasy is constructed and eventually challenged.
2.1. The first meeting: This section explores how Gallimard falls for the stereotypical "Butterfly" image of the submissive Oriental woman and how his prejudices and colonial mindset lead him to view Song as a romantic fantasy.
2. 2. The second scene - living the fantasy: This part examines how Gallimard attempts to consolidate his power and masculinity through his relationship with Song, even as his professional life and personal insecurities persist.
2. 3. The death scene – a failing fantasy needs to be saved: This chapter addresses the final collapse of the fantasy upon the public revelation of the espionage and Song's biological sex, leading to Gallimard's desperate attempt to reclaim his narrative through his own performance as "Butterfly."
3. Conclusion: The conclusion reflects on the nature of gender as a social construct and the inability of Gallimard to reconcile his desires with reality, leading to his final, symbolic act of suicide to preserve his fantasy.
Keywords
M. Butterfly, David Cronenberg, David L. Eng, Orientalism, Racial Castration, Gender Performance, Fetishism, Colonialism, Identity, Stereotypes, René Gallimard, Psychoanalysis, Masculinity, Fantasy, Cross-dressing
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper provides a psychoanalytic and cultural analysis of David Cronenberg's film "M. Butterfly," focusing on how the protagonist utilizes racial and gendered stereotypes to maintain a false reality.
What are the central thematic fields discussed?
The key themes include the construction of gender, the impact of colonial power structures on personal relationships, the mechanics of fetishism, and the intersection of racial and sexual identity.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to analyze how Gallimard's "Butterfly" fantasy serves as a mechanism to protect his psychic integrity and white masculine status against the threat of homosexuality and racial ambiguity.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The paper employs a literary and film-critical approach, primarily utilizing David L. Eng's theory of "Racial Castration" and Freudian psychoanalytic concepts to interpret the film's scenes.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body systematically examines three chronological sequences in the film: the initial encounter between the characters, the development of their relationship during their "affair," and the final scene where the reality of Song's identity destroys Gallimard's world.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include M. Butterfly, Orientalism, Racial Castration, Gender Performance, Fetishism, and Colonialism.
Why is the dragonfly scene significant?
The dragonfly scene serves as a subtle foreshadowing, contrasting the submissive "Butterfly" image with the "Dragon Lady" stereotype, symbolizing that Gallimard's grasp on his fantasy is far more precarious than he believes.
How does the author interpret Gallimard's final performance?
The author views Gallimard's final cross-dressing as a desperate, "sartorial conversion"—a final attempt to inhabit his own fantasy and maintain his identity after his previous reality has been destroyed by the truth.
- Quote paper
- Kerstin Wien (Author), 2002, Race and gender in: "M. Butterfly" - Committing suicide "cross-dressed" and "cross-raced" to fulfill the fantasy of a perfect woman, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/12530
