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Erick Castro

Professor Batty

English 102

October 16, 2017

Heterosexuality and Its Suppressive Nature

When analyzing David Henry Hwangs play M. Butterfly, a common interpretation is the

exercise of Western colonialism over the East; having the relationship between the main

characters, Gallimard and Song, represent the West intruding upon Eastern culture and the East

having to seemingly accept it. This, however, is but one of many ways to view such a play; as

society progresses and what is perceived to be socially acceptable continues to change,

preconceived notions of homosexuality become a controversial topic. Hwang's play brings

attention to the suppressive nature that comes with the concept of heterosexuality and the

negative impact it has had on a lot of individuals.

A more common interpretation on Hwangs play M. Butterfly may contribute to the

difficulty found in analyzing the gender issues that are also being called into question. At first

glance, it can quickly be found that the main character, Gallimard, is clearly representing the

Western culture and their dominant behavior. Even though Gallimard is introduced as a weaker

and less masculine male, when he meets song he adopts more confident and powerful

characteristics. Song plays the role of a delicate looking Chinese woman who turns out to be a bit

submissive; this is to further emphasize the way Western cultures view Asian culture and the

Eastern cultures in general. Although this is a valid argument, it adds another obstacle when

trying to further analyze the play.

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There is a common misconception that ties biological gender to masculinity and

femininity, which constrains some people to the role that has been created by society. When the

play M. Butterfly was written, the concept of heterosexuality became a controversial topic that

left many questioning why there was a defined gender and the thought of masculinity and

femininity. Everyones gender is decided at birth and that determines how a child is going to act

and what type of person they will grow up to be; or at least that was what was considered

socially acceptable for most of human history. The concept that a man should be strong and

behave confidently, as well as the notion that women should be more empathetic and fragile has

had a significant impact on everyones life by insinuating that someones biological gender

dictates their character. Certain individuals have had a tough time trying to adjust and forcing

themselves to follow social norms, keeping their true selves hidden from the world because of

the desire to be normal. These social constructs make it hard to analyze a piece like M. Butterfly

because the actions of a character like Gallimard are simply overlooked and it is assumed that he

was simply being tricked by Song and the illusion of being a woman that she provided;

because of this, the possibility that Gallimard is a homosexual trying to conceal his true nature

while living in a world where such ideals are not accepted is often overlooked.

Hwang uses the setting to express his views on heterosexuality and how people who do

not identify with it can live a life as a social outcast. The play begins with Gallimard in a jail cell

as an outcast to society; he does not belong with the rest of the world and therefore must remain

exiled, secluded, and confined to not disturb anyone. He states that he is a celebrity and has

known and been loved by... the Perfect Woman (Hwang Act 1, Scene 1). He begins to speak of

the tragic events that led him to where he is currently, but even so, those around him seem to

have trouble understanding him, eventually giving up on him and instead just laugh at his
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predicament. At the start of the play Hwang is already portraying the main character, Gallimard,

as a man who is different and does not fit in with everyone else. Gallimards reputation, his

identity as a man has come into question simply because of the way he is. He is described to be

this weak individual who has always struggled with dating due to his awkwardness. His

masculinity is being called into question and because of this he begins to question himself,

struggling to find that power and confidence that he desires. He is trapped by the preconceived

notion of a man having to play the role of a man. His sexuality is being suppressed and he can

no longer live in the heterosexual world that he once resided in.

Perceived happiness will sometimes originate from contempt and the feeling that they

belong somewhere. For certain people who struggle with their identity, it becomes a matter of

whether they can find and accept who they are. When he first came across Song, he felt as

though he and was ecstatic. When around Song, his perception of who he was changed and was

reflected in the way he acted. He began to seem more confident and felt better about who he was.

He fell in love with her and even went so far as to divorce his wife so he could live together with

Song. He went on to live with her for twenty years before his trial for treason. During the case

Song was asked to testify and he appeared before the jury. When it was revealed that Song was a

man, Gallimard refused to accept it. Another result of the trial was that it was made apparent that

Gallimard should have known about Songs identity; "Did I not undress her because I knew,

somewhere deep down, what I would find?" (Hwang Act 2, Scene 6) in the play he admits that

he always had a feeling that something was different. He accepted the illusion that it provided.

So long as everyone around him saw Song as a woman, there were no perceived issues.

Gallimard had more than likely come to terms with his sexuality but could only do so under the

illusion that Songs mask provided. Once it was revealed that Song was nothing more than a
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homosexual man pretending to be a woman, Gallimard could no longer live that life that he so

desired.

Because of the pressure that is exerted on an individual to fit in with their peers,

sometimes people have trouble accepting their sexuality; some refuse to acknowledge it and

suffer psychological and sometimes even physical traumas. Death with honor is better than

life... life with dishonor. (Hwang Act 3, Scene 3). Nearing the end of the play, Gallimard can no

longer live with the events that have taken place and decides to die an honorable death rather

than live a dishonorable life. After learning of his true nature and discovering who he really is,

he can neither accept himself nor continue living because of it. When he can finally come to

terms and accept his homosexuality, he realizes that things would no longer be the same; his

reputation had already been hindered and he would no longer be respected by his peers. The

social construction of gender can have a significant impact on individuals who do not fall under

the category of heterosexual. Gallimard had always struggled to conform with the social norms

and tried to appear more confident and powerful to show his masculinity.

Other interpretation may make it harder to analyze the controversies that come with the

socially constructed ideas of gender that are present within the play. What was originally

intended to be nothing more than just classification as biological gender got turned into a role

that people began to follow. This had a negative impact on many people and forced some

individuals to hide their true sexuality, being left with nothing but a feeling of suppression.

Although Hwangs play M. Butterfly did not directly state that Gallimard was a homosexual,

there was plenty reason to believe he was hiding his true nature and just avoiding reality. He fell

victim to the socially constricted idea of masculinity and femininity.

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Balaev, Michelle. "Performing gender and fictions of the nation in David Hwang's M. Butterfly."

Forum for World Literature Studies, vol. 6, no. 4, 2014, p. 608+. Literature Resource

Center, library.lavc.edu

Chang, Hsiao-hung. "Cultural/Sexual/Theatrical Ambivalence in M. Butterfly." Contemporary

Literary Criticism, edited by Jeffrey W. Hunter, vol. 196, Gale, 2005. Literature

Resource Center, library.lavc.edu

Hwang, David Henry. M. Butterfly. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 2008. Print.

Martin, Robert K. "Gender, Race, and the Colonial Body: Carson McCullers's Filipino Boy, and

David Henry Hwang's Chinese Woman." Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by

Jeffrey W. Hunter, vol. 196, Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center, library.lavc.edu