M. Butterfly Summary
M. Butterfly is a novel by David Henry Hwang in which French diplomat Rene Gallimard conducts an affair with a Chinese woman named Song Liling. Song is later revealed to be both a man and a Communist spy.
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Gallimard enters into an affair with Song Liling, an opera singer. Gallimard views Song as the perfect "oriental" woman.
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Gallimard is recalled to France, briefly ending the affair. However, the Chinese government later deploys Song to France to continue spying on Gallimard.
- Gallimard is tried for espionage. At Gallimard's trial, Song publicly reveals that he is male. Disgraced, Gallimard dons Song's kimono and commits suicide.
Summary
M. Butterfly is a complex narrative that explores themes of love, deception, and cultural misunderstandings. The play intertwines elements of the opera Madame Butterfly, examining the illusions that characters create and the painful truths they eventually face. Through its unique storytelling, the play questions identities and the perceptions people hold about themselves and others.
Act I
Scenes 1-3
The story begins with Rene Gallimard in a modest prison cell in present-day Paris, recounting the mundanity of his daily life. Despite his circumstances, he claims a unique status as a "celebrity," a subject of gossip at social gatherings worldwide. This notion is supported by a scene where party-goers in Amsterdam and New York make jokes about him, with a suggestive undertone relating to sexual matters. In his solitude, Gallimard shares that he was once cherished by the "Perfect Woman." To reveal his tale, he insists the audience must understand Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, which he illustrates through a recording. As he narrates, his old friend Marc appears within his story, with Gallimard portraying Pinkerton, the American who captivates and ultimately abandons the Japanese Butterfly.
Scenes 4-5
The narrative shifts to France in 1947 at a school in Aix-en-Provence, where Marc encourages Gallimard to join a party filled with opportunities to meet women. Gallimard, however, is hesitant due to his insecurity around women. Back in his cell, Gallimard reflects on the plot of Madame Butterfly, noting the rarity of finding a woman wholly devoted in real life. As he recalls, he pulls out pornographic magazines from a crate, an embodiment of his longing. A pin-up girl materializes, echoing the tantalizing nature of his desires. Meanwhile, Comrade Chin appears, taking on the role of Butterfly’s maid, Suzuki, as Gallimard continues his story. He shares his marriage to Helga, a union motivated by career aspirations rather than love. He recalls his time in Beijing as a diplomat, when he first encountered "her" singing Madame Butterfly's tragic finale, leaving the identity of this woman a mystery.
Scenes 6-10
By Scene 6, the setting is Beijing in 1960 at the residence of the German Ambassador, where Gallimard is enraptured by Song Liling's performance of an aria from Madame Butterfly. He confesses his emotional response, though Song dismisses the tale's romanticism, instead inviting him to the Peking Opera. After Gallimard discusses the ego of the Chinese with Helga in Scene 7, he meets Song on Beijing's streets post-opera in Scene 8, accepting an invitation to her apartment. In Scene 9, he deceives Helga about his encounter with Song and dreams of Marc urging him towards an affair. Scene 10 recounts his first visit to Song’s flat, where they share tea, and Song expresses fear of societal scandal, leading Gallimard to misinterpret her fear as directed towards him.
Scenes 11-13
In Scene 11, Gallimard describes his tactical decision to test Song by ceasing contact for five weeks. Marc reappears, and they reminisce about Gallimard’s initial sexual experiences. Gallimard eventually reveals that Song wrote to him after six weeks of silence, desperately requesting his presence, letters which he ignored until guilt overcame him. By Scene 12, Gallimard discovers his impending promotion to head the intelligence division from Toulon, the French Ambassador. Scene 13 marks his return to Song after eight weeks, where he compares her potential surrender to that of Butterfly’s to Pinkerton. Song, initially resistant, soon acquiesces, embracing Gallimard with a kiss and preparing for intimacy, though she feigns inexperience.
Act II
Scenes 1-4
The second act opens in Gallimard’s cell, where he muses on Puccini's opera. The scene transitions back to 1960s...
(This entire section contains 1075 words.)
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Beijing, where Gallimard and Song cohabitate. Song laments the subjugation of women in China and praises Western values. A year later at the French Embassy, Toulon and Gallimard converse about Vietnam, with Gallimard asserting American dominance could lead to Vietnamese submission. In Scene 4, Comrade Chin instructs Song to extract information regarding American military plans in Vietnam from Gallimard, who remains unaware of the deception. Song, questioned by Chin for wearing a dress, claims it is a guise.
Scenes 5-8
Scene 5 outlines the couple's routine from 1961 to 1963, with Song expressing a wish to bear Gallimard’s child. In Scene 6, Gallimard becomes romantically involved with Renee, a Western student, as Toulon informs him of American plans against the South Vietnamese leader, a move Gallimard had advised. Faced with the threat of losing credibility should the plan fail, Gallimard visits Song after three weeks, initially intent on asserting control but soon finds himself genuinely in love. Song deceitfully claims to be pregnant, prompting Gallimard to propose. Song confides in Chin about needing a child to convince Gallimard of his paternity. In Scene 8, Gallimard promises divorce and marriage to Song, who declines, claiming unworthiness. He narrates that Song disappeared for three months, later returning with a child.
Scenes 9-11
By Scene 9, three years have passed to 1966, and Gallimard recounts the tumultuous climate in China that severed connections between locals and expatriates, leading to the confiscation of his shared apartment. Toulon sends Gallimard back to France due to his incorrect predictions about Sino-Western relations. Amid cultural upheaval, Song is coerced to admit foreign corruption and is sent to labor in fields for "rehabilitation." Scene 10, set in 1970, reveals Chin dispatching Song to France as a spy to use Gallimard for information. Scene 11 shifts to Paris between 1968 and 1970, with student protests as Gallimard confesses his affair with Song to Helga, seeking divorce. After a brief exchange with Marc, Song reunites with Gallimard, suggesting an impending revelation of truth that Gallimard must face.
Act III
The third act unfolds in a Parisian courtroom in 1986, where Song appears in masculine attire, revealing Gallimard’s long-term support for him and their "son," along with Gallimard’s handing over of sensitive documents. When questioned about Gallimard's awareness of his true gender, Song cryptically asserts that people believe what they wish. In Scene 2, Song tries to convince Gallimard that his love remains unchanged despite the revelation. Gallimard questions Song's harsh treatment. As Song disrobes, he dons Butterfly's robes, reminding Gallimard of the love they once shared. However, Gallimard, liberated from the illusions of the past two decades, rejects Song. Scene 3 returns to Gallimard in his cell, where he reflects on his idealized love for the "perfect Oriental woman," realizing it was he who sacrificed and was ultimately betrayed. Embracing his fate as Madame Butterfly, he dons a wig, make-up, and kimono, and ends his life in a final act of tragic completion, paralleling Butterfly's operatic demise.
