This paper analyzes the play M Butterfly by David Henry Hwang and how it relates to the concept of orientalism. The play is loosely based on a real affair between a French diplomat and a male Chinese opera singer. It discusses how the main character Song Liling, who poses as a woman, is able to wield power over the Western diplomat Gallimard through playing into Gallimard's orientalist fantasies of Asian femininity.

1. Lody Kristiyawan M
ORIENTALISM RELATION IN M
BUTTERFLY BY HENRY HWANG

2. In this paper the author tries to analyze a drama titled M Butterfly by David
Henry Hwang. The purpose of this analysis is to analyze the relation of the
orientalism aspect in this drama. The writer uses theory textual and close
reading method.
Keywords: M Butterfly, Henry Hwang, Orientalism
ABSTRACT

3. M Butterfly is a play by David Henry Hwang loosely based on the relationship
between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a male Peking
opera singer. The play premiered on Broadway in 1988 and won the
1988 Tony Award for Best Play.
INTRODUCTION

4. According to Merriam-Webster.com, “something (such as a style or manner)
associated with or characteristic of Asia or Asian”
The methodology on this study is relation of the orientalism on this play.
THEORY AND METHODS

5. The objects of research consist of material and formal object. Material object
in this study is David Henry Hwang’s M Butterfly and the formal object is how
can orientalism related to M Butterfly drama .
RESEARCH OBJECT

6. He was born in Los Angeles, California to Henry Yuan Hwang, a banker, and
Dorothy Hwang, a piano teacher. The oldest of three children, he has two
younger sisters. He received a Bachelor's degree in English from Stanford
University and attended the Yale School of Drama, taking literature classes.
He left once work shopping of new plays began since he already had a play on
in New York. His first play was produced at the Okada House dormitory at
Stanford after he briefly studied playwriting with Sam Shepard and María
Irene Fornés.
BIOGRAPHY OF DAVID HENRY
HWANG

7. The play was inspired by Giacomo Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly. The first act
introduces the main character, Rene Gallimard, who is a civil servant attached to
the French embassy in China. He falls in love with a beautiful Chinese opera diva,
Song Liling, who is actually a man masquerading as a woman. In traditional Beijing
opera, females were banned from the stage; all female roles and were played by
males. The first act ends with Gallimard returning to France in shame and living
alone after his wife, Helga, finds out about his affair with Song and leaves him.
Act two begins with Song coming to France and resuming the affair with
Gallimard. They stay together for 20 years until the truth is revealed, and
Gallimard is convicted of treason and imprisoned. Unable to face the fact that his
"perfect woman" is actually a man, that has been posing as a woman for 20 years
to be able to spy, he retreats deep within himself and his memories. The action of
the play is depicted as his disordered, distorted recollection of the events
surrounding their affair. The third act portrays Gallimard committing suicide while
Song watches and smokes a cigarette.
SUMMARY

8. M Butterfly is the reverse of true story about Madame Butterfly. In Madame
Butterfly, the Western is more powerful than the Eastern. Meanwhile in M
Butterfly, the Eastern is more powerful than Western. It shows when
Gallimard had an affair with Song Liling. Although Song is a male who
performed female roles in the opera, but Gallimard believed that Song is a
female. Later, Song became espionage to French. Song tried to make sure that
Gallimard believed that Song is a woman. Song did not want to have a sex
with the lamp on, so Gallimard would not know that Song is a man. Actually,
Gallimard felt that Song is a man, but he denied it. He ever asked Song to
strip in front of him with the lamp on, but suddenly he apologized to Song.
Knowing that Gallimard was powerless, Song decided to act like Eastern
female and it made Gallimard thought
DISCUSSION

9. M Butterfly is a play by David Henry Hwang loosely based on the relationship
between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a male Peking
opera singer. Hwang ultimately frames the affair between Gallimard and Song
as a mutual performance in which each engage in artificial Oriental
stereotypes for their personal gain.
CONCLUSION