Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 2000. [Vol. 6.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 26)

Studies - András Tarnóc: "we deserve a Butterfly ": The Reversal of the Post-colonial Self in David Henry Hwang 's M. Butterfly

Eurocentrism, ethnocentrism, sexism, and a desire to dominate is on the search for the stereotypical Suzy Wong. For him this relationship offers a chance of redemption, a new start. Frustrated by the assertive and threatening presence of western women, including his wife Helga, and his lover Renee, he searches for the realization of his unconscious goals. But as she glides past him, beautiful, laughing softly behind her fan, don't we who are men sigh with hope? We, who are not handsome, nor brave, nor powerful, yet somehow believe, like Pinkerton, that we deserve a Butterfly. (2828) During the drama Gallimard is put on trial for several reasons. One is his obvious treason, as he is accused of passing military and diplomatic secrets to the Chinese, the second charge against him is leveled by the outside world for his ignorance, and the last point of his indictment singles him out for his domineering relationship with women. The drama also examines the issue of victimization occurring both on the physical and metaphysical level. Actual victimization denotes the mutual deception described in the play. Gallimard deceives Song, as his infatuation is not an honest one, but the product of a prejudice-formed mindset. Furthermore, he uses his relationship to his own advantage as his "native mistress" opens the way to a higher assignment. On the other hand, Song's deception of Gallimard is a total one, as not only is he not an opera singer, but a man impersonating a woman. Furthermore, the fraud goes so far, that Gallimard is made to believe to have sired a child. Metaphysical victimization occurs when stereotypes mutually held and nurtured by the characters clash. Gallimard conditioned by his European background arrives in the Far East with prefabricated images, and Song is not immune to seeing Westerners in disfigured concepts either as he refers to European females as "pasty big-thighed white women," (2835) or envisions France, or Paris, as a home of "cappuccinos, men in tuxedos and bad expatriate jazz"(2834). Objectification, viewed by Sartre as the basic source of all human conflicts (Tordai 22), is a crucial component of the drama as well. Demonstrated by his pleasure in achieving dominance over women via pornography, and through his belief in the Butterfly myth, Gallimard objectifies European and Asian women. He identifies 100