The Non-Stereotypical Portrayal of Major Characters in Hwang's 'M.Butterfly' in an Attempt To Erode The Western Stereotypes Towards Those of Asians.
ABSTRACT
Dalam tugas akhir ini, saya akan menganalisis sebuah drama berjudul M.
Butterfly karya David Henry Hwang. Drama ini menggambarkan sejumlah stereotipe
negatif orang Asia yang diciptakan oleh orang Barat yang telah mengakar dan
tertanam dari masa-masa penjajahan. Stereotipe ini telah mengkontaminasi pikiran
dan menghakimi karakteristik seseorang hanya karena berdasarkan ras orang tersebut.
M. Butterfly menceritakan tentang seorang diplomat yang bernama Rene
Gallimard yang dikirim ke Beijing ketika perang Vietnam dan dia diawasi oleh
seorang mata-mata dari pemerintah China yaitu Song. Song berencana memperoleh
informasi politik dengan menyamar sebagai wanita dan memiliki karakteristik sesuai
dengan Madame Butterfly pada opera Madame Butterfly seperti diperkenalkan oleh
Hwang di dalam dramanya. Butterfly adalah salah satu contoh stereotipe wanita Asia.
Gallimard pun jatuh cinta terhadap Song karena dia menemukan wanita Asia yang
ideal layaknya Madame Butterfly dalam diri Song yang tunduk dan tidak berdaya
kepadanya. Stereotipe inilah yang akan menipu Gallimard selama 20 tahun dan
karena stereotipe ini pula Gallimard tidak mencurigai Song sebagai mata-mata,
apalagi sebagai laki-laki.
ii
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
Karya ini menjadi menarik ketika dibahas melalui pengambaran karakteristik
pada tokoh utama di dalam drama ini karena pengambaran karakteristik ini berbeda
dengan stereotipe yang selama ini ada dan hal tersebut terlihat sebagai salah satu
tujuan Hwang untuk mengikis stereotipe yang selama ini telah tertanam menjadi
kepercayaan
sejak
dulu.
Saya
akan
membahas
pula
bagaimana
Hwang
memperkenalkan stereotipe orang Asia dan Barat di dalam drama ini sebagai
usahanya untuk menyadarkan pembaca akan adanya stereotipe yang tidak adil atas
gambaran orang Asia dan Barat tersebut. Oleh karena itu, pembaca akan menjadi
waspada dengan stereotipe itu sendiri dan berhasrat ingin mengetahui bagaimana si
pengarang mengikis stereotipe yang telah lekat dalam pikiran orang-orang. Karena
itulah saya dalam Tugas Akhir ini juga akan menganalisis unsur pendobrakan dan
pengikisan stereotipe yang dilakukan oleh Hwang.
iii
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE………………………………………………………………….…………i
ABSTRACT………………………………….……………………….……………...ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS……..………………………….…………..…..…………iv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study………………………………………………………1
Statement of the Problem ……………………………………………………...4
Purpose of the Study…………………………………………………………...5
Methods of the Research……………………………………………………….5
The Organization of the Thesis………………………………………………...5
CHAPTER TWO: DISCUSSION ON NON-STEREOTYPICAL
IN M. BUTTERFLY…………………………………………………………6
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION……………………..……………………...24
BIBLIOGRAPHY……………..………………………..…………………………..27
APPENDICES
Synopsis of M. Butterfly………..……………………………………………29
Biography of the Author………...……………………………………………30
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Universitas Kristen Maranatha
APPENDICES
SYNOPSIS OF M. BUTTERFLY
Rene Gallimard, a French diplomat, who is sent to Beijing during the Vietnam
War, is being spied by Song who works for Chinese government. Song disguises as a
woman who has the same characteristics with Butterfly’s characters in Madame
Butterfly. In Beijing, Gallimard meets Song. He becomes an opera singer of Madame
Butterfly which is Gallimard’s favorite opera and it is also liked throughout the
Western world. The opera tells about a submissive beautiful Japanese woman who
waits for her Western lover for three years. She is known as Butterfly. Moreover, the
end of story she commits suicide.
Gallimard is so happy to find a woman that he fantasizes in Song. Moreover,
Song is willing to have a relationship with him. Unfortunately, when Gallimard
knows that he has already got Song’s love, Gallimard begins to abuse Song mentally.
Gallimard finds that he feels satisfied to see that Song is only silent and cries when
Song knows Rene has an affair with another woman. Furthermore, this submission is
the thing that makes Rene falls in love with Song.
29
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
Song is actually a smart man. Song succeeds to make Rene believe that Song
is a woman for about twenty years and has characteristics as Butterfly. In the end of
the story, Song appears as a man in French court to testify against Gallimard. The
result is Gallimard is sent to jail because his guilty of treason. He is accused to pass
political information which he gets from the diplomat. In this court Gallimard for the
first time knows that Song is a man. In the end of the story Gallimard decides to
commit suicide whereas Song succeeds to survive.
BIOGRAPHY OF DAVID HENRY HWANG
David Henry Hwang is a son from parents who are immigrant. His father
worked as a banker and his mother was a professor of piano. He was born in Los
Angeles in 1957.
Before graduating from Stanford University and earning his B.A in 1979, he
had already written his first play, FOB (Fresh Off The Boat) in 1978, which won the
1981 Obie Award as the best new play of the season when Joseph Papp brought it to
off-Broadway in New York. After finishing his study, he attended the famous Yale
School of Drama from 1980 to 1981.
In 1981, Hwang produced two more promising plays, The Dance and The
Railroad and Family Devotions which reveal the problems of immigrants who try to
be accepted and sometimes to avoid assimilation in a new culture. In 1985, he
married an artist Ophelia Y.M.Chong, but his marriage ended in divorce.
30
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
During 1980s, Hwang came up with wider issue in his work. He concerned in
race, gender and culture. In 1988 he produced M. Butterfly and this play won The
Tony award for the best play and this brought him as a major modern American
playwright.
31
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
People’s judgment of another group of people is sometimes unfair. Their
judgment is often based only on physical traits, such as age, sex, race, and nationality.
This kind of judgment is known as stereotype. ‘Stereotype is an oversimplified and
usually value laden view of the attitudes, behavior and expectations of a group or
individual’ (Edgar and Sedgwick, ed: 1994, 380). For example, in Popular Culture:
An
Introductory
Text
by
Nachbar
and
Lause(http://www.serve.com/shea/stereodf.htm), it says that ‘…we often find people
stereotyped around characteristics of age (“all teenagers love rock and roll and have
no respect for their elders.”), sex (“men want just one thing from a woman.”), race
(“all Japanese look and think alike”)…and nationality (“all Germans are Nazi
warmongers”)’.
These stereotypes make people treat another group unfairly. People see the
characteristics
of
some
people
only
1
based
on
their
own
assumption.
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
(http://www.serve.com/shea/stereodf.htm). People accept the stereotypes which are
believed as a fix image from the society while stereotypes are actually untrue images
as
further
suggested
by
Nachbar
and
Lause
(http://www.serve.com/shea/stereodf.htm), ‘the characteristic of stereotype is
erroneous: all stereotypes are false.’ So this false image is created by others.
During the colonization era, European countries such as Britain, France and
German created stereotypes of the people of colonized countries, including the
Easterners (the Orient) for the European’s benefit. Edward Said in his book
Orientalism says that ‘The Orient has helped to define Europe (or the West) as its
contrasting image, idea, personality, experience.’(Said: 1978, 1). Negative
stereotypes of the East are created by the West to make contrasting image of the
West. Said says ‘The discourse of orientalism circulated narratives about cruelty,
sensuality, despotism, laziness and so on which constitute the negative ‘other’
against which a positive identity could be constructed’ (Webster: 1996 , 120). These
stereotypes give a contrasting image that West is better than East, and that the West is
superior to the East. As Said says ‘Orientalism as a western style for dominating,
restructuring and having authority over the orient’. (Said: 1978, 3). For example,
there are stereotypes that Asians are helpless and pathetic (Kim: 1982, 14) and that
‘Mode of Oriental woman, she never spoke of herself, she never represented her
emotions, presence, or history.’ (Said: 1994, 6). These stereotypes give the effects to
show that Asian people are obedient and submissive people; as a result, their position
are below the Westerners.
2
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
One of the forms of superiority and Western power are shown from canonical
literary works. ‘canonical works do represent the ideals of Western civilization’.
(Guillory: 1993, 21). Canonical literary works represent dominant social group as
Western country and one work will become canonical work if they are seen to
support dominant country. ‘…works cannot become canonical unless they are seen to
endorse the hegemonic or ideological values of dominant social groups’. (Guillory:
1993, 19).
This case shows there is an unfair portrayal of the other groups outside the
Westerners because they are seen from Western’s perspective. So in 1970s, the postcolonialism begins to bring post-colonial writers expressed their voice. ‘Postcolonialism deals with many issues for societies that undergone colonialism…attempt
to articulate and even celebrate their cultural identities and reclaim them from the
colonizers’. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-colonialism).
I find that David Henry Hwang as an American playwright of Asian
descendant is one of the post-colonial writers who has a big awareness about Asian
life which is connected with Western and Asian values. It is seen from his works as
FOB in 1978 which focuses on a Chinese immigrant lives in Los Angeles. The life of
Chinese American is also shown in his two works in 1981 The Dance and The
Railroad and Family Devotion. (Meyer, 2001: 1295). From his work I find that he
usually expresses the cultural identity of Asian.
Later I choose his play M. Butterfly which was produced in 1988, because in
this play Hwang reveals the issue of stereotypes and wants to clarify about the
Western stereotypes negatively toward Asian. He wants to erode the Asian
3
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
stereotypes through the portrayal of the major characters. The characters are
portrayed differently with the stereotypes and is reversed the old the stereotypes of
the Asian and Westerner.
I have decided to analyze the portrayal of the major characters in M. Butterfly
because through the character, the reader can understand the author’s purposes.
Furthermore, the readers can understand the characters from the author’s description.
According to Roberts, ‘Character is a verbal representation of a human being as
presented to us by authors through the depiction of actions, conversations,
descriptions, reactions...’ (Roberts, 2003: 32). Through character, the readers can see
the representation of human being daily life.
M. Butterfly conveys the issues of racial and cultural prejudice which make
many critics regard Hwang as the most talented young playwright in The United
States. ‘when M. Butterfly was produced on Broadway, that he achieved astonishing
commercial success as well as widespread acclaim. His awards for this play include
the Outer Critic’s Circle Award for the best Broadway play.’(Meyer, 2001: 1295).
Since the end of 1988, M. Butterfly has been shown in theaters around the world.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1.
How does the author remind the readers of the Westerner’s stereotypes toward
Asian in M. Butterfly?
2.
How does the author portray the major Asian and Western characters in the
play?
3.
How does the author reverse the Western’s binary opposition through the
portrayal of the two major characters?
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Universitas Kristen Maranatha
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
1.
To analyze how the author reminds the readers of the Westerner’s stereotypes
toward Asian in M. Butterfly
2.
To analyze the portrayal of the major Asian and Western characters in the
play.
3.
To show the way of how the author reverses the Western’s binary opposition
through the portrayal of the two major characters
METHODS OF RESEARCH
I use library research as the method of research. First, I read the primary text,
M. Butterfly, written by David Henry Hwang; afterwards, I read several references
from the Internet that are relevant to the topic of the research. I also read the
biography of the playwright. Finally, I analyze the primary text itself and draw some
conclusions.
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
I divide my thesis into three chapters. Chapter One contains the Introduction,
which contains the Background of the study, the Statement of the Problem, the
Purpose of the Study, Method of Research and the Organization of the Thesis. In
Chapter Two I analyses the non-stereotypical portrayal of major characters in M.
Butterfly. In Chapter Three, I state my Conclusion. The Bibliography contains the list
of reference books which are used in writing the thesis. At the end of the thesis, I
insert the Appendices, which contain the Synopsis of M. Butterfly and the Biography
of David Henry Hwang.
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Universitas Kristen Maranatha
CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
The portrayal of the major characters in David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly is
used as an attempt to erode the stereotypes which have the negative images for a long
time. He conveys these purposes in three steps. First, he introduces the stereotypes in
Madame Butterfly which is created by Westerner. Second, Hwang creates the major
characters which are portrayed differently from the old stereotypes. Third, Hwang
reverses the position that Westerners are superior to Asians.
In the first step, I see that Hwang seems to agree with the old stereotypes. In
the beginnings, he portrays the Asian and Western major characters as the old
stereotypes. Therefore, to remind and make the reader aware about the stereotypes, he
uses Puccini’s opera, Madame Butterfly, as an example of Westerner’s perspective
about the ideal image of Asian and Westerner. Hwang uses the same stereotypes and
the same idea of the story in his play that portrays the Western character who gets
attracted to Asian woman who is helpless and submissive to Westerner. It makes
Westerner underestimate them. However, Hwang portrays the major characters the
24
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
same as the stereotypes in Madame Butterfly, later in the play he will reconstruct the
idea of the story and reverse the stereotypes.
M. Butterfly is about a French diplomat, Rene Gallimard, who is sent to
Beijing during Vietnam War, is being spied by Song who works for Chinese
Government. Gallimard meets Song and he falls in love with Song who has the same
characteristic with Butterfly in Madame Butterfly who is helpless and submissive to
Western character. Song is actually a man who disguises as an Asian woman to gain
political information.
The second step of eroding the stereotypes, Hwang creates the character of the
Asian and Westerner that are different with the stereotypes. This portrayal reverses
the old stereotypes. Song, the Asian character, is portrayed as smart, educated and
outspoken person. Song is a spy who disguises as an Asian woman and benefits these
stereotypes above to cheat Gallimard. Song deceives Gallimard and makes him
believe that Song is a typical Asian woman who is submissive and helpless. It makes
Song succeed to gain the political information
On the other hand, Rene, the Western character is the one who is helpless,
weak and stupid. Gallimard’s mind is trapped by the stereotype and the story of
Madame Butterfly. He admires this opera and he wishes to be in the same condition
as Pinkerton, the Western male character in Madame Butterfly who has power over
the submissive Madame Butterfly. Therefore, Gallimard finds and expects Song to
have an Asian woman characteristic as Madame Butterfly who is submissive to
Westerner. Furthermore, this makes Gallimard blinded and gradually surrender to
25
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
Song as he falls in love with her. He has believed for twenty years that Song is a
woman.
When Gallimard is helpless and surrenders to Song, the position of Westerner
as superior people is reversed. This is also the third step of Hwang to erode the
stereotypes that Asians are helpless and pathetic while the Westerners are powerful
and superior to Asians. He reverses the Western and Asian position. Through the
Asia character, Song’s position as Asian woman and man raises. Song as a woman
can control Gallimard’s mind. Song makes Gallimard fall in love and surrender to
Song. Moreover, Song’s position as a man is also superior to Gallimard. Song as a
spy is freed and he survives until the end of the story while Gallimard is still
imprisoned as he is accused of passing political information; furthermore, he decides
to commit suicide because he cannot bear his shame.
By eroding and reversing these stereotypes, I see that in M. Butterfly, Hwang
succeeds to raise the Asian position and erode the negative stereotype. In this play
Asian can show their true image and their strength.
From my analysis I conclude that Hwang succeeds to erode the stereotypes.
He erodes the Western stereotypes toward Asian who are helpless, pathetic and
submissive through the portrayal of the major characters who is differently with the
stereotypes .Furthermore, Hwang creates a new positive image that Asian is smart,
educated and outspoken.
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Universitas Kristen Maranatha
BIBLIOGRAPHY
REFERENCES:
Edgar, Andrew, and Peter Sedwick, ed. Key Concepts in Cultural Theory. London
and New York: Routledge, 1999.
Guillory, John. Cultural Capital: The Problem of Literary Canon Formation. Chicago:
Chicago University Press, 1993.
Kim, Elaine. H. Asian American Literature: An Introduction to The Writings & Their
Social Context. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1982.
Roberts, Edgar V. Writing About Literature. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc,
2003.
Said, Edward. Orientalism. New York: Vintase Books, 1994
Webster, Roger. Studying Literary Theory. London: Hodder Headline Group, 1996.
INTERNET WEB SITE:
Nachbar, Jack and Kevin Lause. Popular Culture : An Introductory Text. Ohio :
Bowling
Green
University,
1992.
10
Sept
2005
27
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
Drama: David Henry Hwang. 10 Sept. 2005
.
Post-colonialism
-
Wikipedia,
the
Free
Encyclopedia.
2
March
2006
.
PRIMARY TEXT:
Meyer, Michael. David Henry Hwang in ‘Thinking and Writing about Literature : A
Text and Anthology. Second Edition. Boston: Bedford, 2001.
28
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
Dalam tugas akhir ini, saya akan menganalisis sebuah drama berjudul M.
Butterfly karya David Henry Hwang. Drama ini menggambarkan sejumlah stereotipe
negatif orang Asia yang diciptakan oleh orang Barat yang telah mengakar dan
tertanam dari masa-masa penjajahan. Stereotipe ini telah mengkontaminasi pikiran
dan menghakimi karakteristik seseorang hanya karena berdasarkan ras orang tersebut.
M. Butterfly menceritakan tentang seorang diplomat yang bernama Rene
Gallimard yang dikirim ke Beijing ketika perang Vietnam dan dia diawasi oleh
seorang mata-mata dari pemerintah China yaitu Song. Song berencana memperoleh
informasi politik dengan menyamar sebagai wanita dan memiliki karakteristik sesuai
dengan Madame Butterfly pada opera Madame Butterfly seperti diperkenalkan oleh
Hwang di dalam dramanya. Butterfly adalah salah satu contoh stereotipe wanita Asia.
Gallimard pun jatuh cinta terhadap Song karena dia menemukan wanita Asia yang
ideal layaknya Madame Butterfly dalam diri Song yang tunduk dan tidak berdaya
kepadanya. Stereotipe inilah yang akan menipu Gallimard selama 20 tahun dan
karena stereotipe ini pula Gallimard tidak mencurigai Song sebagai mata-mata,
apalagi sebagai laki-laki.
ii
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
Karya ini menjadi menarik ketika dibahas melalui pengambaran karakteristik
pada tokoh utama di dalam drama ini karena pengambaran karakteristik ini berbeda
dengan stereotipe yang selama ini ada dan hal tersebut terlihat sebagai salah satu
tujuan Hwang untuk mengikis stereotipe yang selama ini telah tertanam menjadi
kepercayaan
sejak
dulu.
Saya
akan
membahas
pula
bagaimana
Hwang
memperkenalkan stereotipe orang Asia dan Barat di dalam drama ini sebagai
usahanya untuk menyadarkan pembaca akan adanya stereotipe yang tidak adil atas
gambaran orang Asia dan Barat tersebut. Oleh karena itu, pembaca akan menjadi
waspada dengan stereotipe itu sendiri dan berhasrat ingin mengetahui bagaimana si
pengarang mengikis stereotipe yang telah lekat dalam pikiran orang-orang. Karena
itulah saya dalam Tugas Akhir ini juga akan menganalisis unsur pendobrakan dan
pengikisan stereotipe yang dilakukan oleh Hwang.
iii
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE………………………………………………………………….…………i
ABSTRACT………………………………….……………………….……………...ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS……..………………………….…………..…..…………iv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study………………………………………………………1
Statement of the Problem ……………………………………………………...4
Purpose of the Study…………………………………………………………...5
Methods of the Research……………………………………………………….5
The Organization of the Thesis………………………………………………...5
CHAPTER TWO: DISCUSSION ON NON-STEREOTYPICAL
IN M. BUTTERFLY…………………………………………………………6
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION……………………..……………………...24
BIBLIOGRAPHY……………..………………………..…………………………..27
APPENDICES
Synopsis of M. Butterfly………..……………………………………………29
Biography of the Author………...……………………………………………30
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Universitas Kristen Maranatha
APPENDICES
SYNOPSIS OF M. BUTTERFLY
Rene Gallimard, a French diplomat, who is sent to Beijing during the Vietnam
War, is being spied by Song who works for Chinese government. Song disguises as a
woman who has the same characteristics with Butterfly’s characters in Madame
Butterfly. In Beijing, Gallimard meets Song. He becomes an opera singer of Madame
Butterfly which is Gallimard’s favorite opera and it is also liked throughout the
Western world. The opera tells about a submissive beautiful Japanese woman who
waits for her Western lover for three years. She is known as Butterfly. Moreover, the
end of story she commits suicide.
Gallimard is so happy to find a woman that he fantasizes in Song. Moreover,
Song is willing to have a relationship with him. Unfortunately, when Gallimard
knows that he has already got Song’s love, Gallimard begins to abuse Song mentally.
Gallimard finds that he feels satisfied to see that Song is only silent and cries when
Song knows Rene has an affair with another woman. Furthermore, this submission is
the thing that makes Rene falls in love with Song.
29
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
Song is actually a smart man. Song succeeds to make Rene believe that Song
is a woman for about twenty years and has characteristics as Butterfly. In the end of
the story, Song appears as a man in French court to testify against Gallimard. The
result is Gallimard is sent to jail because his guilty of treason. He is accused to pass
political information which he gets from the diplomat. In this court Gallimard for the
first time knows that Song is a man. In the end of the story Gallimard decides to
commit suicide whereas Song succeeds to survive.
BIOGRAPHY OF DAVID HENRY HWANG
David Henry Hwang is a son from parents who are immigrant. His father
worked as a banker and his mother was a professor of piano. He was born in Los
Angeles in 1957.
Before graduating from Stanford University and earning his B.A in 1979, he
had already written his first play, FOB (Fresh Off The Boat) in 1978, which won the
1981 Obie Award as the best new play of the season when Joseph Papp brought it to
off-Broadway in New York. After finishing his study, he attended the famous Yale
School of Drama from 1980 to 1981.
In 1981, Hwang produced two more promising plays, The Dance and The
Railroad and Family Devotions which reveal the problems of immigrants who try to
be accepted and sometimes to avoid assimilation in a new culture. In 1985, he
married an artist Ophelia Y.M.Chong, but his marriage ended in divorce.
30
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
During 1980s, Hwang came up with wider issue in his work. He concerned in
race, gender and culture. In 1988 he produced M. Butterfly and this play won The
Tony award for the best play and this brought him as a major modern American
playwright.
31
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
People’s judgment of another group of people is sometimes unfair. Their
judgment is often based only on physical traits, such as age, sex, race, and nationality.
This kind of judgment is known as stereotype. ‘Stereotype is an oversimplified and
usually value laden view of the attitudes, behavior and expectations of a group or
individual’ (Edgar and Sedgwick, ed: 1994, 380). For example, in Popular Culture:
An
Introductory
Text
by
Nachbar
and
Lause(http://www.serve.com/shea/stereodf.htm), it says that ‘…we often find people
stereotyped around characteristics of age (“all teenagers love rock and roll and have
no respect for their elders.”), sex (“men want just one thing from a woman.”), race
(“all Japanese look and think alike”)…and nationality (“all Germans are Nazi
warmongers”)’.
These stereotypes make people treat another group unfairly. People see the
characteristics
of
some
people
only
1
based
on
their
own
assumption.
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
(http://www.serve.com/shea/stereodf.htm). People accept the stereotypes which are
believed as a fix image from the society while stereotypes are actually untrue images
as
further
suggested
by
Nachbar
and
Lause
(http://www.serve.com/shea/stereodf.htm), ‘the characteristic of stereotype is
erroneous: all stereotypes are false.’ So this false image is created by others.
During the colonization era, European countries such as Britain, France and
German created stereotypes of the people of colonized countries, including the
Easterners (the Orient) for the European’s benefit. Edward Said in his book
Orientalism says that ‘The Orient has helped to define Europe (or the West) as its
contrasting image, idea, personality, experience.’(Said: 1978, 1). Negative
stereotypes of the East are created by the West to make contrasting image of the
West. Said says ‘The discourse of orientalism circulated narratives about cruelty,
sensuality, despotism, laziness and so on which constitute the negative ‘other’
against which a positive identity could be constructed’ (Webster: 1996 , 120). These
stereotypes give a contrasting image that West is better than East, and that the West is
superior to the East. As Said says ‘Orientalism as a western style for dominating,
restructuring and having authority over the orient’. (Said: 1978, 3). For example,
there are stereotypes that Asians are helpless and pathetic (Kim: 1982, 14) and that
‘Mode of Oriental woman, she never spoke of herself, she never represented her
emotions, presence, or history.’ (Said: 1994, 6). These stereotypes give the effects to
show that Asian people are obedient and submissive people; as a result, their position
are below the Westerners.
2
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
One of the forms of superiority and Western power are shown from canonical
literary works. ‘canonical works do represent the ideals of Western civilization’.
(Guillory: 1993, 21). Canonical literary works represent dominant social group as
Western country and one work will become canonical work if they are seen to
support dominant country. ‘…works cannot become canonical unless they are seen to
endorse the hegemonic or ideological values of dominant social groups’. (Guillory:
1993, 19).
This case shows there is an unfair portrayal of the other groups outside the
Westerners because they are seen from Western’s perspective. So in 1970s, the postcolonialism begins to bring post-colonial writers expressed their voice. ‘Postcolonialism deals with many issues for societies that undergone colonialism…attempt
to articulate and even celebrate their cultural identities and reclaim them from the
colonizers’. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-colonialism).
I find that David Henry Hwang as an American playwright of Asian
descendant is one of the post-colonial writers who has a big awareness about Asian
life which is connected with Western and Asian values. It is seen from his works as
FOB in 1978 which focuses on a Chinese immigrant lives in Los Angeles. The life of
Chinese American is also shown in his two works in 1981 The Dance and The
Railroad and Family Devotion. (Meyer, 2001: 1295). From his work I find that he
usually expresses the cultural identity of Asian.
Later I choose his play M. Butterfly which was produced in 1988, because in
this play Hwang reveals the issue of stereotypes and wants to clarify about the
Western stereotypes negatively toward Asian. He wants to erode the Asian
3
Universitas Kristen Maranatha
stereotypes through the portrayal of the major characters. The characters are
portrayed differently with the stereotypes and is reversed the old the stereotypes of
the Asian and Westerner.
I have decided to analyze the portrayal of the major characters in M. Butterfly
because through the character, the reader can understand the author’s purposes.
Furthermore, the readers can understand the characters from the author’s description.
According to Roberts, ‘Character is a verbal representation of a human being as
presented to us by authors through the depiction of actions, conversations,
descriptions, reactions...’ (Roberts, 2003: 32). Through character, the readers can see
the representation of human being daily life.
M. Butterfly conveys the issues of racial and cultural prejudice which make
many critics regard Hwang as the most talented young playwright in The United
States. ‘when M. Butterfly was produced on Broadway, that he achieved astonishing
commercial success as well as widespread acclaim. His awards for this play include
the Outer Critic’s Circle Award for the best Broadway play.’(Meyer, 2001: 1295).
Since the end of 1988, M. Butterfly has been shown in theaters around the world.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1.
How does the author remind the readers of the Westerner’s stereotypes toward
Asian in M. Butterfly?
2.
How does the author portray the major Asian and Western characters in the
play?
3.
How does the author reverse the Western’s binary opposition through the
portrayal of the two major characters?
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PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
1.
To analyze how the author reminds the readers of the Westerner’s stereotypes
toward Asian in M. Butterfly
2.
To analyze the portrayal of the major Asian and Western characters in the
play.
3.
To show the way of how the author reverses the Western’s binary opposition
through the portrayal of the two major characters
METHODS OF RESEARCH
I use library research as the method of research. First, I read the primary text,
M. Butterfly, written by David Henry Hwang; afterwards, I read several references
from the Internet that are relevant to the topic of the research. I also read the
biography of the playwright. Finally, I analyze the primary text itself and draw some
conclusions.
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
I divide my thesis into three chapters. Chapter One contains the Introduction,
which contains the Background of the study, the Statement of the Problem, the
Purpose of the Study, Method of Research and the Organization of the Thesis. In
Chapter Two I analyses the non-stereotypical portrayal of major characters in M.
Butterfly. In Chapter Three, I state my Conclusion. The Bibliography contains the list
of reference books which are used in writing the thesis. At the end of the thesis, I
insert the Appendices, which contain the Synopsis of M. Butterfly and the Biography
of David Henry Hwang.
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CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
The portrayal of the major characters in David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly is
used as an attempt to erode the stereotypes which have the negative images for a long
time. He conveys these purposes in three steps. First, he introduces the stereotypes in
Madame Butterfly which is created by Westerner. Second, Hwang creates the major
characters which are portrayed differently from the old stereotypes. Third, Hwang
reverses the position that Westerners are superior to Asians.
In the first step, I see that Hwang seems to agree with the old stereotypes. In
the beginnings, he portrays the Asian and Western major characters as the old
stereotypes. Therefore, to remind and make the reader aware about the stereotypes, he
uses Puccini’s opera, Madame Butterfly, as an example of Westerner’s perspective
about the ideal image of Asian and Westerner. Hwang uses the same stereotypes and
the same idea of the story in his play that portrays the Western character who gets
attracted to Asian woman who is helpless and submissive to Westerner. It makes
Westerner underestimate them. However, Hwang portrays the major characters the
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same as the stereotypes in Madame Butterfly, later in the play he will reconstruct the
idea of the story and reverse the stereotypes.
M. Butterfly is about a French diplomat, Rene Gallimard, who is sent to
Beijing during Vietnam War, is being spied by Song who works for Chinese
Government. Gallimard meets Song and he falls in love with Song who has the same
characteristic with Butterfly in Madame Butterfly who is helpless and submissive to
Western character. Song is actually a man who disguises as an Asian woman to gain
political information.
The second step of eroding the stereotypes, Hwang creates the character of the
Asian and Westerner that are different with the stereotypes. This portrayal reverses
the old stereotypes. Song, the Asian character, is portrayed as smart, educated and
outspoken person. Song is a spy who disguises as an Asian woman and benefits these
stereotypes above to cheat Gallimard. Song deceives Gallimard and makes him
believe that Song is a typical Asian woman who is submissive and helpless. It makes
Song succeed to gain the political information
On the other hand, Rene, the Western character is the one who is helpless,
weak and stupid. Gallimard’s mind is trapped by the stereotype and the story of
Madame Butterfly. He admires this opera and he wishes to be in the same condition
as Pinkerton, the Western male character in Madame Butterfly who has power over
the submissive Madame Butterfly. Therefore, Gallimard finds and expects Song to
have an Asian woman characteristic as Madame Butterfly who is submissive to
Westerner. Furthermore, this makes Gallimard blinded and gradually surrender to
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Song as he falls in love with her. He has believed for twenty years that Song is a
woman.
When Gallimard is helpless and surrenders to Song, the position of Westerner
as superior people is reversed. This is also the third step of Hwang to erode the
stereotypes that Asians are helpless and pathetic while the Westerners are powerful
and superior to Asians. He reverses the Western and Asian position. Through the
Asia character, Song’s position as Asian woman and man raises. Song as a woman
can control Gallimard’s mind. Song makes Gallimard fall in love and surrender to
Song. Moreover, Song’s position as a man is also superior to Gallimard. Song as a
spy is freed and he survives until the end of the story while Gallimard is still
imprisoned as he is accused of passing political information; furthermore, he decides
to commit suicide because he cannot bear his shame.
By eroding and reversing these stereotypes, I see that in M. Butterfly, Hwang
succeeds to raise the Asian position and erode the negative stereotype. In this play
Asian can show their true image and their strength.
From my analysis I conclude that Hwang succeeds to erode the stereotypes.
He erodes the Western stereotypes toward Asian who are helpless, pathetic and
submissive through the portrayal of the major characters who is differently with the
stereotypes .Furthermore, Hwang creates a new positive image that Asian is smart,
educated and outspoken.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
REFERENCES:
Edgar, Andrew, and Peter Sedwick, ed. Key Concepts in Cultural Theory. London
and New York: Routledge, 1999.
Guillory, John. Cultural Capital: The Problem of Literary Canon Formation. Chicago:
Chicago University Press, 1993.
Kim, Elaine. H. Asian American Literature: An Introduction to The Writings & Their
Social Context. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1982.
Roberts, Edgar V. Writing About Literature. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc,
2003.
Said, Edward. Orientalism. New York: Vintase Books, 1994
Webster, Roger. Studying Literary Theory. London: Hodder Headline Group, 1996.
INTERNET WEB SITE:
Nachbar, Jack and Kevin Lause. Popular Culture : An Introductory Text. Ohio :
Bowling
Green
University,
1992.
10
Sept
2005
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Drama: David Henry Hwang. 10 Sept. 2005
.
Post-colonialism
-
Wikipedia,
the
Free
Encyclopedia.
2
March
2006
.
PRIMARY TEXT:
Meyer, Michael. David Henry Hwang in ‘Thinking and Writing about Literature : A
Text and Anthology. Second Edition. Boston: Bedford, 2001.
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