Tragic Butterfly

Today I share a song from my favorite opera!  Actually it’s the only opera I know.  The song is called “Love Duet.” The opera is Puccinni’s Madama Butterfly. The story is brutal.  You’ll hear it in the song and see it in the video - a beautiful but naive Japanese teenager throws her life away for the love of a cynical American sailor.

In English 201, we read  M. Butterfly,  a crazy theatre piece based on a true-to-life love affair between a French diplomat and a Chinese opera singer. The action takes place during the sixties which I like because we learn about the Chinese Cultural Revolution and the Vietnam War.   We talk about cultural conflict both a personal and political levels. The protagonist of the play is a man named Rene Gallimard who is obsessed with the Asian Mystique: “I have a vision.  Of the Orient,” he says. “That, deep with its almond eyes there are still women.  Women willing to sacrifice themselves for the love of a man.  Even a man whose love is completely without worth.” 

The story goes like this: working as a French diplomat, Rene carries on a torrid love affair with a beautiful Chinese Opera singer only to find the women of his dreams is indeed a man.  How can that possibly happen?  They were friends, lovers and confidants – intimate the whole way – for TWENTY years!  Rene only learns of the deception much later when he is accused of treason by his own government.  In the courtroom, not the bedroom, he finds out that his Song (that’s her name) is an agent of the Chinese government.   Blinded by love, he’s been used – he’s passed on sensitive political information.    He’s thrown his life down a deep dark hole that he will never crawl out of.

Throughout  M. Butterfly Rene obsesses with the the story Madama Butterfly.  More than anything he’s always dreamt for a life of passion. Well, he got what he wished for….

Although the story is often difficult to follow, I’m happy to have read it for opening my eyes to an entire new world.  I’ve never read much before about Asian culture.  Mr. Lewenstein helped us see the parallels between the opera and the play.  Both end in horrible tragedy.  In class we our discussed Orientalism, Imperialism, Feminity and the Male Ego.  “Do you know why women’s roles in the Peking Opera are always played by men?” This is a line from the play.   I didn’t know, but I do now.  China was and probably still is an oppressive state.  The story teaches us an important lesson about gender equality:  Women should never allow themselves to become passive or submissive.

Their voices need to be heard.