M Butterfly

The film, “M Butterfly,” combines the topics of gender, ethnicity, politics, and the arts by demonstrating how these are all expected and accepted by society. Each topic holds certain expectations by society, and this film demonstrates what happens when these expectations aren’t followed or met.

The film shows the expectations for gender roles through Song Liling and Jeanne Gallimard. Acting as a Chinese woman, Song was expected to, as Gary Shteyngart would say, “protect the mystery,” especially from the white man. For Jeanne Gallimard, her absence in presence throughout the film demonstrated how she was expected to be at home. Instead of going to all the functions that Rene went to, besides the office party, Jeanne was absent from the music show and the Chinese opera. Another interesting example of how women are seen in society is demonstrated when Song says, “because men are the only ones who know how a woman should act.” This implies that the man controls the woman. Their actions are only accepted by the standards of men.

Different ethnicities have different connotations and expectations within society. This was most clearly seen when Song explains to Rene the difference between the two situations of “Madam Butterfly”. If the story had been between a white woman and an Asian man, people would feel differently and not find the story beautiful anymore. This demonstrates the supremacy of the white race in society. It shows that everything becomes circumstantial when it comes to race. This is also connected to politics within society. Because the white race is known as superior, it is natural for society to accept them as the main political force. This can be seen with the power that the French hold in Beijing.

In the film, the arts play a role in joining the two worlds of the French and the Chinese. “Madam Butterfly” had always been seen as a Western piece of art, but it affected Rene to see it in a different way when Song performed a scene from it. This new perspective acted as a way for a more in depth understanding of this particular piece of work.