Reading Response - play by David Henry Hwang M. Butterfly Essay - 1

Reading Response - play by David Henry Hwang M. Butterfly - Essay Examplesha, Linlings love, and face the posterior revelation of Linlings true gender identity, Hwang creates a unique dramatic scope for his audience to experience the extremity of the Wests reaction to the orients self-decisive, so called, manly activity. The development of the Wests stereotypical masculinity and feminization of the Asians as a dominant theme of the play mainly revolves around Galliards tragically flawed predisposition to assume Liling as a woman. Whereas at one end of this gender-confused relationship, Gallimard represents the Wests traditional prejudiced attitudes and stereotypes about the Asians, in a broad term, about the oriental people, their culture and nations, Liling serves as a representative of the disguised oriental masculinity.Gallimard as a representative of the West hegemonic masculine self is prone to accept Song Liling as a girl. Indeed his perception of Song is a typical extension of his assumption of the Chinese and Asians in general. Again since Hwangs protagonist habitually is inclined to stereotype the Chinese women as subservient, compliant, submissive, and modest, the stereotypical feminine role, flawlessly played by Song Liling, keeps the righteousness of Songs identity away from being revealed to Gallimard, without much effort. Indeed Hwangs protagonists hegemonic and typical colonial attitude towards oriental cultures determines to the highest degree part the relationship between Gallimard and Song. Gallimards tendency to stereotype Asian women is evident in the following lines She is outwardly bold and outspoken, yet her heart is faint-hearted and afraid. It is the Oriental in her at war with her Western education. (27) The plays theme is serious and finally it turns into tragic. But the development of the theme is such that Hwangs play cannot but assume a slight comic smack due to reversed gender relation. Yet in the play, Hwangs primary tone i s serious, grave and tragic. His deconstructive approach to