解构主义分析M.Butterfly.ppt

1、M.Butterfly,Madame Butterfly Pinkerton (Westerner) Cho一Cho一San，(Esterner),M. Butterfly Gallimard (Westerner) Song Liling (Esterner),obey,control,control,obey,Deconstruction as a theory,Logocentrism: Things are patterned on binary opposition, the two opposites of which do not live in harmonious balan

2、ce but in a hierarchical order and in which one perches in a predominant position, controlling the order. Binary Oppositions: For each center, there exists an opposing center. In each of these binary oppositions, one concept is superior and defines itself by its opposite or inferior center. Derrida

3、objects to these hierarchal binaries as the basis for Western metaphysics.,Orientalism,Occidental race and culture (advantages in economy and military, physically, mentally and morally superior),Control, rebuild and rule,Oriental race and culture (inferior, submissive and of lower status),Subordinat

4、e to,Two types,Deconstruction of the binary opposition of East and West in M.Butterfly,Subordination the resolution of subordination,Ingratiation the resolution of ingratiation,Subordination the resolution of subordination,The first encounter,Song Liling and Gallimard have different opinions in the

5、relationship between Westerners and Easterners.,“Its one of your favorite fantasies, isnt it? The submissive Oriental woman and the cruel white man. Consider it this way: what would you say if a blonde homecoming queen fell in love with a short Japaness busineseman? but because its an Oriental who k

6、ills herself for a Westernerah!you find it beautiful.”,Song Liling,“So much for protecting her in my big western arms.”,Gallimard,“Hard as I try to be modern, to speak like a man, to hold a Western womans strong face up to my ownin the end, I fail. A small, frightened heart beats too quickly and giv

7、es me away. I am a Chinese girl”,Song Liling,This made Gallimard believe his theory even more: Oriental women felt inferior to Western women-and to western men. It is as if the Orient will surely surrender to the Occident.,But later on Song pretended to be obedient and weak in order to make him more

8、 obsessed with her.,But as the plot goes on, we see David Hwang does not portray Song Liling to cater to Westerners stereotype. Song appeared to be weak and obedient, but actually she was the one who controls the overall situation. What Song has to do is pretending to be subordinate and obedient to

9、her Western lover, so that his Western arrogance can be satisfied.,The end of the story,Gallimard: committed suicide,Song Liling: regained his identity as a man.,(wearing Madame Butterflys Costume),“My name is Rene Gallimardalso known as Madame Butterfly”.,Gallimard: the one in dark Song Liling: the

10、 one in charge of everything. So, we can see that the East is not subordinate to West in this case, thus ,the binary opposition of East and West is deconstructed.,Ingratiation the resolution of ingratiation,In Madame Butterfly: East ingratiates the West. This fits Westernerss assumption that good Ea

11、sterners will be unnoticeably influenced by Western culture and civilized by it. In M.Butterfly: We see a Westerner obsessed with China, Chinese woman and Chinese culture.,Example 1,Gallimards wife asked Gallimard to go to the doctor for a check-up to see why they could not bear a child after many y

12、ears of marriage. Hearing this, Song tried to educate Gallimard about the ancient Chinese culture:,“ In Imperial China, when a man found that one wife was inadequate, he turned to another to give him his son.”,Example 2,When Gallimard claimed that he wanted to see Song Liling naked, Song was so furi

13、ous that she praises the Oriental women as “modest”, while burst out to criticize Western women and their behaviors: Western culture And Gallimard actually approved all these as they fit his interest and fantasy.,“So you want me to-whatstrip? Like a big cowboy girl?”,the uncivilized and the primitiv

14、e culture that was not comparable to the ancient and advanced Chinese culture.,So in this play, the Westerner started to identify with the East, but the Eastern culture he was obsessed with is not the Eastern culture in the real sense. The East does not ingratiate to West in this case. Thus the bina

15、ry opposition of East and West is again deconstructed.,A brief conclusion,So M.butterfly should not be regarded as a purely anti-Western play, a criticism against the stereotyping of the East by the West. On the Contrary, just as Hwang says in his “Afterword”, the play is “ a plea to all sides to cut through humans respective layers of cultural and sexual