M. Butterfly (1988)- Short Story | Assignment

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Added on 2019-09-25

M. Butterfly (1988)- Short Story | Assignment

Added on 2019-09-25

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Origins of Play: 3 separate texts inspire M. Butterfly (1988)-- Short story, Opera, NY Times article true event inspires a short story by John Luther Longshort story inspires Opera by Giacommo Puccini, Madame Butterfly (1904)Act 1- Pinkerton in Japan, marries Butterfly (15), she converts to ChristianityAct 2- Pinkerton leaves for 3 years, Butterfly thinks he will return, she is renounced by Buddhist priest and familyAct 3- Pinkerton returns with new American wife, Kate, to take son; Butterfly commits ritual seppukuNY Times, May 11, 1980Bernard Boursicot- 20 year affair with a man he thought was a woman, had child as wellBoursicot’s self-deception puzzled him; he faced a subconscious self-deceptionSome specific theories to consider: Edward Said's Orientalism, Postcolonial studies (and Gender Studies)According to these theories and Said, a divide exists between the East and West;the divide is created, not existing naturallysuperiority of west over eastcolonialism “others” the “orient”the Orient is not an actual place, but an imagined place that is all of the “East” according to the “West”This orientalism, has created a false, constructed, understanding of Asians and Asian culture.the operative term here is created because impressions of the East are made up.A view of Asians and Asian culture is created that is overgeneralized through a western ethnocentric lens.this view of Asians and Asia in general is racialized and gender biasedcolonial view,male dominated viewexoticizing of women and the EastSetting of the Play:

M. Butterfly (1988)- Short Story | Assignment_1

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