M. Butterfly

Throughout human history, societies have divided members into varying groups based on stereotypes-- using simplified images to bring special meaning to traits held in common by members of each group. These stereotypes are usually learned behavior and are spoon-fed to families and communities as they are passed down from one generation to the next. However, each individual must make the personal choice whether or not to incorporate these impressions into their own belief system.

Stereotypes are more often negative than positive and are not always based on fact, but rather on perceptions and illusions. Illusions, on the other hand, are a form of deception, seen as something objectively existing in such a way as to cause misinterpretation of its actual nature. As a result, illusions can generate a sense of mystery, excitement, and anticipation for the people who harbor them.

Unlike stereotypes, illusions are created or interpreted by the limits of our own imagination, and we choose whether or not to become swayed by our fantasies. Stereotyping can in some cases create illusions, as is the case in M. Butterfly, where Gallimard was blinded by his Western male fantasies about the submissive nature and tendencies of Asian women.(Stratton Pg1)

Most people probably like to think of themselves as being impartial, unaffected by the conventionalized ideas that make up many of the stereotypes they see around them. However, stereotypical thinking plays a very powerful role in our perceptions and dealings with people of other cultures--even more so, perhaps, than we care to admit. Maybe stereotypes are so persistent because they prove useful, providing shortcuts to our thinking in areas where we are unsure of ourselves, or skeptical about how we should think concerning a given situation.

Stereotypes occasionally creep into our lives in unexpected ways, and are even perpetuated in our literature, paintings, films, music and other art forms. We see examples of this in movies and television programming, which throughout the years have influenced our perceptions about Asians in both positive and negative ways.(Major Pg 3)

Hollywood has a long history of portraying Asian women as exotic, and they also are often portrayed as erotic, sensual and overly sexual. Examples of these stereotypes can be seen in movies like Sayonara, Walk Like a Dragon, Flower Drum Song, and The World of Suzy Wong. In each case, oriental women are depicted as assuming a sexual allure and are viewed as both mysterious and subservient. These images portrayed by the media moguls in Hollywood have no doubt helped endorse already existing stereotypes in mainstream society.

The combination of quiet submission and overt sexuality as portrayed in M. Butterfly is further evidence of this characterization. (Hicks pg 2) In this play, Gallimard feeds his fantasy of being with an Asian woman with artful guile, his illusion inspired by Asian stereotypes. When asked if he had ever seen his girlfriend naked, he answers: "I thought she was very modest. I thought it was a Chinese custom." Had Gallimard been attracted to a woman from a Western culture, this self-deception would have been much harder to achieve, and to believe. Although it is customary in China to bow and blush, Gallimard fell in love not with the person, but with the fantasy, the stereotype. (Rich 1)

It seems hard to imagine that those that have read or seen the play--particularly the French, who stereotypically view themselves as somewhat expert in affairs of the heart--would believe that Gallimard could have had a intimate relationship with someone for twenty years and not have known that the object of his desires was, in fact, a man. In reality, he pretended not to know because he did not want to impinge upon his desire to have a Madame Butterfly of his very own. It has been suggested that Gallimard was indeed blinded by his Western fantasies--the fantasy of the oriental women as a submissive servant. (Ebert 2)

The level of satisfaction we achieve for out sexual desires is often controlled by the images we create in our minds. While a person's sexual behavior can be influenced by many factors--including things like genetics, parental upbringing and religious beliefs--how we end up acting out sexually also can be influenced by the mental images that shape our imaginations. These images are sometimes influenced by stereotypes that cannot easily be changed, and that can have dangerous consequences. When Gallimard entered into his whirlwind illusion, for example, his self-deception not only allowed him to engage in a fantasy relationship but also permitted him to be undone by a spy. (Moy) In this case, this illusion, this false perception of reality, was self destructive since it led to Gallimard's eventual downfall.(Davis 6)

The way Gallimard slipped into ruination by crossing the line of healthy fantasy into a world of false conceptions got me thinking about the way we allow illusions to influence our daily lives. It is one thing to hope that something can happen, or to wish for something we desire to occur. It's an entirely different circumstance to be convinced that something will happen simply by believing in it. It's clear that illusions can lead to destructive behavior, as illustrated by the case of Gallimard in M. Butterfly. When our perception of reality is altered to such a state where we are seeing only what we want to see, instead of what is actually occurring, we begin to enter into a very dangerous area. When we begin to act on these illusions, however, we only add to the problem. In the play M. Butterfly there were times when Gallimard was totally absorbed in his own false