David Henry Hwang's M Butterfly
"I've played out the events of my life night after night, always
searching for a new ending to my story, one where I will leave this cell
and return forever to my Butterfly's arms." (Hwang 3.3.1-4) With these
words of David Henry Hwang's play M Butterfly, we realize that we have
just been staring directly into the memories of Rene Gallimard. The fact
that Rene Gallimard serves as the narrator of his memories in the play M
Butterfly delivers an impression of the character behind Gallimard than
could ever be achieved by the viewing of the screenplay. The existence of
Marc in the play as seen from Gallimard's perspective, the fact that
Gallimard serves as the main organizer of ideas in the play, and the
differing roles of Helga in the two works all lead to very different
impressions and interpretations by the reader or viewer.
Gallimard's narration seems to be the most obvious difference
between the movie and the play. While reading the play, the audience has
an opportunity to get to know the personality of Rene Gallimard, as well
as his feelings about certain topics. Such insight can be very crucial in
the impression that a character makes on an audience. Gallimard's persona
is very evident in the opening lines of the play. He remarks initially
about the dimensions of the cell, the atmosphere, and the living
conditions. Immediately, this paints a picture for the reader that is
very accurate physically, and the reader sees that Gallimard is
straightforward, and says what he means without very much preamble. As
the opening scenes develop, we also see the side of Gallimard that is the
dreamer. Rene definitely has visions of perfection, and they are
demonstrated when he remarks RAlone in this cell, I sit night after
night, watching our story play through my head, always searching for a
new ending, one which redeems my honor , where she returns at last to my
arms.S (1.3.7-11) Gallimard can be classified as a dreamer, and not only
because he is confined to a prison cell for many years. He has a vision
of how life is supposed to be, and feels rewarded when
he conforms to a stereotype. For example, he says RI knew this little
flower was waiting for me to call, and, as I wickedly refused to do so, I
felt the first time that rush of power -- the absolute power of a man....
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... creation necessary to construct the story of the play while the
movie simply feeds the audience with information.
In conclusion, the audienceUs perception of Rene Gallimard is
much different in the play M Butterfly than in the movie of the same
title. Although David Henry Hwang wrote both the play and the screenplay,
the character development is far greater in the play. The reader must
create a picture of Gallimard by his impressions, reactions, and
interactions with characters from his past that simply do not exist in
the movie. Marc, Gallimard's best friend from school, does not exist in
the movie, but is the voice inside GallimardUs head throughout the play.
Helga, who exists in both works, has much more bearing in the book, again
shaping the readerUs impression of the kind of man that Gallimard really
is. The fact that the play employs a narrator and the movie does not
leads the reader down a different path, especially when the narrator is
Rene Gallimard himself. The human mind is one that is capable of creating
its own world. When viewing the movie, one sees a sense of Rene
GallimardUs world. When reading the play, one understands his world.
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