The Two Worlds

In M Butterfly, one of the predominant themes that David Henry Hwang builds throughout the entire play is the perception that the Eastern culture is ancient and deteriorating while the Western is new and thriving. While reading the play, a few characters bring up the fact that the Chinese people always mention how old China is - Helga: “What is it that Madame Su says? ‘We are a very old civilization.’” And then Gallimard comments from a Western perspective: “I walk around here, all I hear every day, everywhere is how old this culture is. The fact that ‘old’ may be synonymous with ‘senile’ doesn’t occur to them” (Act 1, Scene 7, p. 18). The way the east perceives itself is completely the opposite of what the West sees it as. While the Chinese believe that they are preserving their “ancient” culture in modern times, the West sees it as being arrogant and unwilling to adapt to a changing time. But it is surprising when Song, while talking to Galliard, states:

“France. France is a country living in the modern era. Perhaps even ahead of it. China is a nation whose soul is firmly rooted two thousand years in the past. What I do even pouring the tea for you now…it has… implications. The walls and windows say so. Even my own heart, strapped inside this Western dress… even it says things – things I don’t care to hear” (Act 1, Scene 10, p. 29).

Everything in China somehow relates back to their culture, from pouring a cup of tea to the windows. There are few aspects that make Song’s statement interesting. First is the fact that he is going against what the Eastern world treasures - its ancient culture. Even though he understands that the culture is within him and there is nothing he can do about it, he doesn’t want to listen to that nagging voice. This shows that the culture stereotype the West imposed on the East is truly just a stereotype. China might seem to hold on to its culture but many citizens actually would like to step aside and enter the modern world.