David Henry Hwang's M Butterfly

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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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