Remember to type up written practices for literature journal.
Close readings need to go deeper
Practice
"capitalist oriented feminism"
"bourgeoisie feminism"
state interpretation in close reading intro
e.g i interpret the text as a criticism on a hyper-fixated capitalist society that prevents women from pursuing a balance between their careers and their family
conversational fluid style therefore kitchen sink realism yes real
socialist feminism: women are oppressed due to their financial dependence on males, the role of capitalism in the oppression of women
"History is about forgetting the past" - Pranav Borude 2024
Write up the postmodernist notes Understanding Narrative Structure Exam Techniques for Literature Section One Analysing Drama
http://bit.ly/4cYFlFIFO
Postcolonialism terms for M. Butterfly
| When does Gallimard/Song change costume? | What into? | Why is this significant? |
|---|---|---|
| Act 1, Scene 3 | 'He pulls out a naval officer's cap from under his crate, pops it on his head, and struts about' | Gallimard takes on the appearance of a 'Western devil', seeking to appeal to what he sees as masculine |
| Act 1, Scene 5 | Song first appears literally playing Madame Butterfly from the opera | Song is first presented as the Madame Butterfly of Gallimard's imagination |
| Act 1, Scene 5 | Song changes into a wedding kimono | Symbolises Song submitting to the Western man and his wishes (marriage, which is also a Western thing fr fr) |
| Act 1, Scene 5 | Gallimard changes into a tuxedo | Representing Gallimard as a Western man, and culturally distinct from Song/Butterfly |
| Act 1, Scene 6 | Song acts as Madame Butterfly for the first time | Presenting the ending of Puccini's Madame Butterfly, while also beginning Gallimard's affair with Song |
| Act 1, Scene 7 | Gallimard changes from a tux to a casual suit | Returning to casual domestic life in a Western household + status/class |
| Act 1, Scene 8 | Song changes from traditional Peking opera clothes to 'simple baggy clothes' | Representing the difference between the facade of Chinese opera and the true visual wealth of the average Chinese man :) |
| Act 1, Scene 9 | Song is in a 'sheer robe' | Gallimard envisioning Song as seductive from a Western perspective |
| Act 1, Scene 10 | Song enters, 'dressed elegantly in a black gown from the twenties' | Song is appealing to the Western sense of beauty |
| Act 2, Scene 2 | Song is 'dressed in a chong sam' | Parallel between Gallimard wearing a casual suit to Song wearing traditional Chinese clothing, resisting the Western nature of the household (hybridity?!??) |
| Act 2, Scene 9 | Song, 'wearing a Mao suit, is dragged in from the wings as part of the upstage dance' | Symbolic of Song being punished for acting in a homosexual nature - the liberalism of the West is placed in contrast to the violent/authoritarian nature of Chinese society |
| Act 2, Scene 11 | Song enters, 'dressed as Butterfly in wedding dress' | Perhaps Gallimard is embellishing the truth to fit his narrative of Song as delicate and beautiful. |
| Act 3, Scene 1 | Song has 'completed the bulk of his transformation... He removes his wig and kimono... Underneath, he wears a well-cut suit.' | The facade around Song is removed, revealing Song to be a man. In a sense, Song adapts a Western costume, which is more accurate to his true identity, suggesting Song's betrayal is a Western thing?!?!?!!?!?!!! |
| Act 3, Scene 3 | Gallimard is 'donning the kimono' | Gallimard has transformed into the Butterfly of his dreams. He rejects the painful truth of reality and deludes himself, as he is absorbed |
Context
Aesthetics:
