It is a kind of stereotypes of Japanese culture: Japanese wife is submissive to husbands. It is unfairly of course, for different people have different characters. But an opera shows the composer’s point of view on Japanese women.
Professor said it is based on true stories. But in reality, the husband and wife should be grown-ups and they clearly know what to get and what to lose. Then it would be much more acceptable than in the opera, for Madam Butterfly is only 15 years old. Young little girl’s naïve is a reason for the tragedy. Audience want to blame her for her stubbornness and stupid, but why Madam butterfly acts like so is also understandable.
Madam butterfly changed her faith, she did not believe in the Japanese god anymore but began to thank the American God. This is a kind of unfair to the Japanese culture, it is like the America culture is superior to Japan’s. we even can say it is a culture invasion. Besides, Cio-Cio-san keeps singing that she is in a United States marriage, I feel she is very proud of Pinkerton nationality. It does show a western dominance in Japan.
As for the plot, tragedy is inevitable. “If a man captures a butterfly, he pierces it with a pin and sticks it on a board. ” Cio-Cio-san is the butterfly and Pinkerton’s love is the pin. I can only sigh for the madam butterfly.
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