Western Ideology of Orientalism in John Luther Long’s play...

Outline I. Introduction Topic sentence: II. Madame Butterfly The Western ideology of the Eastern exoticism and docility originates from the long historical context of imperialism and political tensions between the West and the East. Domestic struggles caused by political strife and war in the East, such as the Philippines during the American-Spanish War and China during the Opium Wars, created an opportunity for the West to infiltrate the destabilized Eastern countries. This access allowed the West to exercise a form of supremacy over Asia, as the East was seen as powerless and incapable of self-governance. Thus, considering themselves as racially and politically superior, the West adopted a â€Å"White Man’s Burden† mentality; it is the duty of the Western men to dominate the East and civilize the â€Å"uneducated† and â€Å"old-fashioned† Orientals. This historical framework would eventually construct the Oriental stereotype of the â€Å"Lotus Blossom† and the Oriental â€Å"Butterflyà ¢â‚¬ . As portrayed by the delicate and docile character, Hana-Ogi, in the film Sayonara (1957), the â€Å"Lotus Blossom† depicts an Oriental woman who is quiet, modest, and always submissive to her man. Writer Sui Seen further emphasizes this stereotypical figure in her description of Chinese merchant wives: â€Å"She has a true affection for her husband [†¦] She loves him because she has been given to him to be his wife. No question of â€Å"woman’s rights’ perplexes her. She takes no responsibility upon herself and wishesShow MoreRelatedThe Oriental And Gender Stereotype1230 Words   |  5 Pagesindy Coronado March 2, 15 HILD 7B A10923676 TA: Josh Newton 1:00-1:50 The Oriental and Gender Stereotype M.Butterfly, an opera by David Huang, is recognized as a reexamination of John Luther Long’s Madame Butterfly. During the beginning of the 20th century, Asian and Asian Americans were often perceived to a collective stereotype. Well-defined differences between the American Westerner and the Oriental are undermined in both of these readings as â€Å"the west† is seen as the more masculine region and