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| Appropriating SSTLS for an internet (email) prank. |
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
M. Butterfly: Labyrinth of Gender, Eroticism, and Sex
M. Butterfly follows the story of a French diplomat who falls in love with a Chinese opera singer, only to find out some twenty years later, when the two stand trial for espionage, that his lover is actually a man. Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly serves as the backdrop for this fictionalized recreation. David Hwang examines the racial/cultural and gender stereotypes and biases that cloud the lenses through which we perceive the relationships between men and women, East and West. His intentions are always clear, however hidden between intricate layers of story-line. Song's biological identity is suggested throughout the play, yet the announcement of this truth during the trial is nonetheless shocking. The identity of Song is denied by the reader, as well as by Gillimard - a victim (and perpetrator) of of the collective patriarchal and Western psyches, the obstinate perpetuation of sexism and Orientalism. His ability to understand "the other" was significantly hindered by a self-inflicted (dangerous) obstruction of reality. An important overarching theme in this play is: fantasy vs. reality, a theme that often overshadows the important ideas of socially and culturally fabricated dichotomies that are used to uphold sexist and imperialistic views of the world. It is interesting to note, that the blunders of sexism and racism are highlighted in the misinformed actions of Gilimard.
Song is first introduced in the stage directions of Act 1, scene 1:
Upstage Song, who appears as a beautiful woman in traditional Chinese garb, dances a traditional piece from the Peking Opera, surrounded by the percussive clatter of Chinese music. In first reading, this was simply a helpful direction in conceptualizing the scene. However, after re-reading the introduction of this character it seems to be the first suggestion (among many) of Song's biological sex. The next important suggestion by the author is seen in the SCENE 2 dialogue:
WOMAN. Yes. Isn't it mad?
MAN 2. (Laughing) He says ... it was dark ... and she was very modest! (The trio break into laughter.)
MAN 1. So - what? He never touched her with his hands?
MAN 2. Perhaps he did, and simply misidentified the equipment. A compelling case for sex education in the schools.
...
MAN 1. That's impossible! How could he not know?
MAN 2. Simple ignorance.
MAN 1. For twenty years?
MAN 2. Time flies when you're being stupid.
From this point forward, any minimal suggestions become amplified. The underlying biological truth is central to the play, and to understanding the implications of sexism and orientalism. As a central theme - leading both to the aforementioned, as well as to fantasy/ reality dichotomy.
The Real M. Butterfly
Shi Pei Pu, Singer, Spy and ‘M. Butterfly,’ Dies at 70
Associated Press
Shi Pei Pu in the mid-1960s.
Mr. Shi (pronounced Shuh), who was convicted of espionage in France in 1986 along with his lover, Bernard Boursicot, was believed to be 70. He had also been believed for years to be a woman, at least by Mr. Boursicot, who served time in prison after the affair and became a laughingstock in France.
Mr. Boursicot, who is 64 and has been living in a nursing home in France while recovering from a stroke, showed no sadness when he learned of Mr. Shi’s death in a telephone interview.
“I’m not surprised,” he said, in a tone that suggested weariness with a former lover’s theatrics. “It is a long time he has been sick. Now it’s over 40 years.”
Asked if he had any sadness at all, Mr. Boursicot said: “He did so many things against me that he had no pity for, I think it is stupid to play another game now and say I am sad. The plate is clean now. I am free.”
In the 1988 Broadway play and the 1993 film “M. Butterfly,” Bernard Boursicot was depicted as a high-ranking diplomat and Shi Pei Pu as a beautiful female opera singer who met in 1964. In fact, Mr. Boursicot was a 20-year-old high school dropout who had finagled a job as an accountant at the newly opened French Embassy in Beijing. His few sexual experiences had been with male schoolmates, and he was determined to fall in love with a woman, he wrote in his diary.
Shi Pei Pu was 26 when they met, delicate and charming. He lived as a man and taught Chinese to the diplomatic wives. He told Mr. Boursicot that he had been a singer and a librettist in the Beijing Opera. One perfect night in the Forbidden City Mr. Shi told Mr. Boursicot a story no romantic could resist: Mr. Shi said he was a woman who had been forced to go through life as a man, because her father required a son. A short time later, the men became lovers, although the sex, Mr. Boursicot would later say, was fast and furtive, always carried out in the dark.
When the affair was discovered by the Chinese authorities, Mr. Boursicot passed them French documents, first from the embassy in Beijing and later from his posting at the consulate in Ulan Bator, Mongolia.
Mr. Boursicot spent most of his life outside China and was romantically involved with men and women. On his rare visits to Shi Pei Pu, sexual contact was circumscribed. On one visit, Mr. Shi presented him with a 4-year-old boy, Shi Du Du, who Mr. Shi said was their son.
In 1982, Mr. Boursicot — then living openly with a male companion, Thierry Toulet — was able to arrange for Shi Pei Pu and Shi Du Du to live with him in Paris. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu were arrested. Mr. Shi first told the police he was a woman, but he admitted the truth to prison doctors, showing them how he hid his genitals.
Shi Du Du explained the mystery of where he came from in his statement to the police: he was from China’s Uighur minority, he said, and had been sold by his mother. “It was not that my mother did not love me,” he said. ”We were starving.”
Mr. Boursicot, hearing that Shi Pei Pu was a man and always had been, sliced his throat with a razor blade in prison.
In 1986, Mr. Shi and Mr. Boursicot received six-year sentences for espionage. They were pardoned a year later. Mr. Shi is survived by Shi Du Du, who lives in Paris and who, Mr. Boursicot said, has three young sons.
Although Mr. Boursicot and Mr. Shi occasionally spoke over the years, relations were strained. Mr. Boursicot said that they last spoke a few months ago and that Mr. Shi told him he still loved him.
Mr. Shi enjoyed the spotlight, performing in public as an opera singer, but disliked talking about his romance with Mr. Boursicot, particularly the sexual specifics.
“I used to fascinate both men and women,” he said in a rare interview in 1988. “What I was and what they were didn’t matter.”
More Articles in World »A version of this article appeared in print on July 2, 2009, on page A19 of the New York edition.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Good Country People
When reading Flannery O'Connor's "Good Country People," I was left wondering if which characters, if any, fell under this category. Whenever "good country people" are defined in the text, it seems to be applied to the simple-minded and religious agrarian. The traveling bible salesman/ con-man initially receives this distinction. Manly Pointer is a deceptively polite and deceptively simple individual, who abuses the idealized "good country" image to intrude upon the family with (isolated) destructive consequences. From the perspective of Hulga (a decidedly anti-GCP), Mrs. Hopewell is no more than a simple-minded mother, and the hired Mrs. Freeman is equally simple-minded and shrewd. Hulga resents the existence of these simple women, who considered demographically, are "country people." Mrs. Hopewell is isolated by this resentment, and exists much removed from the real world - living in a self-created one of illusion. She holds pseudo-philosophical beliefs, and cliched maxims, both based upon her inventive "good-country" philosophy. By her own standards, Mrs. Hopewell considers herself, and her surrounding community as "good country." The daughters of Mrs. Freeman, although far removed from this idealized standard, are praised by Mrs. Hopewell as "two of the finest girls she knew."
The definition of "good country people" seems to be agreed upon by the characters, however it remains questionable weather this is a positive or negative distinction. Mrs. Hopewell praises the Freemans (and her decision to hire them) based upon this distinction: "The reason for her keeping them so long was that they were not trash. They were good country people." One could draw the conclusion that if there exist "good country people," "bad" country people must exist too. Joy is the single character who voices a negative opinion of these simple individuals. The underlying irony in the text is the absence of simplicity among these characters. Joy takes prides her education and worldly philosophical beliefs and actions, however, at the story's close, she demonstrates the naïvety expected of "good country people."
The definition of "good country people" seems to be agreed upon by the characters, however it remains questionable weather this is a positive or negative distinction. Mrs. Hopewell praises the Freemans (and her decision to hire them) based upon this distinction: "The reason for her keeping them so long was that they were not trash. They were good country people." One could draw the conclusion that if there exist "good country people," "bad" country people must exist too. Joy is the single character who voices a negative opinion of these simple individuals. The underlying irony in the text is the absence of simplicity among these characters. Joy takes prides her education and worldly philosophical beliefs and actions, however, at the story's close, she demonstrates the naïvety expected of "good country people."
Friday, November 2, 2012
Twitterature: Tweets & Memes
PROS
I highly enjoyed this class "Twitterature" experiment. It may not have been as productive as traditional in-class discussion, but it was an entertaining challenge nonetheless. The specific challenges I had with this class format were:
1. learning to use the selected social networking sources
2. utilizing these sources to participate in viral class discussion
3. applying class material in accordance with non-verbal limitations
I appreciated that the "Twitterature" experiment was both group and individually focused. A hyperawareness was necessary to follow the streaming tweets, composing a response, and considering new discussion points. The conversation was very fast, and at times hard to follow - especially for those of us new to tweeting, meme creating, and google hangout. I was more conscious of the thoughts/ ideas I was sharing, because they seemed more permanent than verbal ones contributed in class.
CONS
I (among others) were a little slow in figuring out the selected social networking forms. It was a fun learning experiment, however, by the end of class I still couldn't maneuver twitter, or generate memes as quickly as was necessary for keeping posts relevant and non-repetitive. There were also the distractions that come with using a computer during class. Being new to twitter, meme generator, and google hangout, I did take time to explore the sites - which would've been better spent participating in the class discussion.
OVERALL
I think there is some benefit in using social networking sources for academic and more intellectual conversations. During this class, I paid attention to each individual 140 character comment, as all were necessary for our geographically dispersed class to hold a virtual conversation. I've never experienced a class discussion quite like this, and I think that after a bit of practice (using the networking sites) it would be feasible to hold a constructive class discussion. This class was a funny and enjoyable experience; there was much laughter at our social networking shortcomings throughout the viral conversation process. It was interesting conversing online with such a large number of people. I appreciated the small group setting as well, which enabled a bit of verbal discussion (and twitter assistance). As mentioned above, I believe this virtual class chat would be more successful with more social network savvy participants.
*The google hangout was probably the most difficult to utilize for class discussion, but I thought it was the most enjoyable/ funniest part of class - and it was interesting to see where the rest of the class had chosen to locate themselves.
I highly enjoyed this class "Twitterature" experiment. It may not have been as productive as traditional in-class discussion, but it was an entertaining challenge nonetheless. The specific challenges I had with this class format were:
1. learning to use the selected social networking sources
2. utilizing these sources to participate in viral class discussion
3. applying class material in accordance with non-verbal limitations
I appreciated that the "Twitterature" experiment was both group and individually focused. A hyperawareness was necessary to follow the streaming tweets, composing a response, and considering new discussion points. The conversation was very fast, and at times hard to follow - especially for those of us new to tweeting, meme creating, and google hangout. I was more conscious of the thoughts/ ideas I was sharing, because they seemed more permanent than verbal ones contributed in class.
CONS
I (among others) were a little slow in figuring out the selected social networking forms. It was a fun learning experiment, however, by the end of class I still couldn't maneuver twitter, or generate memes as quickly as was necessary for keeping posts relevant and non-repetitive. There were also the distractions that come with using a computer during class. Being new to twitter, meme generator, and google hangout, I did take time to explore the sites - which would've been better spent participating in the class discussion.
OVERALL
I think there is some benefit in using social networking sources for academic and more intellectual conversations. During this class, I paid attention to each individual 140 character comment, as all were necessary for our geographically dispersed class to hold a virtual conversation. I've never experienced a class discussion quite like this, and I think that after a bit of practice (using the networking sites) it would be feasible to hold a constructive class discussion. This class was a funny and enjoyable experience; there was much laughter at our social networking shortcomings throughout the viral conversation process. It was interesting conversing online with such a large number of people. I appreciated the small group setting as well, which enabled a bit of verbal discussion (and twitter assistance). As mentioned above, I believe this virtual class chat would be more successful with more social network savvy participants.
*The google hangout was probably the most difficult to utilize for class discussion, but I thought it was the most enjoyable/ funniest part of class - and it was interesting to see where the rest of the class had chosen to locate themselves.
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