M. Butterfly

The secondary protagonist of the play, emerging as an intrusive narrator in the final act, is Song Liling, an actor and singer in the Peking Opera. The play operates on the unspoken assumption that male actors traditionally play female roles in classical Chinese theatre. Gallimard lives in ignorance of this fact, which suggests that he may have been willfully avoiding the truth that Song was male all along to lessen his humiliation.

Since Gallimard’s retelling filters most of what the audience knows about Song, Song’s true character remains mysterious. The play reveals that Song lived through the Chinese Revolution and that his father died some time before the country became Communist. During his testimony in Act III, Scene 1, Song reveals that his mother was a sex worker in the last days of Imperial China. Her clients were often Western men, giving Song insight on how to deal with Gallimard from their first meeting.

Song is a keen political thinker, as his thematic insights into The Intersection of Gender and Politics at the trial reveal. He plays on Gallimard’s perception that the East is inherently feminine, meaning that Gallimard never fully sees Song as a man. Gallimard’s Western values motivate him to dominate Song because he’s convinced that this is the only real way to live. This is evident in Gallimard’s identification with the character of Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly.

The play strongly implies that Song is gay, given the hostility with which Comrade Chin and the Red Guard treat him during the Cultural Revolution. Song justifies his relationship with Gallimard by using it to steal and supply diplomatic secrets to the Communist Party. Without this relationship, Song would live under the threat of government persecution. Even if he really believes in the ideals of the Communist state, he’s constantly reminded of his exclusion from its vision of a perfect society. As a disenfranchised character, Song finds empowerment in his ability to bend Gallimard and Comrade Chin, who occupy traditional roles of power, to his will.

At the end of Act II, Song takes control of the narrative to correct Gallimard’s record, feeling that the truth can no longer be ignored. Song implies that Gallimard knows the truth but can’t bring himself to acknowledge it. Act III, Scene 2 features Song’s attempts to get Gallimard to admit the truth about Song’s gender. He even finally gives in to Gallimard’s request to strip, turning that request against Gallimard as part of their power play. When Gallimard laughs, revealing that he was never in love with Song but only with the Butterfly fantasy, Song leaves.

As a character who supports and antagonizes Song’s espionage activities during her relationship with Gallimard, Comrade Chin first appears in Act II, Scene 3. Chin’s appearance elicits protest from Gallimard because she contradicts his intention to justify himself to his audience. In addition, Chin’s appearance signals that Song has ulterior motives in pursuing a relationship with Gallimard. Specifically, Song is using Gallimard to steal diplomatic secrets from the French, which she then reports to Chin.

Chin resents Song because of his sexuality. Chin and Song have complex gender dynamics arising from their social positions within the Communist state. As an authority figure, Chin feels that she can exert power over Song, but because she doesn’t recognize gay sexuality or gender fluidity, she allows Song, whom she sees as a heterosexual male, to challenge her power. Song frustrates Chin by offering insights into the difference between the male and female psyche, implying that he knows more about men and even women than Chin does.

The Cultural Revolution bolsters Chin’s power, enabling her to subject Song to violence. Chin publicly humiliates Song before ordering him to return to Gallimard and continue his espionage activities. When Song tries to argue that Chin’s plan won’t work, Chin finally leverages her improved social status against Song, pointing out that the Cultural Revolution enabled her to think of herself as smarter than Song. Chin doesn’t directly address Song’s argument, however, emphasizing that she’s merely responding out of insecurity.

Helga is Rene Gallimard’s wife. He marries her for reasons related to his career: Since Helga is the daughter of the ambassador to Australia, the marriage virtually guarantees Gallimard’s posting in China. Helga is a socialite, attending events with the wives of the other embassy officers. During her last appearance in Act II, Scene 11, she states that her elevated social status in Peking is what brought her the most joy.

The irony of her relationship with Gallimard is that Helga doesn’t possess any keen insights on foreign policy. When she and Gallimard are transferred back to Paris, Helga panics that the pro-Communist protests in France are a sign that Western society is falling apart. By this point, Gallimard can no longer stand being in a loveless marriage with her. Helga attempts to save the marriage by taking back her resentment of Chinese culture, but when Gallimard reveals that he’s more emotionally invested in his affair with Song, Helga gives up the fight.