M. Butterfly

Give Me My Dreams The play M. Butterfly, by David Hwang is a study in human weakness, psychosis, and insecurity. The lead character in the play, Rene Gallimard acts the same as a borderline schizophrenic. When the story begins he is in prison reflecting on his life, and loves. He is given to fantasy, and talking, or having conversations with the figments of his imagination. His insecurities, combined with his vivid fantasies, drive him to …

…genuine gender seems a small footnote in the story compared to the huge inadequacy of Gallimard’s mental state throughout the story. He just wanted the feelings that being in that kind of rapport of that type gave him. It ate him alive, this inability to live in the real world. His fantasies killed him in the end. His last words on earth were, “ My name is Rene Gallimard, also known as Madam Butterfly (Hwang 1258).