In both society and literature, sexual fetishes and fantasies consistently find themselves rooted in racial differences. The philosophical concept of the "other" is one that addresses the idea of ​​fetishization, in that we find ourselves idealizing and fantasizing about what we are not; that is, racial and sexual fantasy are intertwined in the fetish, where racial discrepancies dictate sexual desire. The fetish usually involves some kind of inherent power struggle, in which the fetishized person is reduced to a mere object of sexual desire and the person with the fetish is in a position of creation or control, shaping the fantasy as he sees fit. Although David Henry Hwang M. Butterfly may initially appear to disavow traditional notions of power struggle surrounding the fetish and racial fantasy, power politics remains an integral aspect of the fetish. Hwang's protagonist, Rene Gallimard, develops a politics and hierarchy regarding racial fantasy based on a fetishized mythology of Asian women and its ability – perceived or real – to exercise sexual and patriarchal power over Song. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The narrative of M. Butterfly may initially seem unconventional because Song is aware of Gallimard's fetishes throughout the show's run, which could potentially upset the traditional power hierarchy that governs racial fantasy and fetishism. However, Song recognizes that, as a man, he knows better how to play a woman because only a man knows exactly what a man wants. In her seduction of Gallimard, Song is successful because she knows that Gallimard fetishizes Asian women and can, therefore, act on Gallimard's racial fantasy, playing with the conventions of the fetish. Speaking with his partner Chin, Song reveals his theory on the politics of identity and recognition in sexual fantasy: Song: Miss Chin? Why are female roles played by men in Peking Opera? Chin: I don't know. Maybe a reactionary residue of the male—Song: No. (pause) Because only a man knows how a woman should behave. (63)The quote implies that while men look at women, women look at men looking at women. In doing so, women discover what men want and then adapt to satisfy these desires, suggesting that men control how women act through fantasy. Therefore, it is implied that without men's overt fantasies, women would not be able to satisfy their desires. The quote also dictates Song's gender, implying that the only way to be sure of a man's desires is, in fact, to be a man; it is only because Song is a man who can recognize Gallimard's desires. Therefore, recognizing what determines sexual fantasy in terms of gender politics helps Song in his seduction of Gallimard because it provides him with a type of script to follow. It is clear from the beginning of the text that Gallimard is a man excited by power. The opening scenes, while farcical, show Gallimard trying to convince the audience that he is an important social figure, even while in prison. As the text continues, the reader witnesses the transformation of Gallimard's aspiration for power into something comparable to sexual desire, as evidenced in his description of the first time he saw pornographic magazines: "The first time I saw [pornographic magazines] in [my uncle's] closet … all in a row: my body trembled. Not with lust, no, with power. Here were women - a shelf full - who woulddone exactly what I wanted” (10). Gallimard does not mention women's hair, legs, or breasts in the magazines. Instead, he takes something quite concrete – the image of a naked woman – and abstracts it to satisfy his hunger for power. And, while he says his reaction to the magazines was not the result of lust, his body “trembled” in something the reader might consider akin to orgasm from the feeling of power he felt seeing them women “all lined up” and there to serve him, to do “exactly as [he] wanted.” The extraction of power combined with the projection of female submission to his whims, rather than overt sexuality, is what excites Gallimard. However, Gallimard's fantasy is too complex to be situated exclusively in gender: that is, it does not only fetishize women. , fetishizes Asian women. In the specificity of Gallimard's fetish lies the racial fantasy. After seeing Song play the title role in the opera Madame Butterfly, Gallimard was immediately fascinated by her, claiming that the story made sense to him for the first time thanks to Song's heartfelt and sincere portrayal of the opera's sacrificial heroine: However, Song is quick to refute Gallimard's flattery, immediately exposing his fetish for Asian women:Gallimard: ...his death. It's a... a pure sacrifice. He is unworthy, but what can she do? She loves him… so much. It's a very beautiful story.Song: Well, yes, for a Westerner.Glimard: Excuse me?Song: It's one of your favorite fantasies, isn't it? The submissive oriental woman and the cruel white man. (17) While Gallimard claims that the romanticized notion of suffering for love is what moves him in the work, Song knows that his true attraction to the tale is rooted in the stature of the "submissive Oriental woman." The song establishes the locus of Gallimard's fantasy not in a performance of perverse, sacrificial love, but in the white man's inevitable success. That is, Song exposes Gallimard's fantasy as fixated on the execution of power and the presence of a specific hierarchy, where the Western man always has the upper hand over the Eastern woman. Gallimard's obsession with power is only exacerbated by his friend Marc's misogynistic ramblings. After a flirtatious conversation with Song, Gallimard dreams not of “Sophia Loren in a towel” (23), but of his friend Marc. After stating that a relationship with Song would be impossible because he is a foreigner, Gallimard is once again intoxicated by the idea of ​​exerting power over a woman, this time assisted by Marc's statement: “Ah, yes. He can't love you, it's a taboo. But something deep in his heart…he can't help it…he has to surrender to you” (25). This statement plays on the imagination and power of Gallimard's ideas, arguing that Gallimard's love is simply too powerful to overcome and, although it is "taboo", his woman simply "cannot help it". The forbidden nature of love is particularly attractive to Gallimard because it offers him a situation in which the power of his love and his masculinity can – and must – prevail. Marc excites Gallimard even more, arguing that the power of Western men scares Asian women: “They fear us, René. Their women fear us” (25). Once again, Gallimard's hierarchy of sexual politics is established in which the Western man is situated in a position of power, controlling the emotions of the impressionable Asian woman. We see Gallimard at the beginning of the show telling the audience the story of Madame Butterfly. , and, in the process, immediately revealing his racial fantasy about Asian women, describing one Asian woman's attitude by saying, "Even her life itself – she bows her head as she whispers that it's not even worth the hundred yen she paid." for her. It already has.