MADAM BUTTERFLY - Puccini
This is the moment of her suicide, although there is an ambiguity to it, and it is impossible to tell if she is alive or dead. It is a picture about escape to freedom. Beneath her is the US flag symbolising Pinkerton, as does the piece of coral to the left hand side. She is stretched between a small Buddha at the oriental end and a cross at the occidental one, trapped between a series of opposing forces - East versus West, Christianity versus Buddhism, male versus female, false versus true. The flowers which she so joyfully collected are now strewn around, torn and battered as she is herself.
Behind her is the screen where her child is hidden, and also a birdcage with its door open, symbolising her release from all the tensions. The white curtain blowing over her is the release of her soul.
She is seen as something like Ophelia, another suicide from abused love, and so around Butterfly's head are wrapped strands of Convolvulus, the weed which Ophelia too bound her head before drowning herself.
Synopsys
Set in Japan at the end of the last century. Butterfly is a young Japanese girl, who falls in love with, and marries an American Seaman called Pinkerton. Against the wishes and advice of her family she converts to Christianity and is then rejected by her family. Overwhelmed by her love, and being young and inexperienced, she considers the love true, but Pinkerton tells his friends it is pretty much a sham to amuse him whilst abroad. He is recalled to America, and Butterfly is heartbroken, but eagerly awaits his return. She bears him a son in his absence. Eventually she hears his ship is in harbour, and in a frenzy of excitement fills the room with flowers to express her joy. Her maid hears that he has returned with an American-born wife, and eventually manages to tell Butterfly the truth. She agrees to give up the child for adoption by Pinkerton and his new wife, on the condition he comes to collect the boy himself. Alone she draws her father's ceremonial dagger to kill herself, but her maid pushes the child into the room. Weeping she blindfolds the child, pushes him behind the screen, and stabs herself, as Pinkerton rushes in, filled with remorse.
All images and text Copyright © 2003 Caroline Blackburn.