In society as in literature, sexual fetishes and fantasies are constantly found to be rooted in racial differences. The philosophical concept of “the other” addresses the idea of ​​fetishization, in the sense that we find ourselves idealizing and fantasizing about what we are not; that is, racial and sexual fantasies become intertwined in fetishism, where racial discrepancies dictate sexual desire. Fetishism usually involves some sort of inherent power struggle, in which the fetishized person is reduced to a mere object of sexual desire and the fetishized person is in a position of creation or control, shaping the fantasy as he or she sees fit. Although David Henry Hwang's play M. Butterfly may at first glance seem to disavow traditional notions of power struggle surrounding fetishism and racial fantasy, power politics remains an integral facet of fetishism. Hwang's protagonist, René Gallimard, develops a politics and hierarchy regarding racial fantasy based on a fetishized mythology of Asian women and its ability—whether perceived or real—to exert sexual and patriarchal power over Song. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The narrative of M. Butterfly may seem at first unconventional as Song is aware of Gallimard's fetishes throughout the duration of the play , which could potentially upend the traditional hierarchy of power governing racial fantasy and fetishism. However, Song recognizes that as a man, he knows how to portray a woman better because only a man knows exactly what he wants. In his seduction of Gallimard, Song succeeds because he knows that Gallimard fetishizes Asian women and can therefore act according to Gallimard's racial fantasy, playing with the conventions of fetishism. In conversation with her comrade Chin, Song reveals her theory on the politics of identity and recognition in sexual fantasies: Song: Miss Chin? Why are women's roles played by men in Peking Opera? Chin: I don't know. Perhaps a reactionary vestige of the masculine… Song: No. (Beat) Because only a man knows how a woman is supposed to behave. (63) The quote implies that while men look at women, women look at men who look at women. In doing so, women discover what men want and then adapt to meet those desires, suggesting that men control how women act through their fantasies. Therefore, it is implied that without men's overt fantasies, women would be unable to satisfy their desires. The quote also specifies 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 that he can recognize Gallimard's desires. Therefore, recognizing what dictates sexual fantasies in terms of gender politics helps Song seduce Gallimard because it provides him with a sort of script to follow. It is clear from the beginning of the text that Gallimard is a man excited by power. The opening scenes, although farcical, show Gallimard trying to convince the audience that he is an important societal figure, even in prison. Throughout the text, the reader sees Gallimard's aspiration for power transform into something comparable to sexual desire, as evidenced by his description of the first time he consulted pornographic magazines: "The first time I saw [pornographic magazines] in [my uncle's] closet...all lined up– my body was trembling. not with lust, no, with power. There were women there – a shelf – who did exactly what I wanted” (10). Gallimard does not mention women's hair, legs or breasts in magazines. Instead, he takes something quite concrete – the image of a naked woman – and abstracts it to satisfy his lust for power. And, although he claims that his reaction to the magazines was not a result of lust, his body "shuddered" in something the reader might consider similar to orgasm because of the feeling of power he experienced. felt when seeing the women “all lined up” and there to serve him, to do “exactly what he wanted”. The extraction of power coupled with the projection of female submission to one's whims, rather than overt sexuality, is what arouses Gallimard. However, Gallimard's fantasy is too complex to be located solely within gender – that is, it does not simply fetishize women. , he fetishizes Asian women. In the specificity of Gallimard's fetishism lies the racial fantasy. After seeing Song play the title role in the opera Madame Butterfly, Gallimard was immediately won over, saying that the story made sense to him for the first time thanks to Song's candid and heartfelt portrayal of the opera's sacrificial heroine. : However, Song is ready to refute Gallimard's flattery, immediately revealing 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. Gllimard: Excuse me? Song: This is one of your favorite fantasies, isn't it? The submissive oriental woman and the cruel white man. (17) While Gallimard asserts that the romanticized notion of suffering for love is what animates him in the opera, Song knows that his real attraction to the tale is rooted in the stature of the "submissive oriental woman." The song locates Gallimard's fantasy not in a representation of perverse and sacrificial love, but in the inevitable success of the white man. In other words, Song exposes Gallimard's fantasy as being obsessed with the execution of power and the presence of a specific hierarchy, where the Western man always dominates the Eastern woman. Gallimard's obsession with power is only exacerbated by the misogynistic ramblings of his friend Marc. After having a flirtatious conversation with Song, Gallimard does not dream of “Sophia Loren in a towel” (23), but of his friend Marc. After asserting that a relationship with Song would be impossible because he is a foreigner, Gallimard once again becomes intoxicated with the idea of ​​exercising power over a woman, aided this time by Marc's declaration: "Ah, yes . She can't love you, it's taboo. But something deep in her heart… she can’t help it… she must surrender to you” (25). This statement plays on Gallimard's ideas of fantasy and power, stating that Gallimard's love is simply too powerful to be defeated and that, although it is "taboo", his wife "simply cannot s 'prevent it'. The forbidden nature of love particularly appeals to Gallimard because it offers him a situation where the power of his love and masculinity can – and must – prevail. Marc excites Gallimard even more, saying that the power of Western men scares Asian women: “They fear us, René. Their wives fear us” (25). Once again, the hierarchy of Gallimard's sexual politics is established in which the Western man is situated in a position of power, controlling the emotion of the impressionable Asian woman. We see Gallimard as the play opens by telling the audience the story of..