M. Butterfly Lesson Plan

In what way does Song gradually steal the power away from Gallimard through the course of the second act?

At the beginning of the play, Gallimard is very much in control of his own story. He is the sole narrator, and decides how the audience views his relationship with Song, when they see certain scenes, and so on. As the play progresses, however, Gallimard begins to lose control of his narrative. In Scene 7, Song criticizes Gallimard, and in Scene 11, she steals the narrative role from Gallimard, interrupting his telling of their reunion in Paris after years of separation. Gallimard pleads with her to let him tell the audience about the happiness of their relationship,...