My Young And Beautiful Butterfly
"Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey was written from the perspective of Daisy Buchanan for the soundtrack of the 2013 film adaptation of the novel The Great Gatsby. The song expresses an ominous and solemn tone. “Young and Beautiful” is about a woman reflecting on her past, her present and her future life-with relation to her lover. She wonders if she would still be able to be with her lover, if he would leave her, when she is “no longer young and beautiful”. It’s a reflection on the fleeting nature of love and beauty. The song is asking the question of whether someone will still love the woman when they are no longer young and beautiful. It speaks of the experiences in life, such as seeing the world, loving deeply, and having adventures, that make her appreciate the beauty of youth and the importance of cherishing it while it lasts. The woman ultimately expresses a hope that the person they love will still appreciate them even when they are no longer young and beautiful. Throughout the song she struggles and contradicts herself constantly with concerns to her lover’s faithfulness and love, expressing her serious and difficult dilemma as she worries that her lover only stays with her for materialistic benefits; her looks and her beauty, rather than her inner beauty. Lana Del Ray’s “Young and Beautiful” portrays the image of a women’s undying yet possessive love for her lover, and her conflicting emotions and thoughts about their relationship, her uncertainty towards the relationship. These are portrayed in the words of the song, as well as the overall tone and sound of the song.
M. Butterfly, a play written by David Henry Hwang, tells the tragic love story between two people from disparate cultures René Gallimard, a minor French diplomat, and Song Liling, an actress from the Chinese opera, a man who pretends to be a woman. Song pretends to be a woman to use to fool Gallimard to spy on the French for Communist China. While Gallimard being misled uses Song, as his personal Madame Butterfly, to reinforce his sense of manhood. Throughout a twenty-year period, their love affair explores the clashes between their cultures and between how they use and perceive each other. The story is a commentary on sexuality, and a plea for human love and intimacy. I find the read quite tragically sad but a beautiful play. The structure is interesting and the speeches well written. The story being based on real life events itself is fascinating, and the relationships between the characters are deep and unusual. Hwang takes this real life story and creates a compelling drama. The play reveals how the hubris and ignorance of the West and its preference for the comforting lies of Orientalism over a reality too harsh for the West. Also raising questions about perception of gender and how that implicates one's own sexuality. Hwang masterfully addresses all of these topics—sex, gender, power, Orientalism, fetishisation, romance, desire, manipulation, and identity.
In the end of the reading Song literally bares himself to Gallimard. Gallimard responds by laughing hysterically. Song tries to make Gallimard recognize the same face and body he’s been in love with for years. Song clearly wants Gallimard to put aside his pride and admit he loves a man. Song tenderly addresses Gallimard as “little one” and admits to hoping Gallimard would become like a woman. When Gallimard chooses his own fantasy instead, Song leaves in hurt and anger. This turns Song and Gallimard into lovers forever struggling with desire and self-delusion. Gallimard’s suicide at the end is cathartic and logical, tragic, outcome of the emotional developments between the characters, as befits a romantic tragedy. Lana Del Ray’s “Young and Beautiful” comes to mind in the end of the play. The line in Ray’s Young and Beautiful “Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?” depicts the situation both characters found themselves in. Both are experiencing a fleeting nature of love and beauty. Gallimard is no longer attractive to his false Young and Beautiful Madame Butterfly. In the end he becomes Butterfly who is willing to sacrifice for love and commits suicide. As for Song, although he seems like the one who betrays Gallimard, he wanted Gallimard to put aside his pride and admit he loves a man, begging for an honest love affair despite not being a beautiful young woman. Ultimately song betrayed himself because he sacrifices all his personal pursuits for his country, including his freedom, his life and even love much like Daisy in the Great Gatsby she fears losing her beauty, wealth, glamour and Gatsby.
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Lana Del Rey - “Young and Beautiful” |
“M. Butterfly” Play by David Henry Hwang |
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Will you still love me when I'm no longer beautiful? |
Yes—love. Why not admit it all? That was my undoing, wasn’t it? Love warped my judgment, blinded my eyes, arranged the very lines on my face . . . until I could look in the mirror and see nothing but . . . a woman. (Act 3, Scene 3) |
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All that grace, all that body All that face makes me wanna party He's my sun, he makes me shine like diamonds |
She would always have prepared a light snack and then, ever so delicately, and only if I agreed, she would start to pleasure me. With her hands, her mouth . . . too many ways to explain, and too sad, given my present situation. But mostly we would talk. About my life. (Act 2, Scene 5) |
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When you and I were forever wild The crazy days, city lights The way you'd play with me like a child |
Alone in this cell, I sit night after night, watching our story play through my head, always searching for a new ending, one which redeems my honor, where she returns at last to my arms. (Act One, Scene 3) |
I Believe that the reading of M. Butterfly poses interesting ideas in this regarding Orientalism and the Madama Butterfly, which is based essentially on racist tropes. I find it fascinating that it was based on a true story as well. It is an utterly brilliant exploration of issues of gender, sexuality, race, and their intersections. It's a play about how we project false images onto people's bodies. Loving the idea of something rather than the thing or person itself because the fantasy is so ingrained in the subconscious. Similar to Lana del Ray’s young and beautiful, loving someone for the materialistic, rather than her inner beauty. An absolutely fascinating look at stereotypes and the ways our hearts and minds betray us.
Works Cited
Lana Del Rey influences. THE SONG SOMMELIER. (n.d.). (2023, May 22). https://www.songsommelier.com/lana-del-rey-influencesLinks to an external site.
Discover who influenced Lana Del Rey. Lana Del Rey’s Biggest Music Influences. (n.d.). (2023, May 22).https://inflooenz.com/?artist=Lana%2BDel%2BReyLinks to an external site.
Encyclopedia.com. (2023, May 22). "drama for studentsencyclopedia.com. 5 may. 2023 . Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/m-butterfly