Trouble at Sea

Madama Butterfly is an opera that always elicits strong feelings. For every observer who condemns Pinkerton as a heartless exploiter, another will mention Butterfly's sadistic cruelty in committing suicide in the presence of her young child. Perhaps it's no surprise that a story centred upon cultural differences should elicit such polarised responses; this is ultimately a tragedy of conflicting expectations, each partner engaging in a contract based upon their stereotypes of a different civilisation. Whilst undoubtedly infatuated, Pinkerton has no plans to stick around in Japan in the long term: this is an extended holiday romance, and a marriage happily engaged in on the understanding that in Japan, geishas can marry by the month. His flaw is simply to fail to realise the potential consequences of his actions for Butterfly, should she…