Using Stuart Hall’s essay “The Spectacle of the Other” it’s critical that we analyze the binary opposition of the East and West in Puccini’s canonical opera Madama Butterfly. Hall argues that these binary oppositions construct a narrative where the West is seen as the norm and the East as the exotic ‘Other’. The opera takes place in Japan, which strikes a stark contrast between Western civilization and the Orient (the East). Madama Butterfly represents Eastern civilization through traditional Japanese attire, customs, and cultural demeanor, which is certainly different than characters like Pinkton who echo vibes of American assertiveness and cultural insensitivity. The scene I’m choosing is “Un bel di vedremo” which translates to “One Fine Day”; This scene shows Cio Cio-San’s wait for Pinkerton’s return, which symbolizes Eastern civilization’s desire to be accepted by the West. Her character embodies traits of both innocence and naivety, further highlighting the stereotype of your typical Oriental. Together, using pentatonic scales and melodic lanes, the opera helps create a perspective of the East as a mysterious and melodious world; this is quite literally the opposite of the straightforwardness we see in Western music. My first experience of the opera was that it was both overwhelming and captivating. The combination of many different art forms with an exaggerated singing style may come across as odd but also interesting to first time viewers who are used to more traditional music or spoken drama. However, the emotional appeal displayed through music and extraordinary voicing can actually be quite moving; it certainly gave me an emotional connection to Madama Butterfly, and I valued it. I loved the richness of the orchestra and the depth it provided as well as the visual spectacle as a whole; the costumes were very detailed, and the set’s scenery took me to another place. My only criticisms of the play were that the portrayal of non-western cultures is certainly outdated. I don’t believe it paints an accurate picture of the average American/Westerner in the 21st century. Lastly, I think this high art form of opera that we witnessed was beautiful, but like many things, there are drawbacks. This could be seen as elitist and not resonate with everyone when combined with the fact that many people may disagree with the narrative that the performance pushed.