A scene from Madama Butterfly that represents the stereotype of the exoticized “Other” discussed by Stuart Hall is the “Un bel dì vedremo”. In this aria, Butterfly expressed her hope for Pinkerton to return to Japan and imagines the joy of their reunion. She is certain that he will come back to claim her as his wife. This scene depicts Butterfly as a naive, loyal and devoted woman whose life revolves around her Western lover. She is what the West fantasizes as the exoticized “Other”,  and reinforces the stereotype of the East as submissive and inferior to the West. Seeing opera for the first time was really interesting but also confusing to me. Without spoken dialogue, it was difficult to understand what was going on in the story, so it was important for me to pay close attention to the performer’s expressions, tone, gestures. Even then, I still had to rely on a description or summary to understand what was taking place within the scene. In “Un bel dì vedremo”, I was really fascinated by Butterfly’s emotional vulnerability. The glistening tears in her eyes and delicate movements showed me her deep longing and hope to be reunited with Pinkerton. Her performance evoked a sense of sympathy, and made me wonder how her character was limited by the Western stereotypes imposed upon her.