Historical Context
The Vietnam War
During the early 1950s, the Western power with a vital interest in Vietnam was not the United
States, but France. However, in 1954, the French were defeated by the Vietnamese at Dien
Ben Phu, which ended direct French involvement in the region. It is this defeat that
Ambassador Toulon alludes to in M. Butterfly ("It's embarrassing that we lost Indochina.").
In the Geneva Accords that followed, Vietnam was divided into two separate countries, North
Vietnam and South Vietnam. Communist North Vietnam was under the leadership of Ho Chi
Minh, and South Vietnam was under the nationalist, anticommunist rule of Ngo Dinh Diem,
who was supported by the United States. During the administration of President Dwight
Eisenhower, U.S. military advisors were sent to South Vietnam. U.S. commitment to
defending South Vietnam against communist aggression from the North increased during the
presidency of John F. Kennedy from 1961 to 1963.
This is the background to the incident in Act 2, scene 3 of M. Butterfly, in which Toulon and
Gallimard discuss what is described as an American decision to begin bombing North
Vietnam in 1961. Hwang has altered the chronology of the war, since the decision to bomb
North Vietnam was not made until the administration of President Lyndon Johnson (1963-68).
Similarly, Song's report to Comrade Chin in 1961 (Act 2, scene 4) that the United States was
to increase its troops in Vietnam to 170,000 soldiers, is greatly exaggerated. It was only in
December 1961, that the first direct U.S. military support for the South Vietnamese
government arrived in Saigon, the capital city. Troop numbers were initially small.
By 1963, South Vietnamese leader Diem had become an unpopular despot. He was
assassinated in a coup by South Vietnamese generals who acted with the tacit support of the
United States. This is the incident referred to in Act 2 scene 6, when Gallimard says that he
has been advising the Americans that Diem must be removed from power.
By the end of 1966, when in the play Gallimard is dismissed for wrongly predicting that the
United States would win in Vietnam, the United States had 385,000 troops in the region and
was heavily bombing North Vietnam. But little progress was being made in winning the war.
One factor which was always uncertain in the minds of U.S. policy makers was how China
would react to any escalation of the war. This concern about Chinese intentions is reflected in
Toulon's question to Gallimard (Act 2, scene 4). The United States feared that if China
intervened, as it had done in the Korean War (1950-53), the war might escalate to the point
where the use of nuclear weapons might have to be considered.
China's Cultural Revolution
After a civil war in China, the communists gained power in 1949. Song refers to these events
in Act 1, scene 10, when he tells Gallimard that his father did not live to see the Revolution.
Nearly two decades later, in 1966, China embarked on another period of internal upheaval,
known as the Cultural Revolution, which lasted until 1976. Some of the effects of this are
Historical ContextThe Vietnam WarDuring the early 1950s, the Western power with a vital interest in Vietnam was not the UnitedStates, but France. However, in 1954, the French were defeated by the Vietnamese at DienBen Phu, which ended direct French involvement in the region. It is this defeat thatAmbassador Toulon alludes to in M. Butterfly ("It's embarrassing that we lost Indochina.").In the Geneva Accords that followed, Vietnam was divided into two separate countries, NorthVietnam and South Vietnam. Communist North Vietnam was under the leadership of Ho ChiMinh, and South Vietnam was under the nationalist, anticommunist rule of Ngo Dinh Diem,who was supported by the United States. During the administration of President DwightEisenhower, U.S. military advisors were sent to South Vietnam. U.S. commitment todefending South Vietnam against communist aggression from the North increased during thepresidency of John F. Kennedy from 1961 to 1963.This is the background to the incident in Act 2, scene 3 of M. Butterfly, in which Toulon andGallimard discuss what is described as an American decision to begin bombing NorthVietnam in 1961. Hwang has altered the chronology of the war, since the decision to bombNorth Vietnam was not made until the administration of President Lyndon Johnson (1963-68).Similarly, Song's report to Comrade Chin in 1961 (Act 2, scene 4) that the United States wasto increase its troops in Vietnam to 170,000 soldiers, is greatly exaggerated. It was only inDecember 1961, that the first direct U.S. military support for the South Vietnamesegovernment arrived in Saigon, the capital city. Troop numbers were initially small.By 1963, South Vietnamese leader Diem had become an unpopular despot. He wasassassinated in a coup by South Vietnamese generals who acted with the tacit support of theUnited States. This is the incident referred to in Act 2 scene 6, when Gallimard says that hehas been advising the Americans that Diem must be removed from power.By the end of 1966, when in the play Gallimard is dismissed for wrongly predicting that theUnited States would win in Vietnam, the United States had 385,000 troops in the region andwas heavily bombing North Vietnam. But little progress was being made in winning the war.One factor which was always uncertain in the minds of U.S. policy makers was how Chinawould react to any escalation of the war. This concern about Chinese intentions is reflected inToulon's question to Gallimard (Act 2, scene 4). The United States feared that if Chinaintervened, as it had done in the Korean War (1950-53), the war might escalate to the pointwhere the use of nuclear weapons might have to be considered.China's Cultural RevolutionAfter a civil war in China, the communists gained power in 1949. Song refers to these eventsin Act 1, scene 10, when he tells Gallimard that his father did not live to see the Revolution.Nearly two decades later, in 1966, China embarked on another period of internal upheaval,known as the Cultural Revolution, which lasted until 1976. Some of the effects of this are
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..
