gaging narrative and an exploration of Orientalism,
particularly of the intersection of traditional West-
ern representations of Asians and of gender. It was
therefore significant both as drama and as cultural
criticism. Hwang ended the 1980’s at the height of
his career, and he continued to expand his creative
horizons thereafter.
Further Reading
Hwang, David Henry. Afterword toM. Butterfly. New
York: New American Library, 1990.
______. Introduction toF.O.B., and Other Plays. New
York: New American Library, 1990.
Simakawa, Karen. “Who’s to Say? Or, Making Space
for Gender and Ethnicity inM. Butterfly.”Theatre
Journal45 (October, 1993): 345-367.
William T. Lawlor
See also Asian Americans; China and the United
States; Homosexuality and gay rights; Multicultural-
ism in education; Theater.
500 Hwang, David Henry The Eighties in America