“No. (beat) Because only a man knows how a woman is supposed to act” (2.7.63)
This is the scene where Song is finally revealed as not only a man, but as a Chinese spy as well. (Sorry for the spoilers, it’s in tonights reading!) I thought this quote fits perfectly into the theme of gender roles that we were talking about in class. By switching power roles, Song manipulates Gallimard to reveal top secret information about the Vietnam War. Even though she may seem submissive, she is actually the one in power, because Song plays on Gallimard’s weakest points: his unattractiveness and his lack of confidence. She lets him play out his fantasies on her because she knows that he has never had power over women and over his life. Because Song is actually male, she knows that men want women to be submissive and to make them feel powerful.
How is playing into a weakness displayed elsewhere?
-Amanda
