Madama Butterfly

Following the storyline of the classic opera Madama Butterfly, Pjotr Sapegin's animation of the opera seems to include much symbolization that allows the viewer to understand the premise of the entire narrative better. Of course, having not seen the complete opera yet, this is only a hypothesis. In the beginning of this piece, you see the female lead give herself to the love interest. The lover than leaves her behind as he continues his service to the U.S. Navy, and, following the plot of the opera, Madama Butterfly becomes pregnant with the man's child. Here the story deviates though and begins to show my symbolism in the story. When giving birth, the born child is first a fish that transforms into a baby. I am unsure of what the artist was trying to convey with this and other scenes such as the ending 'suicide.' However, after the birth of the child, it is apparent that the umbilical connection of mother and daughter is supposed to represent the strong relationship that the returned sailor severs. In this, there is a strong sense of the hardship that the woman feels when the man takes her daughter that only nonverbal communications can translate.