Madame Butterfly Lesson Plan

How does Pinkerton respond to being back in his former home? Does this character have any redeeming qualities?

Pinkerton is extremely emotional from being back at his home. He seems to feel genuine remorse for his actions, confessing, "I will always see her gentle face and be haunted by my guilt." And yet, he cannot gather enough courage to stay and confront Butterfly herself - at least not at the beginning. In his departure, he says, "Goodbye, flowered refuge. I cannot bear your squalor. I flee, I am a coward!" This sort of self-flagellation that is divorced from meaningful action makes Pinkerton a rather despicable character, at least when considering the libretto on...