Said’s Orientalism
According to Said, Orientalism is a system of thought in which the West assumes a leading, controlling, and representational role for the East. The Orient, he claims, does not exist in and of itself but rather a representation constructed in the West’s scholastic and political civilization. Said’s book is devoted to the history of Europeans’ understanding and mastery of Arab Eastern culture, and it contains many exciting pages, from the earliest meetings with the Orient’s wonders and richness to the establishment of a systematic scientific tradition of researching the cultures of the Orient (Said 34). It is reinforced by the powerful political and economic practices of the European empires during their colonial rule in the East.
Reviewers
The first reviewers were Winder and Ray, who addressed Said’s idea of Orientalism. At the time of Said’s book’s release, Asia was viewed politically. In Ray’s critique, for example, the author states how Said’s work introduced the East to Eastern readers, offering them a fresh perspective on their spirit and culture (Ray 434). However, as times changed with the Asian economic boom, the notion of Orientalism became economically relevant.
The events of September 11th triggered a fresh wave of prejudice, combining the concepts of Orientalism with terrorism. Said’s book can be used to forecast and explain the conflict. Malti-Douglas noted in the article that Said’s work sparked debate because it argued that Orientalism was a term long used neutrally to refer to researchers studying the worldwide Orient (Malti-Douglas 724). The author contended in this paper that the notion was discriminatory.
Practitioners
Thoreau was one of the first Orientalist intellectuals to take a keen interest in Asia, professing ancient Orientalism. In Civil Disobedience, the author argues that people should not allow the government to control their thoughts. Thoreau’s universe shows Asia as distinctive and exotic, unlike the familiar Western civilization (Thoreau 16).
It is more of a political discourse based on colonial thinking, which may include professing discriminatory Orientalism. Sentiments toward slavery and the conflict between Mexico and the United States inspired Civil Disobedience. Said expands on the concept of civic resistance through culture and history in Culture and Resistance. These ideas may be used for a larger study of imperialism and political opposition. Thus, the writers provide a compelling explanation of the nature of civic resistance, free of Orientalist assumptions.
Works Cited
Malti-Douglas, Fedwa. “Review: Reorienting Orientalism.” The Virginia Quarterly Review, vol. 55, no. 4, 1979, pp. 724-733.
Ray, Niharranjan. “Orientalism—A Critique: A Review Article.” India Quarterly, vol. 37, no. 3, 1981, pp. 434-439.
Said, Edward. Orientalism. Pantheon Books, 1979.
Thoreau, Henry David. Civil Disobedience. Aesthetic Papers, 1849.