E-C-305. Post-Colonoal Literature

Name- Patel Payal G

Roll no- 16

M.A.Sem-III

Paper- E-C-305. Post-Colonial Literature.

Year- 2011

Topic- “Orientalism”

Submitted to Mr. Dilip Barad.

Department of English.

Bhavnagar University.

Bhavnagar.

“Orientalism”

Orientalism is an established text of cultural studies in which Edward Said has challenged the concept of orientalism or the difference between east and west. He writes that the European through colonization came across the lesser developed countries of the east. They found their culture much uncivilized and that is why they established the science of orientalism, which was the study of the people from exotic civilization. Said, further more writes that the European divided the world into two parts like the east and the west, the occident and the Oriental or the civilized and the uncivilized. By giving this concept or by dividing the world into two shapes, they want to prove their superiority. This was completely an artificial or imaginary boundary. The European defined them with the use of orientalism, which clearly shows that they are also the part of orientalism not the inventors of it.

The European believed that it is their duty to civilize the world. As the world is still not totally civilized one. Though they do not know the concept of civilization and uncivilized, they have tried to give the characteristics of Orientals. For example, the Arabs is defined as uncivilized people and in the same way Islam is seen as religion of the terrorist. They have started giving tags to the people of the east.

The book “Orientalism” is having main three chapters with some sub-chapters like;

(i)                The scope of Orientalism

(ii)             Orientalist Structure and Restructures.

(iii)           Orientalism Now.

These are the main parts of this text which Edward has described in detail. The overall views of these chapters are as under.

The Scope of Orientalism:

 In this chapter Said explains the development of the science of orientalism and how the European considers the orientals as “non-human beings.” The European have given the concept for themselves and for Orientals like “Ours” and “theirs” and this is how they are marginalized by the European, which is one of the major elements of post-colonial study. As the book is studied under the main title post-colonial literature, it shows how the Orientals are colonized by the European, as they consider them to be more refined race on the web. They have become not only the oriental’s masters but also teacher, as they have decided to teach them civilization.

The European describe the Orientals the way they perceived them or in other words they were orientalzing them. Once the various teams were sent to the east to observe them silently by living with them, and the outcome was the generalization. As it is earlier said, the European used the orientalism to define themselves, for example, the qualities of the orientals are like laziness, irrationality, uncivilized, rudeness etc. which make the Europeans active, civilized, rational, sophisticated etc.  Thus, to describe their qualities they use the orientals. Again the concept of master and slave occurs in this book which relates to Frantz Fanon’s ideology in his well-known work “Black Skin White Masks”, that the world is divided into only two major aspects master and slave. The blacks are whites pet animals. So, here, also the European defines orientalism the way they believe or imagine them to be.

Another feature of orientalism is the culture of the orientals who is explained by the Europeans, Edward writes. For example, Islam was made into Mohammadism because Mahammad is the founder of Islam, the same thing can be found in Christianity that this religion is established by Christ, as he is the founder of it. So, his religion is Christianity from Christ, thus, Islam should be Mohammadism from its founder Mohammad. But the Islamic or Muslim do not understand this terminology, as they  have no say at all regarding this matter.

Orientalist Structures and Restructures:

In this chapter, Said has a slight change in the attitude of the Europeans towards the east people or orientals. The orientals are becoming well-known through their writings, their literary works earn them publicity. The European highly believed that the oriental land and behavior as romantic, as they are highly romanticized or recognized by the European poets and writers and they also presented it in their western world. After this long process, the European consider the east society people no more evil, because they show their purity as inferior to the European, so it is their right to study and rule such an innocent race. Now, what is more important, which makes them more superior or inferior is their race. The racism is the root cause in destroying the good terms between the countries especially the people who are coming from different race.

What the European gives their argument in their favour that they gave the colonization and that is why they meant to rule over their nation, as they have also brought the development in their nation. It clearly shows that they are biologically superior and most important thing which they believe that it were the European who discovered, rather invented the orients, the orients were not discovered the Europeans. To justify his point to that perspective Said applies Darwin’s theories and  their superiority too.

Edward Said also explains the works of two most renowned orientalists of the 19^th century. Whose names are Silvestre de Sacy and Ernest Renan, who have given their dimensions regarding orientals. Said also respects Sacy for his contribution to this field. Edward Said writes that Sacy has organized the information of orientals in a way that it would be very useful for the future orientalist. Renan Ernest also has taken advantage of Sacy’s views and work for orientalism and the science of philosophy is having an important relation. So, it is overview of this chapter “Orientalist” structure and Restructure.

Orientalism Now:

In this chapter Said said that the geography of the world is shaped by the colonization of Europeans. He also talks about the world politics and its changing approach in 20^th century. The main difference which he has presented in this book is first the orientals remained silent observers but now they have started taking part in everyday life’s events. This is not to appreciate their life style but to rule over them properly, Lawrence of Arabia is one of those orientalists. They can rule over, as it is their prime aim.

Said also discusses the contribution of two other scholars like Massignon and Gibb. Massignon is somewhat liberal to the orientalists and tries to protect their rights. There are also some impacts of World war-I and World War- II to this orientalism. Gibb was during his time the famous Islamic orientalist.

USA became the centre of orientalism after Europe which was happened because of World war- I. all the orientalists studied the orientals to contribute their government and through which they can deal with the orient countries. And after the World War- II, the European colonies were gone and after that they started believing that, there were no more orientals and occidents, but that was not the end. The Europeans still put generalization. For example; Arab were represented as cruel and violent people, Japanese were associated with Karate where as the Muslims were considered as terrorists. So, what clearly it suggests is however, the globalization or universal awareness may be spread but such prejudice ia always  established.

Edward concludes his book by saying that he does not say that the orientalist should not make generalization, or they should also take the various things into consideration. But he also writes that the boundary should not be drawn by the Europeans.

Overview:

Said summarizes his work “ Orientalism” in these terms;

“My contention is that orientalism is fundamentally a political

doctrine willed over the orient because the orient was weaker

than the West, which elided the orient’s difference with its

weakness… As a cultural apparatus. Orientalism  is all

aggression, activity, judge- ment, will- to-truth, and Knowledge.”

                                                                                 [Orientalism p.204]

 The term orient is a mirror image of what is inferior to the west. The concept of superiority and inferiority is pervaded throughout the book “Orientalism” , and also the symbols of masters and slaves, so the orientals can be like them. There is one quote of this orientalism like,

“Orientalism is a manner of regularized writing, vision and

study, dominated by imperatives, and ideological biases

ostensibly suited to the orient.”

Even Frantz Fanon has also written about post- colonialism and what becomes more important is humanity; no more color and no more race. So; his point of view can be applied to this “ Orientalism” that they are not associated with superiority or minority, uncivilized but the whole globe is based on humanity. Because after the Judgment Day, no one would remain on this earth to rule over not even Noah’s Arch would save this time any human being, so why to fight for or desire to be master, the boss. Though it is better that the Europeans attitude has changed to some extent towards the east but it does not mean that the question of identity or especially humanity is solved. It is still their with different forms in society.

Said’s Project:

Said writes that the rejection of Orientalism involves a rejection of biological generalizations, racial and religious bias, cultural structures, and these differences like, the plan of Said is to emphasis on narrative rather than vision in interpreting the Orient. To be clear Said did not use the term orientalism but it was used, especially by the Middle East.

Conclusion:

To sum up this point, Rudyard Kipling’s quotation is suitable to this subject as he writes,

“East is east, West is west, and never the twain shall meet.”

It is appropriate to the book “Orientalism”, Edward Said asks and argues like : but where is this sly, devious, despotic, mystical oriental? The idea of the oriental is a kind of myth produced by European through it was influenced especially after 18^th century. The book “Orientalism” aims to concentrate on myth, but more than it, Said’s goal is to identify orientalism as a discourse.