Orientalism :
Orientalism is a book written by one of the best professor Edward Said in 1978. He was the founder of the academic field of postcolonial studies. His notable Ideas are,
"Occidentalism"
"Orientalism"
The book divided into three main parts,
1. The scop of orientalism
2. Orientalist structure and restructure
3. Orientalism now
In the first part, he talks about how western countries came on to build their colony in the East. In the second part, he talks about 19th-century literature or writers, how they wrote. In the last part, he talks about modern orientalism.
In the book, he talks about some key points like,
1. Difference between East and West Country (Differences between cultures, politics, societies, histories etc)
2. The relationship between power and knowledge (Concept given by Michael Foucault)
3. Intellectual
4. The Methodical questions
5. Relationships between different kind of book like between text and history
In East and West, there were cultural as well as political differences.
Western countries believed that they are more superior and Intellectual then East countries. They have more knowledge and they are intelligent people or Civilized one. For example in the war, we can see the symbol of Gun and swords. They believed that the symbol of Gun proves that they are more intellectual and intellectual. In the orientalism Said talks about some important points such as
1. The Changing historical and cultural relationship between Europe and Asia
2. Scientific discipline in the West (the 19th-century study of various oriental cultures and traditions)
He also argued that
"That is less a fact of nature than it is a fact of human production, which I have called imagination geography."
Orient and occident are facts produced by human beings. We can also see the colonial aspect here. Westerns developed their colony in the East and ruled such as India. When they came in Indian, they think we have no sense how to live in the nation or we are not intelligent or Intellectual and Civilized. So Said told that,
"Orientalism as a system of knowledge and as discourse isn't a purely objective description, it's motivated by particular interests."
In his interview, he talks about following interesting points.
1.Observation - people who look different
When we meet strange people, how do we come to understand that people or person whom you meet or looks different? What first thing comes in your mind when you look at them? For Example for Indian, the ideas of women, western women are not good. When we look we think they are not good women. Why? Because they are wearing short clothes especially when we look at Hollywood movies. So here we are, judge people, by their looks not by there nature or other things. So the framework that we use to understand the unfamiliar and the strange or to make the people of the Middle East appear different and threatening. Said is Talking about the Eastern world like Palestine, Egypt and their condition after colonialism.
2. The repertory of orientalism :
" A great deal of writing had gone before and this writing was an organized form of writing like an organised science."
So when some other countries writer writes about your land or about your nation you may find different or you may burn the book after reading that because you think this is not a reality of your nation. Every writer's description is different. For example, Indian was called a Golden bird - 'sone ki Chidiya' but when Western come here and observe they may find that this is not the truth and their work they may write the reality of the nation.
3. Comparative Literature :
Comparative literature is a good thing but we have to understand history in a proper way when we do a comparative study. Comparative studies give us new inventory. First, we have to observe the real world in which we are living after that we have to understand history in a proper way and after we can do comparative study in a proper way. Because doing a comparison is not an easy task. It takes time to observe several things and when we do we have to think about the key aspect which is important for your comparative studies. In the interview, Said talks about the Palestinian people. Said grew up in what was then called Palestine and is now called Israel and the Occupied Territories. Said also talks about Gramsci's in The Prison Notebooks in his interview.
Gramsci says,
“Therefore the task at the outset is to try to compile an inventory".
4. Palestine Issue :
In the interview, Edward Said, time and again, refers to the Palestine issue. The condition of the people and their sacrifice. From 1948 to present time Palestinian are suffering a lot. The conflict between Israel and Palestine. Jews was the first who are there. Their faith is a new millennia older than Christian and Islam. This was a very controversial issue and this is historical not a political one. This is a conflict between two different people for the same territory. British tried to weaken a Palestinian empire by supporting the Arab rebellion. In the end, Palestinian defeated and their land carved up by European powers. The British give more independence to Iraq and Transjordan than Palestine and British wants to create a Jewish homeland. So that we can see the condition of Palestine. After some time, Jewish immigration to Palestine. Britain completes its withdrawal from Palestine. So there were many wars between Egypt, Syria, Iraq, British and Palestine etc. In 1978, the Palestinian population rebels and takes to the street.
Orientalism is a book written by one of the best professor Edward Said in 1978. He was the founder of the academic field of postcolonial studies. His notable Ideas are,
"Occidentalism"
"Orientalism"
The book divided into three main parts,
1. The scop of orientalism
2. Orientalist structure and restructure
3. Orientalism now
In the first part, he talks about how western countries came on to build their colony in the East. In the second part, he talks about 19th-century literature or writers, how they wrote. In the last part, he talks about modern orientalism.
In the book, he talks about some key points like,
1. Difference between East and West Country (Differences between cultures, politics, societies, histories etc)
2. The relationship between power and knowledge (Concept given by Michael Foucault)
3. Intellectual
4. The Methodical questions
5. Relationships between different kind of book like between text and history
In East and West, there were cultural as well as political differences.
Western countries believed that they are more superior and Intellectual then East countries. They have more knowledge and they are intelligent people or Civilized one. For example in the war, we can see the symbol of Gun and swords. They believed that the symbol of Gun proves that they are more intellectual and intellectual. In the orientalism Said talks about some important points such as
1. The Changing historical and cultural relationship between Europe and Asia
2. Scientific discipline in the West (the 19th-century study of various oriental cultures and traditions)
He also argued that
"That is less a fact of nature than it is a fact of human production, which I have called imagination geography."
Orient and occident are facts produced by human beings. We can also see the colonial aspect here. Westerns developed their colony in the East and ruled such as India. When they came in Indian, they think we have no sense how to live in the nation or we are not intelligent or Intellectual and Civilized. So Said told that,
"Orientalism as a system of knowledge and as discourse isn't a purely objective description, it's motivated by particular interests."
In his interview, he talks about following interesting points.
1.Observation - people who look different
When we meet strange people, how do we come to understand that people or person whom you meet or looks different? What first thing comes in your mind when you look at them? For Example for Indian, the ideas of women, western women are not good. When we look we think they are not good women. Why? Because they are wearing short clothes especially when we look at Hollywood movies. So here we are, judge people, by their looks not by there nature or other things. So the framework that we use to understand the unfamiliar and the strange or to make the people of the Middle East appear different and threatening. Said is Talking about the Eastern world like Palestine, Egypt and their condition after colonialism.
2. The repertory of orientalism :
" A great deal of writing had gone before and this writing was an organized form of writing like an organised science."
So when some other countries writer writes about your land or about your nation you may find different or you may burn the book after reading that because you think this is not a reality of your nation. Every writer's description is different. For example, Indian was called a Golden bird - 'sone ki Chidiya' but when Western come here and observe they may find that this is not the truth and their work they may write the reality of the nation.
3. Comparative Literature :
Comparative literature is a good thing but we have to understand history in a proper way when we do a comparative study. Comparative studies give us new inventory. First, we have to observe the real world in which we are living after that we have to understand history in a proper way and after we can do comparative study in a proper way. Because doing a comparison is not an easy task. It takes time to observe several things and when we do we have to think about the key aspect which is important for your comparative studies. In the interview, Said talks about the Palestinian people. Said grew up in what was then called Palestine and is now called Israel and the Occupied Territories. Said also talks about Gramsci's in The Prison Notebooks in his interview.
Gramsci says,
“Therefore the task at the outset is to try to compile an inventory".
4. Palestine Issue :
In the interview, Edward Said, time and again, refers to the Palestine issue. The condition of the people and their sacrifice. From 1948 to present time Palestinian are suffering a lot. The conflict between Israel and Palestine. Jews was the first who are there. Their faith is a new millennia older than Christian and Islam. This was a very controversial issue and this is historical not a political one. This is a conflict between two different people for the same territory. British tried to weaken a Palestinian empire by supporting the Arab rebellion. In the end, Palestinian defeated and their land carved up by European powers. The British give more independence to Iraq and Transjordan than Palestine and British wants to create a Jewish homeland. So that we can see the condition of Palestine. After some time, Jewish immigration to Palestine. Britain completes its withdrawal from Palestine. So there were many wars between Egypt, Syria, Iraq, British and Palestine etc. In 1978, the Palestinian population rebels and takes to the street.
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