Essay about An Analysis of Orientalism by Edward Said

Critical Thought Paper 1: Orientalism In Orientalism, Edward Said discusses the many aspects of the term â€Å"Orientalism,† including its origins, the primary ideas and arguments behind Orientalism, and the impact that Orientalism has had on the relationship between the West and the East. He quotes Joseph Conrad for the proposition that conquering people who are different from us is â€Å"not a pretty thing.† It needs an â€Å"idea† to â€Å"redeem† it. Said’s concept of Orientalism helps define the â€Å"idea† that provides a political, economic, moral, and socio-cultural justifications for imperialist actions by more dominant countries such as the United States. In Iraq, this â€Å"idea† is that the United States is a more advanced, civilized, and productive†¦show more content†¦The privileged young adults from the Orient who were afforded the opportunity to receive a Western education may have further heightened racial tensions because they were taught We stern morals that differed greatly from the Oriental generations before them. Said makes clear in Orientalism his view that there is a large amount of racism in the West’s attitude toward the East. He quotes Kipling about how â€Å"White Men tread when they go to clean a land† (226). He notes that â€Å"behind the White Man’s mask of amiable leadership there is always the express willingness to use force, to kill, and be killed†(226). The White Man justifies such violence on the grounds that his values are â€Å"liberal, humane, correct.† This feeling among white European men that they were â€Å"cleaning† lands and spreading proper values, even if by force, forms the basis for a lot of Orientalist thought supporting the invasion of the East by the West. As Said states, the people in the East were viewed as â€Å"backward, degenerate, uncivilized, and retarded† (207) and were compared to those who were alienated in the West such as â€Å"delinquents, the insane, women, the poor.† Thus, Orientals were â€Å"problems to be solved or confined† (207). In current Western societies, these racist views about those in the East are more latent and unspoken than in previous centuries. However, there is little doubt that the original justifications for European invasions into EasternShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Orientalism, Criticizes And Confronts The Ideas Of Truth And Representation, By Edward Said1642 Words   |  7 PagesEdward Said in his book Orientalism, criticizes and confronts the ideas of truth and representation, â€Å"it is not ‘truth’ but representation† (p. 29). Our representations of the world do not always hold truth. Western countries, such as the US, have sculpted a media in which the enemy of the East, is at the forefront and represents an entire population and geographical location as something to fear. 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And through Kipling’s accusation of camouflaging the atrocity of the imperial vision by this misrepresentation, it is clear that the real reason behind this unrealistic image is empowering the cultural hegemony of the colonizer. 1- The analysis 2.1- Defining Edward Said’s notion of representation. People can be able to understand the