Edward said is a professor at Columbia University. He is author of book orientalism.
First what is orientalism? So In art history, literature and cultural studies, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects in the Eastern world. These depictions are usually done by writers, designers, and artists from the West.
Here in this blog I will talk about the Edward Said's view on Orientalism. To write his views I will take help of one of his interview.
Information about Interview :
Executive producer & Director : Sit Jhally
Producer & Editor : Sanjay Talreja
Introduced by Sut Jhally University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Video recording of interview :
View of Edward Said :
We can divide interview in parts by information which is provided in interview.
1. Introduction
2. The Repertory of orientalism
3. Orientalism & Empire
4. American Orientalism
5. Orientalism Today : The Demonetization of Islam in the news and popular culture
6. Orientalism in action : The Media and the Oklahoma City bomb
7. Orientalism and the Palestine question.
1. Introduction :
This part is bugging of interview. In this Sut Jhally give basic information about the Orientalism. This book is published in 1978. The book Orientalism revolutionized the study of the Middle East and helped to create and shape entire new fields of study such as Post-Colonial theory as well influencing disciplines as diverse as English,
History, Anthropology, Political Science and Cultural Studies. This book is letter on started translating in 26 language. It try to answer the question about Eastern world like what kind of people leave there what they believe, how they act? More generally orientalism asks, how do we come to understand people, strangers, who look different to us by virtue of the color of their skin?
After this Edward said talk about the two reason that why he is interested in orientalism.
1. The first reason is the war of 1973 between Arab and Israel. Which brings different image and discussion in Media in the popular press about Arab country.
2. The second reason is connected with his own life' s history. In his own life was the constants short of disparity he felt between what his
experience of being an Arab was, and the representations that one saw in art.
2. The Repertory of Orientalism :
In the beginning of this part said say that in 1850s or 1860s when people talk about Egypt or Syria they don't know much about the place. They address the subject as we like to think in kind of free and creative way. A great deal of writing had gone before and this writing was an organized form of writing, like an organized science. This is called Orientalism according to him. He say that Repertory of image that coming up. For them east is kind of mysterious place. They used words like " the marvels of the east. " He say that that was the time you don't get much realistic representations.
Further he say that though we are in 20th century but image of this country are Same We found in 19th century. For this he gave example of Edward William Lane who wrote book on Modern Egyptians in early 1830s. He say that now if you read somebody who wrote on same topic around 1920s you found there is not much difference. The other example he gave from French poet Gerard De Nerval who went to voyage to orient.
3. Orientalism and Empire :
Sut Jhally in this part say that said locates the construction of orientalism within the history of imperial conquest. The spread of British Empire is most important in test of East. They conquer not only militarily but what we call ideologically also the question for this empire is how we understand the native the process of using large abstract catagorically to explain people who look different. But orientalism makes this gereral process more formal. Said identifies Napoleon's conquest of Egypt in 1798 as marking a new kind of imperial and colonial conquest, that inaugurates the project of Orientalism.
According to said the first modern imperial expedition ocear when Nepoleon come to Egypt in 1798. They not only come with Army but also with scientists, botanists, architects, philologist, biologist, historians whose job is to record Egypt in every conceivable way. According to scientific survey of Egypt, which was designed not for Egyptians but for European. Further said say that to produce knowledge you have to have thep to be there, and to see in expert ways things that the natives themselves can't see.
4. American Orientalism :
In this we see Edward said talk's about the American Orientalism. In the bignning of this he talks about the different kind of Orientalism. He talks about difference between Britain and France on one hand and United States on the other. Orientalism like Britain had long standing relationship and imperial role in place like India. The same relationship we found France had with North Africa. The second difference is that the American Orientalism is very politicized by the presences of Israel. Then he say that America has interested in place like Iran and Saudi is because of oil. The presence of this factor is very Anti- Islamic where Israel regards the whole Arab world as it's enemy. The idea of Human terrorist on the west bank are just interested in killing Jewish children is what you derive from looking at this stuff and very little attention is paid to the fact that the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza has been going on for thirty years, it's the longest military
occupation in this century. We see there's a sense in which the Arab struggle for national independence and in the case of the Palestinians for national self-determination is looked at with a great hostility as upsetting the stabilities of the status quo. When we see films about middle East then we see they portrayed Arabs as terrorists and violence people.
5. Orientalism Today : The Demonization of Islam in need and popular culture.
Apart from terrorism the other thing America really need to think is about about racism. American understand the Muslim world is very problematic indeed anti-Arab racism seems to almost officially sanctioned. Said recognizes that terrorism exits, as a result of the violent, political situation in the Middle East. But he argued that they are so many things which are misunderstood by the people of west. But the representation by Media, journalist and movie make them more negative. According to him middle East looking with narrow perpative towards the people humanity and human lives who leave there.
Further he talked about the book he wrote during late 80s ' covering Islam'. In which he described Islamic revolution. But still during next sixteen seventeen years picture of Islam come more theatening. According to him Islamic Jihad had come to America and during this most irresponsible Journalism had done. After this Islam and teaching of Islam becoming synonymous with terror. Representation from movie like Arabian nights bring two popular media thought about Muslim. First they are villains and second they are fanatics. This movie starts showing that they only understand the language of fource and we can't talk to them.
In the last of this part questions that why we can't consider something bad because they also empires country like India. He says that this all is because discourse is a regulated system of producing knowledge within certain constraints whereby certain rules have to be observed. He also say that now Arabs keep
themselves collectivity in a way that is subordinate to and inferior to the West. And in fact fulfills the kinds of representations that most Westerners have in their minds about
the Arabs.
6. Orientalism in Action - The media and Oklahoma City Bomb :
In this he talks about the bomb attack in Oklahoma City and it's media representation. He gave his personal example of things he faced during this time. He this attack happen he was in Canada and was taking lecture. During half hour there was around twenty-five calls and all this from popular news channels and magazines. They all wanted to talk about the attack. He has questions in his mind that " what does that have to do with anything? " The answer of the question is the bombing style is like middle East. And at that time there are some swarth people around. They only want to talk with him because he is by virtue of being from middle East he would have an inside insight to this. He say that proposition is so
preposterous and so racist that just if you are from the area you would understand who and why this is being done.
7. Orientalism and The Palestine question.
In the bugging of this part Sut Jhally say that professor Said is not only a literary theorist; he is also a very prominent and active representative of the Palestinian people. He grew up at that place when it is known as Palestine which is now known as Israel and occupied Territories. One of the things that drives Said is the quest for justice and a homeland for
the Palestinian people. And there is a close connection between Said's intellectual work and his political activism. He remark that he wants to worth three book that he thinks of trilogy. In his mind are closely connected together orientalism, covering Islam and The question of Palestine. According to him peaceful solution if middle East is in finding an answer of the question of Palestine. In seeking a way out of this legacy of mistrust and conflict,Said draws upon the work of Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci, who gives us the
tools to think about these difficult issues in more productive and humane ways.
Further in this part said talks about Gramsci's The prison Notebook. In this book Gramsci he say that history deposits in us our own history, our family's history our nation's history, our tradition's history, which has left in us an infinity of traces all kinds of marks, you know, through heredity, through collective experience,
through individual experience, through family experience, relations between one individual and another, a whole book, if you like, on a series of, an infinity of traces, but there is no inventory, there's no orderly guide to it. This idea of book Apple to said.
The most interesting sort of human task is the takes of interpretation. It's hole is not to prove one's history is better then other. He say that notion of writing ani inventory historical inventory, which would try to understand not only to understand
one's self but to understand one's self in relation to others and to understand others as if you would understand yourself. According to him issue of palestine is important because of its local complexity.
In this way we found that said talk about the Orientalism and different issue which are connected with some other things.
First what is orientalism? So In art history, literature and cultural studies, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects in the Eastern world. These depictions are usually done by writers, designers, and artists from the West.
Here in this blog I will talk about the Edward Said's view on Orientalism. To write his views I will take help of one of his interview.
Information about Interview :
Executive producer & Director : Sit Jhally
Producer & Editor : Sanjay Talreja
Introduced by Sut Jhally University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Video recording of interview :
We can divide interview in parts by information which is provided in interview.
1. Introduction
2. The Repertory of orientalism
3. Orientalism & Empire
4. American Orientalism
5. Orientalism Today : The Demonetization of Islam in the news and popular culture
6. Orientalism in action : The Media and the Oklahoma City bomb
7. Orientalism and the Palestine question.
1. Introduction :
This part is bugging of interview. In this Sut Jhally give basic information about the Orientalism. This book is published in 1978. The book Orientalism revolutionized the study of the Middle East and helped to create and shape entire new fields of study such as Post-Colonial theory as well influencing disciplines as diverse as English,
History, Anthropology, Political Science and Cultural Studies. This book is letter on started translating in 26 language. It try to answer the question about Eastern world like what kind of people leave there what they believe, how they act? More generally orientalism asks, how do we come to understand people, strangers, who look different to us by virtue of the color of their skin?
The central argument of Orientalism is that the way that we acquire this knowledge is not innocent or objective but the end result of a process that reflects certain interests.
After this Edward said talk about the two reason that why he is interested in orientalism.
1. The first reason is the war of 1973 between Arab and Israel. Which brings different image and discussion in Media in the popular press about Arab country.
2. The second reason is connected with his own life' s history. In his own life was the constants short of disparity he felt between what his
experience of being an Arab was, and the representations that one saw in art.
2. The Repertory of Orientalism :
In the beginning of this part said say that in 1850s or 1860s when people talk about Egypt or Syria they don't know much about the place. They address the subject as we like to think in kind of free and creative way. A great deal of writing had gone before and this writing was an organized form of writing, like an organized science. This is called Orientalism according to him. He say that Repertory of image that coming up. For them east is kind of mysterious place. They used words like " the marvels of the east. " He say that that was the time you don't get much realistic representations.
Further he say that though we are in 20th century but image of this country are Same We found in 19th century. For this he gave example of Edward William Lane who wrote book on Modern Egyptians in early 1830s. He say that now if you read somebody who wrote on same topic around 1920s you found there is not much difference. The other example he gave from French poet Gerard De Nerval who went to voyage to orient.
3. Orientalism and Empire :
Sut Jhally in this part say that said locates the construction of orientalism within the history of imperial conquest. The spread of British Empire is most important in test of East. They conquer not only militarily but what we call ideologically also the question for this empire is how we understand the native the process of using large abstract catagorically to explain people who look different. But orientalism makes this gereral process more formal. Said identifies Napoleon's conquest of Egypt in 1798 as marking a new kind of imperial and colonial conquest, that inaugurates the project of Orientalism.
According to said the first modern imperial expedition ocear when Nepoleon come to Egypt in 1798. They not only come with Army but also with scientists, botanists, architects, philologist, biologist, historians whose job is to record Egypt in every conceivable way. According to scientific survey of Egypt, which was designed not for Egyptians but for European. Further said say that to produce knowledge you have to have thep to be there, and to see in expert ways things that the natives themselves can't see.
4. American Orientalism :
In this we see Edward said talk's about the American Orientalism. In the bignning of this he talks about the different kind of Orientalism. He talks about difference between Britain and France on one hand and United States on the other. Orientalism like Britain had long standing relationship and imperial role in place like India. The same relationship we found France had with North Africa. The second difference is that the American Orientalism is very politicized by the presences of Israel. Then he say that America has interested in place like Iran and Saudi is because of oil. The presence of this factor is very Anti- Islamic where Israel regards the whole Arab world as it's enemy. The idea of Human terrorist on the west bank are just interested in killing Jewish children is what you derive from looking at this stuff and very little attention is paid to the fact that the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza has been going on for thirty years, it's the longest military
occupation in this century. We see there's a sense in which the Arab struggle for national independence and in the case of the Palestinians for national self-determination is looked at with a great hostility as upsetting the stabilities of the status quo. When we see films about middle East then we see they portrayed Arabs as terrorists and violence people.
5. Orientalism Today : The Demonization of Islam in need and popular culture.
Apart from terrorism the other thing America really need to think is about about racism. American understand the Muslim world is very problematic indeed anti-Arab racism seems to almost officially sanctioned. Said recognizes that terrorism exits, as a result of the violent, political situation in the Middle East. But he argued that they are so many things which are misunderstood by the people of west. But the representation by Media, journalist and movie make them more negative. According to him middle East looking with narrow perpative towards the people humanity and human lives who leave there.
Further he talked about the book he wrote during late 80s ' covering Islam'. In which he described Islamic revolution. But still during next sixteen seventeen years picture of Islam come more theatening. According to him Islamic Jihad had come to America and during this most irresponsible Journalism had done. After this Islam and teaching of Islam becoming synonymous with terror. Representation from movie like Arabian nights bring two popular media thought about Muslim. First they are villains and second they are fanatics. This movie starts showing that they only understand the language of fource and we can't talk to them.
In the last of this part questions that why we can't consider something bad because they also empires country like India. He says that this all is because discourse is a regulated system of producing knowledge within certain constraints whereby certain rules have to be observed. He also say that now Arabs keep
themselves collectivity in a way that is subordinate to and inferior to the West. And in fact fulfills the kinds of representations that most Westerners have in their minds about
the Arabs.
6. Orientalism in Action - The media and Oklahoma City Bomb :
In this he talks about the bomb attack in Oklahoma City and it's media representation. He gave his personal example of things he faced during this time. He this attack happen he was in Canada and was taking lecture. During half hour there was around twenty-five calls and all this from popular news channels and magazines. They all wanted to talk about the attack. He has questions in his mind that " what does that have to do with anything? " The answer of the question is the bombing style is like middle East. And at that time there are some swarth people around. They only want to talk with him because he is by virtue of being from middle East he would have an inside insight to this. He say that proposition is so
preposterous and so racist that just if you are from the area you would understand who and why this is being done.
7. Orientalism and The Palestine question.
In the bugging of this part Sut Jhally say that professor Said is not only a literary theorist; he is also a very prominent and active representative of the Palestinian people. He grew up at that place when it is known as Palestine which is now known as Israel and occupied Territories. One of the things that drives Said is the quest for justice and a homeland for
the Palestinian people. And there is a close connection between Said's intellectual work and his political activism. He remark that he wants to worth three book that he thinks of trilogy. In his mind are closely connected together orientalism, covering Islam and The question of Palestine. According to him peaceful solution if middle East is in finding an answer of the question of Palestine. In seeking a way out of this legacy of mistrust and conflict,Said draws upon the work of Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci, who gives us the
tools to think about these difficult issues in more productive and humane ways.
Further in this part said talks about Gramsci's The prison Notebook. In this book Gramsci he say that history deposits in us our own history, our family's history our nation's history, our tradition's history, which has left in us an infinity of traces all kinds of marks, you know, through heredity, through collective experience,
through individual experience, through family experience, relations between one individual and another, a whole book, if you like, on a series of, an infinity of traces, but there is no inventory, there's no orderly guide to it. This idea of book Apple to said.
The most interesting sort of human task is the takes of interpretation. It's hole is not to prove one's history is better then other. He say that notion of writing ani inventory historical inventory, which would try to understand not only to understand
one's self but to understand one's self in relation to others and to understand others as if you would understand yourself. According to him issue of palestine is important because of its local complexity.
In this way we found that said talk about the Orientalism and different issue which are connected with some other things.
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