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Edward Said on Orientalism

The Interview of Edward Said on 'Orientalism'




Orientalism is a philosophical discourse, according to Said it is come like exotic, which means coming from different country; different culture. It is not imagination or idea but it's a part of culture. Orient means East, and it was grow with idea of imperialism.

'Orientalism' book written by Edward Said, Professor at Columbia University. He studied the visuals of Arabic world which is related to Orientalism.


5 concepts related to Orientalism:-


#Edward Said given the example that, his book was read by French poet, who actually went to East means to Orient. So, according to that poet, he find similar things in Syria which was mentioned by Said in his book. Said includes that Orients are all the same wherever we find them, whether it's in India, or in Egypt, or in Syria there are same resource.  

#"the marvels of the east" - the east considered as mysterious place, full of secrets, and monster, where people believe in mysterious things, in not only India but also in Egypt, Syria. 



In Egypt the mysterious culture and different pyramids make the sense of horror and we relatedly we can not find Arabic world in Western countries, music or in paintings.

# Different kinds of Orientalisms, it is an effect of difference between different experiences about orient. Britain and France both had colonies in the Eastern countries. In India they had imperial role and ruling for several hundred years. Where as the French in North Africa. In the experience of orient America is more indirect.

#In the context of demonization of Islam, Television represents jihad in America, for militants Jihad is a holy war, and their main purpose is to establish an Islamic empire. Media reveling only worst side of Islam, at that time those people who are believers of Islam or who have influence of that, they can see only problems of that society. And as a result the human side of Islamic and Arabic world are rarely found.


An Introduction to Antonio Gramsci's 'The Prison Notebooks'

#Said point out Gramsci's 'The Prison Notebooks', that makes influence on him. The book speaks about history reserves in us our own history, through heredity, collective experiences, individual experiences. 

Thank you....

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