Personl reflection 2

 

‘The Orientalism’ of Edward W. Said was published in 1978. The main focus of the book is on cultural discrimination between eastern and western parts of the World. The term "Orientalism” refers to a manner in which generally Western attitude patronizes towards Middle Eastern, Asian and North African nations. The derivation history of the term "Orientalism” consist of the following, after connecting less developed countries of the east as colonies, Europeans invented a new terminology, which is orientalism. It was a tool for them to differentiate themselves from other nationalities. They found themselves as civilized personalities and put their culture in a top position. Europeans were named as Occident and the others as Orient. Furthermore, Occidents get the responsibility that it is their duty to civilize the uncivilized part of the World. Similarly, Europeans have created a huge bias about the population of the eastern part of the World. In this book Edward Said evaluates and critiques the set of beliefs known as Orientalism forms an important background for postcolonial studies. In addition, he supports his work through a wide variety of assumptions and questions and various paradigms of individual, academic, and political thoughts. Furthermore, Edward Said explains the impact of the Orientalist idea through dividing it earlier Orientalism and contemporary Orientalism. The book also insists on the fact that Orient is an idea that has a history and tradition of though, imagery and vocabulary that have given in reality and presence in and for the West. Do these two geographical entities thus support and to an extent reflect each other? In my opinion, not hey do not since eastern countries were a tool for presenting western countries and its culture to the World as an idol. Finally, I have chosen this topic as it is an important and controversial theory –issue- which should be known by each individual in the world.