Orientalism by Edward Said
Book
Summary
Orientalism is a scholarly
examination of European {and American} writing on Asia, examining the overall
approach of western chroniclers and writers with regard to Asia, or as they
prefer to call it, The Orient. It is a detailed exhaustive look at the tendency
of the Western writers to look upon Asia with condescension, or rather, adopt a
patronizing attitude towards Asian cultures and people in general. It examines
the deep link between Western writing on Asia and Imperialism / Colonialism,
and traces how it had an imprint right into the Modern world.
The book traces through a range of
writing on Asia and Asian Peoples, a rising tendency of condescension, and
western superiority – which percolated into various aspects and topics of chronicling;
indeed it also traces the origin of Eastern Orientalists, as the oppressed were
co-opted. It establishes the persistent and now-endemic western penchant for
prejudice deep into history, and its impact on historical documentation. The
latter part of the book traces the modern impact of this tendency on the people
of Asia, with the far-reaching influence of westernism which is now embedded deep
in the societies of the ruled classes, as well as the economics and business of
these former colonies.
RATING
AND EXPLANATION FOR IT
The rating is high, and deservedly
so. This is a book that rates as a must read for all Indians, outlining the
impact of Orientalism, tracing it from its genesis right till the modern world,
and the damaging impact on The East that continues till this day. It is not an
easy read - but the best books generally arent easy to read. Highly recommended
for its frank analysis, blunt words and factual though literary approach - as
well as for its current relevance, especially with the current rise of the
East, all across Asia. This is a book that you just cannot miss, given the rise
of Asia, its global relevance, and cultural renaissance in evidence everywhere
ANALYSIS
The book is not an easy read; I
would be lying if I said otherwise. It is exhaustive, detailed, and is further based
on a literary examination of writings / literature on the East that emanated
{and still does} from The West. It looks in detail at these authors, their short
histories, their driving passions, their style, and the reasons thereof. This makes
the book a slow read at the best of times, but the learnings from it far outweigh
the slightly pedantic tonality; this is not a book meant for a coffee table
read. This is a tome targeted at the interested readers, and for them – it is a
fascinating read, a chronicle of sheer brilliance.
Western views, writings, articles on
The East and their errors are still rampant; one can still perceive the open
bias even in fields where cultural bias is hard to come by – like Economics.
The book under review goes a long way in establishing the roots of this clear
inaccuracy & bias in the Colonial enterprise, and the inherent western
penchant of superiority. While slow change is now happening, this continues to
this day – which is what makes this book a must read by all Indians. Those
readers who have wondered at this habit in The West, would do well to read this
as much as they can – it is by no means an easy read, and it is by no means
easy to absorb.
The only negative aspect I can
notice is the penchant of the author to focus largely on the Middle East &
Egypt; while India and even China to a small extent has been analysed to a much
lesser degree. This shows the impact of The Western Mindset even in such an
open-minded and fair writer, and the impact of Western people’s fixation on The
Middle East & Egypt. This goes to show how deep the roots of this Western
habit are! That is something that still continues- though the rise of China and
India in recent years have caused a small shift. But the overall trend remains –
as also the trend of some Indians to place needless emphasis on The West.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I can rate this book
a high 3.5 to 4 stars; it breaks fresh ground, was a very bold book indeed given
that it was written in 1978. It has spawned a lot of debate; it has lead to many
books and examinations – one such has featured on my blog as well, {The Rulers’
Gaze}. This makes it a seminal contribution. It helps the reader connect the
dots, and understand how deep seated this habit in The West as well as in the Eastern
Orientalists is, and helps place a context to a lot of reportage, writings etc.
But above all, it helps us identify the change that is afoot, with more and
more balance in both The West and The East setting in - giving rise to a robust dialogue, which is a
heartening sign for the future. For, dialogue always leads to improvement of
the status quo, if conducted in the right spirit!
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