Orientalism Now

2008-04-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

“The principles of identity and noncontradiction clearly do not bind the Orientalist. What overrides them is Orientalist expertise, which is based on an irrefutable collective verity entirely within the Orientalist’s philosophical and rhetorical grasp.” (P. 236)

This "irrefutable" belief became firmly established, and furthered to pushing of Western beliefs and lifestyles upon those who were labeled as the "other". The "White Man" now had no excuse and no reason not to adhere to these values of Orientalism, especially once they had become a form of common, "empirical" knowledge.

These views of Orientalism as put forth by Kipling and his contemporaries furthered the ideals of Orientalism and made it completely acceptable to adopt these views as cold, hard fact.

An image such as an advertisement for “The White Man’s Burden Pears’ Soap” is a manifestation of Orientalism in every day life. The advertisement can be seen in two lights. The first is literal, in suggesting that only the White Man can spread this “virtue of cleanliness” and by doing so, they may be able to more readily interact with those “beneath them”. The other interpretation could suggest that all people who are not “White” or “Western” are unclean and in need of the White Man’s influence. This ad further supports the claim that Orientalism had become such an absolute truth that it even trickled down into the most mundane of tasks, such as the act of washing.

I think Said was correct in structuring his argument in reference to the eventual development of Orientalism with respect to Kipling and other subscribers to the theory. It is obvious that Orientalists of the time had created an absolute set of rules and facts that guided their behavior and beliefs with respect to the “other” and the Orient. These beliefs were backed with “empirical” fact, so an advertisement such as the one shown, became commonly seen and accepted.

Chapter 3, Sect. 1: Latent and Manifest Orientalism

2008-04-09T14:46:00.001-07:00

http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/victorians/finals/world.html

In this chapter, Said shows how latent and manifest Orientalism worked in conjunction with the West’s academic, scientific and economic strength to reproduce a cycle of the Orient’s marginalization and the West’s domination. Latent Orientalism refers to the philosophical and subconscious applications of superiority, and I interpreted manifest Orientalism as the application of latent in order to secure and justify Eurocentric perceptions through socially revered institutions, such as science, government, economy, etc.

When thinking about latent orientalism, I immediately thought about the frightening racial superiority constructions that lead to human genocide such as the German third Reich party in WWII. The more I learn about the post-colonial political ramifications of racial superiority constructions, the more I realize that the past constructions manifest themselves in different ways. How do you think racial/ethnic superiority has manifested itself in contemporary times?

In order to isolate the East from social movement “in the deepest sense of the word,”(208) the West feminizes the East in order to distance Oriental men from power and to conglomerate power with only European, aristocratic men. The analogies relating the East with feminine attributes implied an inherent weakness and dependency of the East on the West, and this mentality justified the West overtaking geographical space in order to help the "uncivilized" Orient.

This section immediately reminded me of corporate chains incorporating into international spaces as symbols of civilization and progress, as if other countries could not be civilized without them. Do you see any other contemporary relationships where one country is feminized by the other in order to take over geographical space?

I chose the above painting to tie European dominance, feminization and geography together. I interpret the center to be a representation of Mother England because 1) Queen Victoria was the reigning monarch at the time and 2) qualities associated with motherhood such as charity, selflessness, devotion, leadership, etc. reflect the Orientalist perception of the West's role in the East. Also, I see this woman as implying a virgin sexual purity, because this polarizes England from the Orientalist definition of Oriental women as naturally sexually charged. The way she is reclining on top of the world with the other ethnic representations looking towards her at the center really hits the point: England saw themselves as the center of everyone else's Universe! She is not only at the center, but also at the top of the world, and I understand her, holding poseidon's staff, to be a symbol of dominance, empire and control over the oceans, nature and maybe even God.

Understanding Orientalism

Orientalism Now

Chapter 3, Sect. 1: Latent and Manifest Orientalism