Edward Said

Edward Said

Edward Said explained Orientalism as a view or perception of the Eastern people made by Western society. He explains that usually these views were negatice or incorrect. Said said that Western society usually got their ideas and perceptions of the Eastern people from romanticized images of them. More often than not Western views were completely wrong and completely stereotypical and racist. He said that Western society pretty much invented Orientalism and the negative views of the Orient. "The Orient is not only adjacent to Europe; it is also the place of Europe's greatest and richest and oldest colonies, the source of its civilization and languages, its cultural contestant, and one of its deepest and most recurring images of the Other." Said is describing the Orient and the places where it became itself away from itself. People migrated out of the Orient bringing its culture and civilization with them.  He warned to Orients not to play into the stereotypical views of the Western people. Said talks about how people will judge other people just based on their ideas of them. They really do not know them, but they will still pass judgement on them. This makes me think about myself in some ways. I have two chronic pain diseases. I have fibromyalgia and endometriosis. There are some days that I am not able to get out of my bed. On those days, I will have to miss class. Most of the time I do not tell my teachers why I missed, because really what can they do? But I know that some of the teachers that do not know about my condition probally thinks I am being lazy and just cutting class, when that is really not the case at all.

This is a wonderful video that shows Said being interviewed and talking about Orientalism.