WHAT IS ORIENTALISM
Many scholars describe Orientalism as “The way the East, particularly the Middle East and North Africa, are portrayed in Western society”. American-Palestinian academic Edward Said first used the concept in 1978’s[1]. Orientalism, in Said’s opinion, is a type of cultural imperialism that upholds Western views of the east as strange, absurd, and beneath them[2]. According to him, European colonization brought them into contact with the less developed eastern nations. They created the science of orientalism, the study of the Orientals or the people from these foreign civilizations, since they thought their civilization and culture were quite exotic.
According to Edward Said, the Europeans split the world between the East and West, occident and Orient, or civilized and uncivilized. This was a wholly artificial line that was drawn based on the idea of “them” and “us” or “theirs” and “ours.” The Europeans utilized orientalism to describe themselves. The Orientals were thought to possess certain characteristics, and whatever the Orientals lacked, the occident possessed. The belief that the Europeans were the superior race in comparison to the Orientals served as justification for their colonization[1]. They claimed their responsibility was to advance civilization in the uncivilized world. But the primary issue emerged when Europeans began generalizing the features they identified with Orientals and began exhibiting these manufactured characteristics in their Western culture through their scientific papers, literary works, and other media sources.[3]. It implanted a bias in the European mindset toward Orientals by forming a particular image of Orientals in their minds. The orientalists, or scientists who study orientals, shared this prejudice, affecting their scientific work and publications.
Edward Said describes the evolution of the science of orientalism in his journal and how the Orientals came to view themselves as non-humans. By adopting our concepts of ours and theirs, the Orientals split the universe into two sections.[4]. An arbitrary geographic boundary was formed between what was ours and theirs[5]. The Westerners said that because they were the refined race and the orients were considered uncivilized, it was their duty to civilize them and that to do so, they needed to conquer and govern the orients[6]. They said that the Orients were unable to manage their government. Furthermore, the Europeans believed they had a legitimate claim to speak for all Orientals in the West. By doing this, they orientalized the Orients or moulded them to fit their perception of the Orientals.
Many teams have been deployed to the east, where the orientalists quietly studied the orientals while residing there.[7]. Everything the Orientals said and did, regardless of context, was recorded and projected to the Western civilized world. The generalization came forth as a result. Regardless of whether it is an individual’s crazy behaviour, everything that the Orientals saw was linked to Oriental culture. The most significant way that orientalism served the Europeans was by helping them identify themselves in relation to the Orientals[8]. For instance, when traits like laziness, irrationality, and crudeness were associated with Asians, the Europeans automatically evolved into becoming active, intelligent, civilized, and sophisticated[9]. Thus, the Orientalists needed to generalize the Orient’s civilization to accomplish this purpose.
Another aspect of orientalism was how it attempted to explain Eastern cultures to European audiences by equating them with Western cultures. For instance, Islam was renamed Mohammadism because Mohammad is credited as its founder and since Christianity is the name of the religion that Christ founded, Islam should also be referred to as Mohammadism[10]. It’s essential to keep in mind that no Muslim was familiar with this phrase; it was entirely a product of Western culture, over which Muslims had no influence whatsoever.
ORIENTALISM IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
Orientalism significantly influenced European and American art during the nineteenth century. The exoticism of the east intrigued artists throughout this time, and this enthusiasm was frequently visible in their works.[11]. Many of these works, nevertheless, also served to reinforce unfavourable stereotypes of the east and can be understood as a component of a greater cultural project of hegemony and oppression.
The three artworks that most exemplify orientalism from the nineteenth century are “The Snake Charmer” by Jean-Léon Gérôme, “Bedouins” by John Singer Sargent, and “Women of Algiers” by Eugene Delacroix. Each piece illustrates Western artists’ infatuation with the east’s exoticism while fostering unfavourable perceptions about the region.
A group of exoticized individuals are shown in the 1870 painting “The Snake Charmer” by Jean-Léon Gérôme against a background of a Middle Eastern castle. The elaborate clothes worn by the people and the intricate patterns on the castle walls are only a few of the painting’s many detailed aspects.[12]. The snake charmer, who is depicted playing with a pipe and moving to manipulate a snake, is the main character in the picture. A woman wearing a veil and a group of onlookers are depicted as meek and subservient among the other individuals in the picture[13]. Although the picture is artistically appealing, it also has the potential to reinforce unfavourable prejudices about the east. The snake charmer is portrayed as exotic and savage, while the veiled woman is meek and subservient[14]. The picture perpetuates positive perceptions of the east as being inferior to the West, which supports the sense that it is an unusual and irrational country.
The 1905 painting “Bedouins” by John Singer Sargent shows a group of Arab men seated in a tent wearing traditional clothing. The guys are portrayed as stoic and proud, and their traditional attire and regalia emphasize their exoticism.[15]. The men’s clothing’s fine details and the elaborate tent decorations make the artwork visually striking. While the artwork is beautiful, it reinforces misconceptions about the east as undeveloped and uncivilized. The guys are shown as emotionless and austere, supporting the notion that the east is an insular and barbaric region. The image of the east as exotic, foreign, and inferior to the West is likewise maintained by the picture.
A group of women are shown in a harem in the 1834 artwork “Women of Algiers” by Eugene Delacroix. With their positions highlighting their sexuality and otherness, the women are seen wearing exotic clothing. Rich hues and complex details, such as the designs on the women’s attire and the elaborate harem decorations, abound throughout the artwork.[16]. The painting maintains unfavourable perceptions of the east despite its tremendous visual appeal. The women’s exotic and seductive appearances support the notion that the east is a land of sensuality and eroticism. The portrayal of the women as meek and humble only reinforces the notion that the east is a region of inferiority and surrender.
Edward Said draws attention to the modest shift in European perceptions of Asians. Through their writing, the Orientals were particularly well-known in the European world. European poets and writers glorified Oriental culture before presenting it to the Western world.[17]. The Orient was depicted to them in the light of the orientalist or other writer’s vision because the orientalists had created a stage specifically for European audiences. The Orient was so glorified in Western literature that pilgrimages were encouraged to these far-off places with their unpolluted sun and clear waters to find inner peace and creativity[18]. The orientalist now saw the east as a region of unadulterated human culture, free of any required vices.
The Europeans had the right to reign over and study such a pure people because their intelligence, wit, diplomacy, and foresight made the Orientals inferior. The Europeans claimed that these individuals needed their fatherly assistance because they were too innocent to handle the harsh realities of the outside world.[19]. The Europeans also claimed that since they had evolved as a nation earlier than the Orientals, demonstrating their biological superiority, and since they had discovered the Orients rather than the Orients having discovered the Europeans, they were destined to rule the Orientals. The Europeans promoted Darwin’s theories to support their superiority in biology.
ORIENTALISM TODAY.
There has been evolving nature of world politics and the shifting perceptions of orientalism in the 20th century. The fundamental distinction was that the new Orientalists actively participated in daily life in the Orient, unlike the earlier Orientalists, who were more like passive observers. The new orients coexist with the orients as if they were one of them, in contrast to the earlier orientalists who did not engage with them much.
After the First World War, America overtook Europe as the hub of orientalism. During this time, there were several notable changes, such as the move from instances of linking it to philology to now being tied to social science.[20]. All orientalists researched the Orient’s population to aid their governments in formulating foreign policy toward those nations. After World War 2, it was widely assumed that there were no orientals or occidents. Westerners continued to have rather overt prejudice against Eastern countries, and as a result, they frequently succeeded in making generalizations about the vast majority of Eastern countries.[21]. For instance, stereotypes of Arabs as brutal and violent were common. Japanese people were frequently associated with karate, while Muslims were continuously seen as terrorists. This further illustrates that despite rising globalization and understanding, people in developed countries still exhibit such bias[22]. In his book’s epilogue, Edward Said clarifies that he is not suggesting that orientalists shouldn’t generalize or that they shouldn’t take into account the Orient perspective, but that drawing boundaries in the first place is something that should not be done[23].
In news coverage of the region, which focuses on stereotypically undesirable characteristics of the region, like terrorism and political upheaval, the richness and complexity of the region’s cultures and peoples are largely disregarded.[24]. This encourages false notions about Easterners and the idea that the area is undeveloped and irrational.
The fields of fashion and design serve as another manifestation of modern orientalism. Western designers have come under fire for taking traditional styles and motifs from the east and commodifying them without comprehending their cultural value of them. Ignoring the histories and cultures of the individuals who developed these designs maintains the notion that the east is exotic and foreign.
In the academic community, there is still debate about contemporary orientalism as researchers look into how it continues to influence how we perceive the east. According to Edward Said and other historians, orientalism serves as a weapon for colonial authority and control and serves as a depiction of the east[25]. Orientalism’s outward manifestations may have evolved, but its underlying themes of exoticism and East Asian stereotypes remain in various media and cultural products[26]. To develop a more fair and inclusive vision of the world, it is critical to be aware of these patterns and actively try to confront them.
CONCLUSION
Finally, “orientalism” is the term for the Western view and portrayal of the east as a bizarre, absurd, and subhuman world. In particular, orientalism has been extensively researched intellectually and culturally in literature and the arts. Even if the exact traits of orientalism may have evolved throughout time, the underlying concepts of generalization and exoticism still permeate modern culture. To create a more equitable and inclusive worldview, it is crucial to be aware of these trends and actively endeavour to combat them. We can, at last, get familiar with how social and political power relations impact our discernments and portrayals of different societies and battle to make a general public that is all the more impartial by fundamentally assessing and censuring orientalism. Orientalism is still a significant and divisive problem in today’s culture. Even though the precise forms of orientalism have evolved, many of the same exoticism patterns and prejudices of the east persist. The way the Middle East is portrayed in the media is one instance of modern orientalism.
Bibliography
Bahrani, Zainab. “Race and ethnicity in Mesopotamian antiquity.” World Archaeology 38, no. 1 (2006): 48-59.
Boehm-Schnitker, Nadine, and Susanne Gruss, eds. Neo-Victorian literature and culture: Immersions and revisitations. Routledge, 2014.Martin, R. C. (Ed.). (2005). Orientalism and the Jewish imagination. Brandeis University Press.
Delacroix, E., 1834. Women of Algiers in their Apartment. Oil on canvas. Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Gérôme, Jean Léon. The Snake Charmer. 1880.
Grabar, O. (1980). “Orientalism and Islamic Art.” The Art Bulletin, 62(3), 374-387.
Hirsch, A. R. (1995). “The Wrath of Nations: Civilization and the Furies of Nationalism.” Pantheon Books.
MacKenzie, J. M. (1995). Orientalism: History, theory and the arts. Manchester University Press.
Nochlin, L. (1983). “The Imaginary Orient.” Art in America, 71(1), 118-131.
Nochlin, L. (1983). The Imaginary Orient. Art in America, 71(1), 118-131.
Said, Edward. “Introduction to orientalism.” 1978 (1978): 1279-95.
TumSuden, Jennifer. The Lure of the Exotic: An Examination of John Singer Sargent’s Orientalist Mode. Harvard University, 2016.
[1] Said 1.
[2] Said, 3.
[3] MacKenzie, 4.
[4] Nochlin, 118.
[5] Nochlin,120.
[6] Said, 98.
[7] Bahrani, 50.
[8] Bahrani, 57.
[9] Martin, 112
[10] Grabar, 375.
[11] Nochlin, 129.
[12] Gérôme, 2.
[13] Gérôme, 5.
[14] Gérôme, 4.
[15] TumSuden, 45.
[16] Delacroix, 3.
[17] Boehm-Schnitker, 34.
[18] Nochlin, 120.
[19] MacKenzie (1995).
[20] Boehm-Schnitker, 45.
[21] Boehm-Schnitker, 47.
[22] Nochlin, 123.
[23] Said, 115.
[24] Hirsch, 1995.
[25] Grabar, 380.
[26] Boehm-Schnitker, 4.
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