Knowledge is not, and cannot be, entirely neutral. It has, from time to time, been a battleground for the conflicting interests through power, something that Said discusses in his monumental Orientalism. One of the more elastic points made by Orientalism is the durability and potency of Orientalist discourse. To him, Orientalism is not just a… Continue reading orientalism
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Jason Inoa – Orientalism
Orientalism by Edward W. Said is a nice piece to read considering the assignment we were given for our midterm. In this piece, Said explores The Orient and what it means to Americans, Europeans, and to the scholars that study Orientalism (which he has referred to as Orientalists). For our midterm, we were told to… Continue reading Jason Inoa – Orientalism
SB Orientalism
“In a quite constant way, Orientalism depends for its strategy on this flexible positional superiority, which puts the Westerner in a whole series of possible relationships with the Orient without ever losing him the relative upper hand.” The power dynamic outlined here separates the Westerner from the other, regardless of who the other is, he… Continue reading SB Orientalism
Rania- Orientalism
In Orientalism, Edward Said argues how Western portrayals of the east have been shaped by distortion and inaccuracy. He expresses two major concerns, “My two fears are distortion and inaccuracy, or rather the kind of inaccuracy produced by too dogmatic a generality and too positivistic a localized focus.” (pg 16-pg11pdf). This quote captures Said’s warning,… Continue reading Rania- Orientalism
Yasmine: Orientalism
Edward Said’s “Orientalism”’ was the main reading that captured my attention. It’s in this text that Said, helps us see how the West has often described the East as strange, inferior, and totally different. This way of thinking makes the West seem superior and gives it an excuse to control Eastern lands by turning Eastern… Continue reading Yasmine: Orientalism
Erin Lee — Orientalism
Edward Said’s Orientalism discusses the concept of Orientalism, and the concept of France, Britain, and America had completely changed the connotation of it due to the colonialism that occurred. Material that I found the most notable is the authors emphasis on Europe not being the true creators of Orientalism. Said states “Orientalism, therefore, is not… Continue reading Erin Lee — Orientalism
Nicholas Cai – Orientalism
Upon reading Edward W. Said’s introduction to Orientalism, I noted that the term Oriental is used to identify and also marginalize a variety of non-Europeans. Not only does it include Eastern Asia, but Southern Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa as well! Said mentions that the cultural construct of the Orient itself is influenced… Continue reading Nicholas Cai – Orientalism
Jacqueline Gulliver’s Travels.
I just start reading Gulliver’s Travels and I found it interesting. I heard about the book but never knew what the story was about so reading it was fun. Johnathan Swift storytelling satirist , more like a fairytale in some aspect. I think he also write his story depicting what was going on in the… Continue reading Jacqueline Gulliver’s Travels.
Untitled
Jacqueline Floyd / FANTOMINA The story of Fantomina read like a romance novel but one that is full of conflict and desperation. Fantomina was in love with Beauplaisir and would disguised herself to get close to him. I think in those days woman were treated as second class citizen and man had the upper hand.… Continue reading Untitled
Heaven Dejesus Gulivers travels
Gulivers travels is a novel I’ve always heard in the discussions of classic literature. However, as with many books that fall under the moniker of classic literature. I haven’t gone out of my way to read it. That’s why when I saw it on the syllabus I was glad that I got the chance actually… Continue reading Heaven Dejesus Gulivers travels
