that one Orientalist trope represents a ‘very large entity’ (p. 66) or that all the
diverse cultures that come under the geographical and psychological constraints
of the Orient are represented as a fixed image. This is convincing insofar that it
continues to apply to everyday representations of the Orient. To elaborate, as a
Western invention, the Orient is still represented and upheld in a Western
context where binaries between the West and non-West are reinforced (Ranji,
2021) serving to maintain an imagined positional superiority that advantages the
Western image. With reference to Orientalism , use of Said’s arguments allow
scholars to deconstruct and destabilise these imagined narratives that were
hitherto left unquestioned.
However, a somewhat problematic aspect that can be identified within
the first chapter is that its prose proves impenetrable for the average reader.
Said’s arguments are not overly complex, but the overall writing of the text is
incredibly dense, insofar as these meanings are obstructed. Said writes with two
implicit assumptions about his reader: that they are well-read and have a high
command of French. For instance, the assumption that his reader is well-read is
taken through the extensive lists of historical figures and texts within a
consolidated piece of text: ‘Isis and Osiris, Sheba, Babylon, the Genii [etc]’ (p.
63). The average reader is not expected to know these references without an
impressive knowledge of history or literature. In addition, throughout Chapter
one Said includes lengthy passages in French (p. 90, p. 91) that he proceeds to
analyse to illustrate his arguments. This combination of extensive literature and
proficiency in French is reflective of a prestigious Western education, one Said
had received. Nevertheless, the overall approach in writing style is questionable.
By engaging in and reproducing this Western experience, Said fails to reach a
wider audience – specifically those without a Western education – that may
benefit from the text. From a normative standpoint, such a foundational text in
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