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This 4 page paper examines the Orientalism philosophy of Edward Said. Furthermore, this paper highlights two specific works of art that illustrate the imperialistic intentions of Westerners in accordance with the philosophy of Edward Said. Bibliography lists 1 source.
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4 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_GSEdSaid.rtf
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reasons for the false assumptions of Westerners was the proliferation of Asian romanticized images that have served as justification for the evident American and European sense of imperialism. In
other words, the way Americans understand Asians is based upon the way in which the Orient has been understood in Western culture. Therefore, Said asserts that we "see" Asians
on our own terms as opposed to meeting them on their terms. Underlying Saids concept of Orientalism, was his concept of
the Other. Essentially, this was an idea derived from the works of the philosophers Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre. Said referred to this concept as the Orient,
which exists for the West and is also constructed by and for the West. In other words, the Other is that which is a mirror image of what is
inferior and alien to the West. For example, consider Les Petits Voyages de Paris-Plaisirs, which depicts a French harem with a
black eunuch servant. This artistic piece very much illustrates the imperialistic attitude of the West. Their attempts to "understand" the Asians were really just their own rationalizations about
their own power and superiority. There was no real learning about the culture on the part of the Westerners, but rather a sense of goodwill as if their ability
to impart their Western ways would surely be met with gratitude and thanks. Les Petits Voyages de Paris-Plaisirs is an
excellent example of this sense of superiority. The white woman glories in her own image while the black man is literally beneath her both physically and intellectually. He
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