As we explore and delve more deeply into examples of the reception of the Nights in modern culture and
media, we need to approach the topic with a robust conceptual toolset. Some of our most useful tools were first
developed by a Palestinian-American professor of English literature named Edward Said (1935-2003) in his
widely influential book Orientalism, published in 1978.
Prior to Said’s book, the word “Orientalism” mostly referred merely to small corner of the Western academy
dedicated to study “oriental” languages of the Near and Far East and their literatures. In the hands of Said, the
term “Orientalism” came to symbolize something larger and more sinister. For Said, "Orientalism" entailed a
vast stock of institutions and literature used by the West to construct the “Orient” as the opposite of the West --
an object of Western knowledge and region populated by peoples well-suited for Western domination.
WATCH [and be sure to takes notes]:
“Edward Said on Orientalism”
Edward Said On Orientalism (Links to an external site.)
Edward Said On Orientalism - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVC8EYd_Z_g
After watching the video above, compose a response essay of at least 500. You should feel free to highlight
any aspect of the video that stood out to you, but you should make that you address in at least one paragraph
the following question:
In many writings, “Orientalism” is often misunderstood as being merely about stereotyping people in a negative
way. How does Said’s conception of Orientalism differ from the act of simply attributing negative stereotypes to
another culture?
Sample Solution