Previously, I aimed to establish the meaning central to the term ‘Orientalism’. Now, I hope to explore how these meanings have developed and whether there is hope of transgression.
The label 'Orientalism' provides a polar opposite between Western culture and the misinformed view of how the East conduct themselves (Said 1995, p.2). This has led to the ‘Orient’ becoming a negative inversion of Western society (Said 2002, p. 48). These contrasts of segregation can be compared with Fox’s (2004) anthropological observation of typical English unwritten rules and behaviours. Social norms are so deeply steeped in culture, they are considered 'normal' and therefore difficult to recognise. Using a thorough examination of English social tradition i.e. pub culture, Fox argues that she used the book to “try to get inside (the usual stereotypes)” rather than get beyond them (Fox 2004).
Comparisons can therefore be drawn between Fox and Said’s understanding of British culture. Fox (2004) also recongnises the power of knowledge and the need to look beyond the transparent screen of everyday life in order to realistically critique our lifestyles. She maintains the idea that “although there may be a great deal of overlap between…cultures, they are clearly not identical and should not be treated as such by being lumped together under Britishness” (Fox 2004).
It seems these beliefs are stemmed from history as shown by Napolean’s 1798 invasion of Egypt (Said 1995, p.94). Instead of vast armies, he brought flocks of specialists and scholars to record and observe Egypt (Jhally 1998). According to Said, this indicates the binaries formed between the two nations as a result of Orientalism. He explains, "to produce knowledge you have to have the power to be there" (Said 1981, p. XI). The Western abundance of money made it feasible for them to invade Egypt, enabling them to gather information and shape the reputation of the Orient to appear superior.
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