Edward Said

Postcolonial (“Poco”) Theory

• Key Theorist: Edward Said

  • Background: Palestinian-American academic, literary critic, and political activist

  • Major Work: Orientalism (1978)

    • Examines constructed false cultural representations in western-eastern relations

    • Proposes the existence of a subtle and persistent Eurocentric prejudice against Eastern cultures

    • Traces tradition of false, romanticized images of Asia and the Middle East in Western cultures

    • Argues that these representations justify colonialism

    • Criticizes internalization of these images leading to intra-cultural divisions

• Concept of “the Exotic Other”

  • Definition: Represents individuals perceived as exotic, alien, distant, romanticized, antique, fantastic, sensual, foreign, and inscrutable