Edward W. Said’s Orientalism: A Critique

The present work formulates a comprehensive critique on Edward W. Said’s Orientalism, and underlines its contributions, issues and theoretical ramifications. The study, which is essentially interdisciplinary in nature, initiates a detailed discussion on the three major issues of Orientalism, viz., ‘the problematics of representation’, ‘complicity of culture in imperialism’, and ‘the deconstruction of the Western construct of Islam’. It explores the complex theoretical contexts (political, cultural , epistemological, and humanistic) of Orientalism’s underclared privileging of a pluralistic culture. The work contributes, in a genuine sense, to a broader understanding of Orientalism as well as Said’s intellectual and theoretical positions. It establishes the greater relevance of reading Said in the context of current theoretical and political debates. The work also examines other major works of Said, such as Culture and Imperialism, Covering Islam, The Question of Palestine, etc., in the light of Orientalism.