Edward Said’s “The Other”

A. Siu

“The Other”

• In groups of 3, try to figure out what Edward Said’s “the Other” means

• When you think you have a definition of “the Other,” write your group’s definition on the board

Edward Said

• Influential cultural critic in post-colonialism (analysis of cultural legacy of colonialism)

• Orientalism (1978) made him academically famous all over the world– “Orientalism” is set of false assumptions

underlying Western attitudes towards the Middle East

Edward Said’s “the Other”

• A new girl comes to school, but she’s not wearing the same Nike tearaways as the rest of the PE class. None of the cliques at school will talk to her because she’s too different.

• Even though Harry and Larry have very similar personalities, Harry thinks he doesn’t have anything in common with Larry because Larry comes from a different socioeconomic background.

• Ehsan is a new student in gr.11. He speaks with an accent, has blue hair, and eats very unusual lunches, but Joe (yes, average Joe) tries to be friends with him. They discover that they both like the online game Warship.

• Joanna’s father is a lawyer. Benita’s father is a gravedigger. However, the two girls do not think they are that different because they have similar family problems.

Examples

Non-Examples

Edward Said’s “the Other”

• Based on idea of the Orient (or the East) which is constructed in contrast to the West

• Tied with Orientalism, which Said used to critique Western conceptions of Islam, Arabs, & Middle Eastern cultures

Edward Said’s “the Other”• The Other: the alternative or

opposite to oneself; what is alien & inferior to one

• An individual defines the Other’s existence & identity in contrast to him/herself

• Said’s objective: not to deny differences, but to examine them critically without stereotypes

Class Discussion

• How is the concept of “the Other” used to justify annihilating the enemy in wars?– Eg. Think about American depictions of

the Nazi and the Japanese in WWII