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F O R A T H A T E M

SOME CRI TI CS ARGUED THAT EDWARD SAI D ’ S
THE OTHER METHOD , HOMOGENI ZATI ON , I S
UPBRI NGI NG AND L I FE AS A PAL ESTI NI AN
COMBI NI NG AL L THE DI FFERENT GROUPS AND
WI TH ANGL OPHONE EDUCATI ON GOT DRAWN
AL L THE ETHNI CI TI ES AND SOCI AL CL ASSES
ATTENTI ON TO , SI NCE SAI D MADE ETHNI CI TY
L I VI NG I N EGYPT I NTO ONE GROUP , WHI CH
AND CUL TURAL BACKGROUND THE TEST OF
I NVAL I DATES EACH GROUP ’ S I NDI VI DUAL I TI ES
MORAL AUTHORI TY . CRI TI CS L I KE BI SWAMOY
AND RESUL TS I N VERY I NACCURATE
PATI STATED THAT SAI D ' S PERSONAL
ANAL YSI S OF “ THE EGYPTI AN ” .
BACKGROUND MI GHT , ARGUABL Y , EXCL UDE
HI M FROM WRI TI NG ABOUT THE ORI ENTAL
WORL D .
CRI T I CI S M OF ORI ENT AL I S M ( 1 9 7 8 ) :
REGARDL ESS OF CRI TI CI SM , ORI ENTAL I SM
WAS A VERY I MPORTANT PI ECE OF
WHETHER CROMER FAI L ED OR NOT I N HI S
L I TERATURE , AS I T OPENED THE DOOR TO A
MORAL REFORM , HI S BOOK , “ MODERN EGYPT ”
L OT OF STUDI ES , AND SPARKED THE POST
CONTRI BUTED AND REI NFORCED THE
COL ONI AL I SM FI EL D OF STUDY . I T AL SO
ORI ENTAL I ST CONVERSATI ON ABOUT THE
SI NGL EHANDEDL Y REVOL UTI ONI ZED MI DDL E
BRI TI SH COL ONI AL I SM I N THE 20TH CENTURY .
EASTERN STUDI ES I N THE UNI TED STATES OF
AMERI CA .
THI S PI ECE OF L I TERATURE SPARKED A L OT
AND DESPI TE HAVI NG THE PREFI X " POST " ,
OF CONTROVERSI ES DESPI TE I TS HUGE
POST COL ONI AL I SM HAS NEVER I MPL I ED THAT
SUCCESS , FOR I NTEL L ECTUAL AND PERSONAL
COL ONI AL I SM CEASED TO PREVAI L , I N FACT , A
ASPECTS AL I KE . I TS THESI S AND SUBSTANCE
CONSI DERABL E PART OF THI S STUDY I S THE
WERE CRI TI CI ZED BY MUL TI PL E
L I NGERI NG FORMS OF COL ONI AL AUTHORI TY
ORI ENTAL I STS , SUCH AS AL BERT HOURANI ,
THAT APPEARED AFTER THE END OF
ROBERT GRAHAM AND NI KKI KEDDI E .
I MPERI AL I SM , WHI CH MEANS THAT THE
UL TI MATE GOAL OF THI S THEORY I S YET TO BE
MARTI N KRAMER CRI TI CI ZED SAI D , STATI NG
ACHI EVED , THUS EMPHASI ZI NG ON I TS
THAT HE TURNED THE TERM “ ORI ENTAL I ST ”
I MPORTANCE NOWADAYS AND I TS
TO A PEJ ORATI VE TERM . MANY CRI TI CS
CAPABI L I TY I N CHANGI NG THE WORL D
AGREED TO THI S STATEMENT , L I KE UCL A
THROUGH CHANGI NG MI NDS AND ERASI NG
HI STORI AN NI KKI KEDDI E , WHO SAI D THAT
WRONG I MAGES OF THE ORI ENT AND
THE MI DDL E EAST DEVEL OPED THI S TERM
HUMANI ZI NG I TS PEOPL E AGAI N .
I NTO “ A SWEAR WORD ” , WHI CH HAD
CONSEQUENCES ON HER PROFESSI ON AND
THAT THE WORD “ ORI ENTAL I SM ” I S USED AS
AN EXCUSE TO DI SMI SS CERTAI N SCHOL ARS
AND THEI R WORK .
AL SO , AMERI CAN CL ASSI CI ST BRUCE
THORNTON DI SMI SSED ORI ENTAL I SM AS AN
" I NCOHERENT AMAL GAM OF DUBI OUS
POSTMODERN THEORY , SENTI MENTAL THI RD
WORL DI SM , GL ARI NG HI STORI CAL ERRORS ,
AND WESTERN GUI L T " .
ROBERT I RWI N MENTI ONED THAT SAI D
FAI L ED TO DI STI NGUI SH BETWEEN
DI FFERENT ORI ENTAL I STS FROM DI FFERENT
TI ME ERAS AND CENTURI ES , MAKI NG I T L ACK
CRI TI CAL COMPARI SONS . O . P . KEJ ARI WAL
HAD A SI MI L AR CRI TI CI SM , STATI NG THAT
SAI D COMPL ETEL Y I GNORE THE
DI FFERENCES BETWEEN ORI ENTAL I STS , AND
FAI L ED TO ACKNOWL EDGES THE POSI TI VE
I MPACT THAT SOME ORI ENTAL I STS HAD , L I KE
THE ORI ENTAL I ST WI L L I AM J ONES .
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