History of Newspapers in India.

History of Newspapers in India

Introduction

                News papers and print media have played a vast role in the growth and development of the nation. During freedom struggle also it gave great contribution in awakening of people. And the whole history of newspaper has seen the glorious progress of India as well as its failure also. The print media is the silent witness of the past and present time of our country.

History of Newspapers

                Indian print media is at a massive business in the media world and its newspapers are said to offer majority of national and international news. The history of newspaper in India began in 1780, with the publication of the Bengal Gazette from Kolkata. 

               
                The advent of the first newspaper in India occurred in the capital city of West Bengal, Calcutta (now Kolkata). James Augustus Hickey is considered the "father of Indian press". He started the first Indian newspaper from Kolkata named the “Bengal Gazette” or “Calcutta General Advertise” in January, 1780. It was also known as “Hicky’s Bengal Gazette”. This first printed newspaper was a weekly publication. James Hicky was an Irish journalist. Hicky’s “Bengal Gazette” was known as fearless journalism.

                In 1789, the first newspaper from Bombay (now Mumbai), the 'Bombay Herald' appeared, followed by the 'Bombay Courier' in the following year. Later, this newspaper merged with the Times of India in 1861. Arthur Miller once quoted:

“A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself.”

              These newspapers carried news of the areas under the British rule. The first newspaper published in an Indian language was the Samachar Darpan in Bengali. The first issue of this daily was published from the Serampore Mission Press on May 23, 1818. Samachar Darpan, the first vernacular paper was started during the period of Lord Hastings. In the same year, Ganga Kishore Bhattacharya started publishing another newspaper in Bengali, the 'Bengal Gazetti'. On July 1, 1822 the first Gujarati newspaper, the Bombay Samachar, was published from Bombay, which is still in existence. The first Hindi newspaper, the Samachar Sudha Varshan started its circulation in 1854. Since then, the prominent Indian languages in which newspapers had been published over the years are Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Urdu and Bengali languages. 

“He who is without a newspaper is cut off from his species.”

                The Indian language newspapers eventually took over the English newspapers according to the NRS survey of newspapers. The main reason was the marketing strategy that was followed by the regional papers, commencing with Eenadu - a Telugu daily started by Ramoji Rao. The second reason was the growing literacy rate. Increase in the literacy rate had direct positive effect on the rise of circulation of the regional papers. The people were first educated in their mother tongue according to their state in which they live for and eventually, the first thing a literate person would try to do is read the vernacular papers and gain knowledge about his own locality. Moreover, localization of news has also contributed to the growth of regional newspapers in India.      

                Indian regional papers have several editions for a particular state to offer a complete scenario of local news for the reader to connect with the paper. Malayala Manorama features about 10 editions in Kerala itself and six others outside Kerala. Thus regional papers in India aim at providing localized news for their readers.

                Eventually, the advertisers also realized the huge potential of the regional paper market, partly due to their own research and more owing to the efforts of the regional papers to make the advertisers aware of the huge market. These advertisers paid revenues to the newspaper house and in return publicized their products throughout the locality.

“A newspaper is a circulating library with high blood pressure.”

                Thus, newspapers in India not only acted as news providers but also promoters of certain market products. Some of the prominent newspapers in India in the recent times are The Times of India, The Statesman, The Telegraph, The Economic Times, Indian Express and so on.

                   The Economic Times is one of the India's leading business newspapers; carrying news about the Economy, Companies, Infrastructure, Trends in the Economy, Finance, Stocks, Forex and Commodities, news from around the world and from the world of politics besides editorial and various other features. The Malayala Manorama releases daily, weekly, monthly and annual publications from Kerala. Started in 1988 in Tamil and Telegu languages, it is now published in other regional languages like Hindi, Bengali, as well as in English. Among the various publications, the Malayala Manorama Daily has the largest circulation, selling about 11 lakhs 50 thousand copies daily.

                The Times of India was founded in 1838 as The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce by Bennett, Coleman and Company, a colonial enterprise now owned by an Indian conglomerate. The Times Group publishes The Economic Times (launched in 1961), Navbharat Times (Hindi language), and the Maharashtra Times (Marathi language). 

“It is amazing that the amount of news that happens in the world every day always just exactly fits the newspaper.”

                Thee newspapers collected their news from the news agencies. India has four news agencies:

1)  Press Trust of India (PTI)

2)  United News of India (UNI)

3)  Samachar Bharti

4)   Hindustan Samachar

      Newspapers and magazines in India are independent and usually privately owned. About 5,000 newspapers, 150 of them major publications, are published daily in nearly 100 languages. Over 40,000 periodicals are also published in India. The periodicals specialize in various subjects but the majority of them deal with subjects of general interest.

     During the 1950s, 214 daily newspapers were published in the country. Out of these, 44 were English language dailies while the rest were published in various regional languages. This number rose to 2,856 dailies in 1990 with 209 English dailies. The total number of newspapers published in the country reached 35,595 newspapers by 1993 (3,805 dailies).

          Newspaper sale in the country has increased by 11.22% in 2007. By 2007, 62 of the world's best selling newspaper dailies were published in countries like China, Japan, and India. India consumed 99 million newspaper copies as of 2007, making it the second largest market in the world for newspapers. 

          Newspapers in India have almost created a huge industry in the nation. It publishes the largest number of 'paid-for titles' in the world. In 1997, the total number of newspapers and periodicals published in India was around 41705, which include 4720 dailies and 14743 weeklies.

Conclusion:

                However, in the last one decade the news media in India has changed rapidly. All the major news media outlets have an accompanying news website. A new class of newspapers in India is entirely internet based. 

“A newspaper that you are not reading can be used for anything, and the same people didn’t think it was immoral to wrap their garbage in newspaper.”

Soyinka's Art of Characterization in "The Swamp Dweller"

Wole Soyinka’s Art of Characterization in the play “The Swamp Dweller”

·      Introduction:

          The full name of Soyinka is Akinwande Oluwole “Wole” Soyinka. He is a Nigerian playwright and poet. He won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1986, the first African to be honoured.

        Soyinka was born on 13^th July, 1934 into a Yoruba family in Abeokuta. He took an active role in Nigeria’s political history and its struggle for independence from Great Britain.

        He has strongly criticised many Nigerian military dictators and other political tyrannous. Much of his writings has been concerned with,

“...the oppressive boot and the irrelevance of the colour that wears it.”

                Living in the United States, he was a professor first at Cornell University and then at Emory University in Atlanta. He has also taught at the universities of Oxford, Harvard and Yale. He has got fame as poet and essayist also.

                “The Swamp Dweller”, “The Lion and the Jewel”, “Madman and Specialists”, “A Dance of the Forest” are some of his famous plays. “Idanre and other poems”, “A Shuttle in the Crypt”, “Mandela’s Earth and Other Poems” are some of his poetry collections. “Towards a True Theatre”, “Culture in Transition”, “The Blackman and the Veil” are some of his well known essays. He has written novels, short stories, memoirs and translations also. He has a great sight to see and feel the thing minutely.

“Even when I am writing plays I enjoy having company and mentally I think of that company as the company I am writing for.”

 -Wole Soyinka

·      About the Play:

                “The Swamp Dweller” is comparatively short of all of Soyinka’s plays. It deals with a story of poor family living in Niger Delta region. In this play Soyinka uses new technique that is getting information from every new character in the play. The poor family is reflection of all who struggle for survival. The narrative technique is not in action format, but a descriptive one.

                Every new character narrates his experiences with the other characters of the play. While doing this Soyinka never allows himself to detrack from the original story. He successfully manages to bring these experiences into a full-fledged story with a good beginning, middle and end.

                The play is not divided in acts and scenes. By doing this he avoids any sort of interruption in the smooth going story. In this play we don’t find even a single irrelevant scene or event.

·      Soyinka’s Art of Characterization:

                The characters of the play can be put into three groups:

Ø The parents Makuri and Alu- Conservative

Ø The priest Kadiye- Hippocratic

Ø Igwezu and Beggar- Two positive individuals.

         The parents are conservative who wants to bind their children by their love and avoid their ambition to fly high. The priest Kadiye is a corrupt who beguiles his superstitious followers and remains always in beneficial situation immorally. Igwezu and the Beggar are moving, wandering, seeking and then also what they found is uncertain. This is the play of mood and atmosphere. This play gives audience a chance to involve into it deeply. It gives an opportunity to make comparisons and judgement. Soyinka’s art remains in contrast and comparison between characters. There is contrast between two brothers, father and son, between mother in law and daughter in law. And the main contrast is between the beggar and the priest Kadiye. We can see the comparison also between Igwezu and the beggar.

·      Two brothers:

                Awuchike and Igwezu are twin brothers who look alike but there is a vast difference between the both. Awuchike has left home for ten years and lives in town. There he deals in timbers and thrives fast. But he never cares for his poor parents. He has cut all the communication with his parents and he has involved himself in earning money in town. He became blind towards his family and responsibility. Whereas Igwezu is quite opposite to him. He also goes to town to seek his fortune with his wife. But he is aware about his responsibility.

                Igwezu promised that, with first earned money, he will send a swivel chair for his father and he fulfils his promise. He takes care of his parents and communicates with them.

                Awuchike is callous, feelingless, self-centred, disobedient, egoistic and immoral person while Igwezu is obedient, dutiful and careful towards his parents.

·      Contrast between mother in law and daughter in law:

                There are two women in the family. Both are contrast image of each other. As a wife and as a woman both are different from each other.

                As a wife Alu (Igwezu’s mother) is faithful and loyal towards her husband. On the contrary, Desala (Igwezu’s wife) is betrayer and unfaithful towards Igwezu. Alu was very beautiful in her youth. Alu and Makuri lead their conjugal life in subsistence level. They live from hand to mouth. Throughout her life she shares the well and woe of her husband and remains faithful. Makuri never feels tension for her sake. Moreover she loves the swamp region and never expresses any wish to leave for city.

                But Igwezu’s wife Desala is opposite to her. She does not like poor, rustic life. She is money minded and materialistic woman. Humanly feelings can’t touch her. She leaves Igwezu and goes with well settled Awuchike. So, these are the differences between the two women.

                 

               

Eurocentrism in the novel "The White Tiger" by Arvind Adiga

Eurocentrism in “The White Tiger” by Arvind Adiga

Introduction:

            Arvind Adiga was born in Madras (Chennai) on 23 October, 1974. His family is highly educated. He grew up in Mangalore. He completed his SSLC in 1990 with first rank in the state. He studied English literature in Columbia College, New York. There he graduated as salutatorian. He also studied at Magdalen College, Oxford.

                As a financial journalist, Adiga started his journalistic career. He joined the Financial Times. Then he got opportunity to join “Times”, where he remained a south Asia correspondent for three years before going Freelance. During his Freelance period, he wrote “The White Tiger”. He currently lives in Mumbai, India.

About the novel:

            “The White Tiger” is Adiga’s debut novel, which was awarded by Man Booker Prize in 2008 (the same year of its publication). Adiga is the forth Indian born author to win the prize.

                “The White Tiger” is a satirical fiction which is written in epistolary form. We can find dark humour here. This is a highly satirical novel, which points out the dark side of India. The mood and tone of the novel seem sometimes very harsh, which cannot be digested by any Indian mind. Adiga recurrently tells in the novel that,

“Please understand, your Excellency, that India is two countries in one: an India of Light, and an India of Darkness.”

                This novel is written as a letter to a Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao. Flashback technique is used in the novel. The language is Indian English. Many Indian words and terms are kept as it is, so that the Indian mood can be maintained.

                Balram Halwai is the protagonist of the novel. Rather he is an anti-hero. There is not any antagonist in the novel. But we can say that society and situation is real antagonist here. The novel moves through various locations of India including Laxmangarh, Delhi, Dhanbad, Bangalore etc. The novel is from the point of view of Balram, who is described as a Eurocentric person. Balram is actually the mouthpiece of Adiga himself.

                Two sides of one country, the cast system, globalization, India’s  relationship with China, freedom and individualism, conflict of class, good v/s evil, old morality v/s new morality are some of the major themes of the novel. Rooster coop, chandelier, cars, green lizard are some of the symbols used in the novel.

                In many ways this novel seems a Eurocentric novel. The ideas presented in such a way that Whitemen’s country is privileged over India. Let’s have look that how eurocentrism works in the novel.

What “Eurocentrism” exactly is ?

                Eurocentrism is a term which shows a world view that puts Europen norms and values as normal and superior to others. It shows the European dominance around the world.

                The main thing is eurocentrism is the binary opposition between the white world and the black world. These two binaries are juxtaposing with each other. In this term Whiteman’s world is shown and considered as modern, civilized, developed and progressive while the ‘other’ world is seen as uncivilised, backward, underdeveloped and dark. The term sees black and indigenous people as barbarian. In a way this term is juxtaposing with post colonialism and orientalism. 

“The continuous organization of power along these lines, both on a transnational level and within societies, is what Anibal Quijano has called the ‘coloniality of power’.

                Samir Amin’s Eurocentrism (1988) have pointed out the production of Eurocentric knowledge by Europe’s connection with orient. Eurocentric knowledge has constructed the orient as distinct identity and entity. The difference between orient and occident is not accommodating the experience of Latin America, which is a part of occident. In America, Eurocentrism works in different ways. Eurocentrism has a discursive tendency to donate the histories, societies and cultures of non-Europeans from a European or Western perspective. When this happens in any form of literature, it is called a Eurocentric literary work. These are some characteristics and common features of Eurocentrism:

Ø Ignoring or undervaluing non European societies as inferior to Western.

Ø Ignoring or undervaluing what Asians or African do within their own societies, or seeing the histories of non European societies simply in European terms. And as a part of “The Expansion of Europe” and its civilising influence.

Ø Non-European people and societies are seen as dependent, weak and slave like. And in comparison to it Western people see themselves as free and individual.

Ø Non-European societies are Islamic or pagan, or believe in strange religions which are inferior to Christianity, or lack its truth.

Ø Non-European societies are seen as cruel and feelingless. They have less concern for human life. And they practices barbaric customs.

Ø Non-European societies are seen as stagnant, unchanging and rigid. Some European thinkers have attributed this inflexibility to climate that is with extreme heat and dryness.

Ø Non-European societies are believed as less rational and they are lacking scientific approaches.

“The White Tiger” as a Eurocentric novel:

                In this novel we can find many aspects of Eurocentrism. This novel basically deals with negative sides of India, but there we can find constant comparison with America and China also. Yes, China is an Asian country. And considering our country as inferior to China can be seen as new form of Eurocentrism. Because the economical and industrial condition of China is now strong like Europe has once.

                Eurocentrism is in a way not a negative term, because it shows a mirror image of a country with all bad and bitter aspects. But it is also true that to slander our own country only because it is not like European country is quite a problematic thing. The reason is we all carry our country within us. We are not at all separate from our country. Our country and we both are mirror image of each other. Both are reflection of each other.

Now let’s see that how Eurocentrism works in the novel.

·       Ignoring or undervaluing non European societies as inferior to Western.

         In this novel we can see this thing very clearly. Each and every event of the novel shows the West as something superior. We can see the attitude of Pinky madam, who always wants to go back to America. The father and brother of Mr.Ashok also see America as something superior. Mr.Ashok wants to stay here. But it is also because here he can get servants in an easier way than America. He also does not see India as an individual country. See these lines which, Ashok speaks to Pinky madam.

“...The way things are changing in India now, this place is going to be like America  in ten years. Plus, I like it better here. We’ve got people to take care of us here-our drivers our watchman, our masseurs. Where in New York will you find someone to bring you tea and sweet biscuits while you are still lying in bed, the way Ram Bahadur does for us?”

                So, in this way these lines show that India is mostly the country of servants. And another thing is India will be proved changed or developed only when it has situation like America. Means America is the standard to evaluate India’s progress. This is a kind of ignorance towards India.

·       Seeing the histories of non-European societies simply in European terms.

        This can also be seen in this novel. It means they are undervaluing what non-Europeans do within their societies.

        By the use of Balram, Adiga mocks at many traditions of India. No doubt some traditions are not good for environment here. But they are mocked from the European sight. For example ‘cast system’. Now, they have also not come out from class system still. Still some white people see Blacks as something ‘unnatural’. Then, what’s the purpose of criticising the cast system of India, with such a harsh tone ? The same thing comes when the China comes in the novel. See the words of Mr.Ashok.

“...But I told you, there's only one thing wrong with this place—we have this fucked-up system called parliamentary democracy. Otherwise, we'd be just like China—”

Again Mr.Ashok says to his father.

“…parliamentary democracy, Father. We will never catch up with China for this single reason.”

                These all Indian things are certified from ‘their’ perspective. And this is another aspect of Eurocentrism.

·       Non-European societies tend to be despotic and servile, as against the West’s freedom and individualism.

                Here comes Pinky madam and her attitude. Her force to Ashok for going back to America shows this thing. She does not at all like the family system of India, which takes her freedom away from her.

                And Balram’s all descriptions about his granny and other family members show this thing. His grandmother, the way she is dominating over the family, shows the wrong side of family system. And all his masters attitude towards him also shows the tyrannical mentality of Indian masters towards their servants. And the mentality of ruling over the lower people is also shown here. In short, in this novel we find this Eurocentric idea that, ‘here masters have no habit of mastery and servants have no habit of freedom.’

·       Non-European societies are Islamic or pagan, or believe in strange religions which are inferior to Christianity, or lack its truth.

                   This is not shown clearly in this novel, but religion is surely mocked here. In the incident of Balraam and Ram Prasad, we can see that how for getting job Ram Prasad changes his religious identity and pretends of becoming Hindu, though he is Muslim.

                In this novel we don’t find Christianity anywhere. But the religion is considered as something dark. See Balram’s comment on a Lord Hanuman,

“Do you know about Hanuman, sir? He was the faithful servant of the god Rama, and we worship him in our temples because he is a shining example of how to serve your masters with absolute fidelity, love, and devotion.”

·       Non-European societies practise barbaric customs towards humans. And they are rigid, unchanging and inflexible.

                In this novel we can find this phase of our country. That how the family of Balram has to give dowry to his sister’s in laws and then how they get dowry from Kishan’s in laws.

                The non-Europeans have lack concern for human life. That we can see in the death of Balram’s father. How he dies because of tuberculosis and lack of medicinal care. And we can see how Balram’s family considers him not as human, but as money-machine. How our people put the dead bodied into a holy river on the name of customs.

                It is shown that not only poor, backward people but also the high class people are also rigid in India. Only Ashok is open-minded, but then he is shown as America return person. The people around Balram are shown as stone, which cannot move by itself.

·       Non-European societies are poor and underdeveloped as opposed to rich and industrial west. And the society is lacking rational mode of thinking.

                See this description:

“...Ganga called the river of emancipation and hundreds of American  tourists come each year to take photographs of necked sadhus at Hardwar or Banaras...”

                The Western’s all interests remain in poverty and rigidity of backward India. They don’t want to see the India of light. This novel also shows it. And see this dialogue between Mr.Ashok and his father.

"Do you have to hit the servants, Father?"

"This is not America, son. Don't ask questions like that."

 "Why can't I ask questions?"

"They expect it from us, Ashok. Remember that—they respect us for it."

           These four-five lines tell so many things about India’s slave mentality. It shows that we people are habituated of beating. We have not self respect and we want our masters (now, virtually it’s America.) to beat us. This is also a kind of Eurocentric idea. And see these lines of stork.

“He got into politics because he had to, Ashok—you don't have a choice in the Darkness. And don't panic, we can deal with this income tax charge. This is India, not America. There's always a way out here.”

                This shows India’s corrupt people, rather mass. So, in this way the term eurocentrism works in this novel. Adiga puts all the negative sides of India to ridicule it from the European sight and perspective.

                It is true that every country has its own light and darkness. It does not mean that we become harsh towards it and become a Eurocentric person. So, we can see here the unhealthy comparison of India’s darkness with West’s light.

“Orientalism” with Reference to Edward Said’s Book

“Orientalism” with Reference to Edward Said’s book

Name: Riddhi Jani

Roll no: 23

Semester: 3rd
Paper: 11, The Post-colonial Literature

Submitted to: Smt. S. B. Gardy Department of English

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

·        Introduction:

            Edward wadie Said was born on 1^st November, 1935 and died on 5^th September, 2003. He was Palestinian American literary theorist. He contributed in the field of literary theory named Post colonialism. He is famous for his work named “Orientalism”. As a cultural critic, he sees the cultural representation in the things. He sees West’s condescending perception in their depiction of Middle East, Asian and North African people, their society and their culture. As a public intellectual, Said discussed culture, literature, music and contemporary politics.

·      Orientalism:

          

 “Orientalism” is a foundational text for the academic field of Post colonial studies. The West sees the Middle Eastern, Asian, and North African society by the only word “the East”. In simple words ‘orientalism’ is the term used to show Western approach and attitude towards Middle , North African and Asian people, society and culture. Western people see them as unintelligent, undeveloped, uncivilized and lower than themselves. So, in this way they think themselves superior than the Eastern people. This is the simple meaning of the term ‘orientalism’.

            As this term suggests, ‘orient’ that is east and on the contrary there is ‘occident’ means west. After the coming of the book “Orientalism” by Said, in 1978, this term started getting place in the field of research and education. Said argues against western’s prejudiced views towards east in this book.

·      “Orientalism”- a work by Said:

“The Orient was almost a European invention, and had been since antiquity a place of romance, exotic being, haunting memories and landscapes, remarkable experiences.”

            The very first line of this quote (from the introduction part of the book) is very much suggestive. Said is concerned with it that ‘the orient- the particular orient with some particular characteristics- is a European invention’. And this European eye sight to see the orient with particular image is never changed. In Western minds the picture of orient is stagnant from many years, that is the picture as ‘exotic East”. Here the word ‘exotic is not taken in its simple way. Here ‘exotic’ means something ‘unusual’ or ‘strikingly different’. So, the west sees east in this way.

            Such images they have got from the European visitors of Eastern places. But it is clear that it is European representation of the Orient, which is perhaps not quite true or it is incomplete. And by these images the occident people see themselves higher than the orient people. They, in this way, privilege themselves over the oriental people. Said says that orient is not different or lower than the occident, rather the orient is an integral part of Europe and its culture and civilization. I quote Said:

“The orient is not only adjacent to Europe; it is also the place of Europe’s greatest and richest and oldest colonies, the source of its civilizations and languages, its cultural contestant, and one of its deepest and most recurring images of the Other.”

            So, the part, which they called ‘orient’ is of themselves. On the contrary America has different views about the orient. American views see orient as more sober, aware and ‘less dense’. So, the criticism goes to only British and French understanding of the orient.

            Said here gives other meaning of Orientalism, i.e. “Orientalism can be discussed and analyzed as the corporate institution for dealing with the orient”. Means Western society ruled over orient, now they view the Orient by narrow sight, they make statement about it. And in this way Orientalism is “a Western style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over the orient”. Here comes Michel Foucault’s notion of ‘knowledge and power’ and ‘discourse’. Orientalism is more than a discourse. And Western spread their knowledge about orient, as they were and are in power.

            When the whole identity of ‘the orient’ is facing questions and problems (of getting wrong description) ‘Orientalism’ should carry many more things except the definition as discourse.

            The geographical distinction between ‘orient’ and ‘occident’ is man maid, not natural. So, as West, orient also has its own reality and physical (i.e. geographical) presence. It has, as West, its own tradition of thought, imagery and vocabulary. In this way they both (west and east) support and reflect each other. Said gives the example that how East is misinterpreted by the West.

“When Disraeli said in his novel ‘Tancred’ that the East was a career, he meant that to be interested in the East was something bright young. Western would find to be an all consuming passion; he should not be interpreted as saying that the East was ONLY a career for Westerners.”

            So, the relationship between orient and occident is the relationship of power and hegemony. Said says about three aspects of his contemporary reality:

1.     The distinction between pure and political knowledge

2.     The methodological question

3.     The personal dimension

Mainly this Orientalism came when European power met with the lesser developed people of the East.

·      Examples of Orientalism from the Western pop-culture:

            This is the example of how the west depicts east in their literatures and the other things.

            This is the example of Alladdin- a character of “Disney Land”. Alladdin is an Arab character from a cartoon series named “Arabian Nights”. It was the show for children. So, before putting the example I want to quote some lines:

“Movies that children watch for enjoyment and pleasure rather than instruction, unfortunately leave a deeper imprint on a fresh, impressionable mind than does an unexciting textbook.”

(Kincheloe, 159)

            In that cartoon series, by Walt Disney Pictures, Alladdin was the most celebrated character. But that series had faced criticism for wrong and unjust portrayal of the Arab people and world. In that series Alladdin was ridiculed and mocked a lot. This becomes problematic because he was shown as the representative of Arab society and people. And the theme song of that cartoon series was also very much criticized for its words, that show Arab as uncivilized world. The lyrics of that theme song are:

“Oh, I came from a land

From a faraway place,

Where the caravan camels roam,

Where they cut your years if you

Don’t like your face,

It’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home.”

            We can see in this song lyrics that how the Western world does mis-portrayal of Arabic world. And in this way they prove themselves more civilized that the Arabic world. And such films or series are consumed a lot, and became popular also. After facing enormous criticism about such lyrics, Disney Pictures had changed them. So, instead of the line “…where they cut off your…”, This lines was put:

“Where it’s flat and immense

And the heat is intense.”

This is the link of a small video of that song with lyrics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw8Do64bEtU

            But these new lyrics are also problematic. And we can see in the video that how the whole identity of Arabs is mocked and misinterpreted. It also show that “exoticness”, which the Western used to see in the East.

            Another example is of a comedy produced by Paramount Pictures, named “The Director”. It was released in 2012. The main character is Admiral General Haffaz Aladeen here; a director from that Northern African Republic of Wadiya. In this movie Aladeen has travelled to New York City to tell the secrets of his country’s nuclear program to United Nations Council. And this character was mocked a lot. This all are also criticized from the orientalist point of view.

            In this way, we can see that how they misunderstand the orient and exaggerate it also in their descriptions. It is clear that the Western ideas about orient are not based on facts or reality, but rather they based on imagination and on the old archetypes about Eastern people. As ‘orient’ and ‘occident’ are opposite to each other, and when we see Foucault’s notion of power and knowledge, we come to know that orient is seen as negative or contrastive to occident. Apart from Foucault Said puts here Antonio Gramsci. Said’s views are based on and connected with his views. Gramsci gave the idea of ‘hegemony’. I quote Said:

“…my whole point is to say that we can better understand the persistence and the durability of saturating hegemonic systems like culture, when we realize that their internal constraints upon writers and thinkers were productive, not unitate really inhibiting.”

            Said sees Orientalism as ‘dynamic exchange’, between solo, individual writers and the large political concerns. And those political relations were shaped by three great established empires- British, French and American. Said says that under the intellectual and imaginative territory of these three empires the writing was brought out. And yet Said narrows down his views to only academic study of Middle Eastern, African and Asian history and culture.

            Said connects here the idea of Europe called by Denys Hay that the Europeans have strong idea of identifying “us”- Europeans against all “those” non-Europeans. It is their attempt to built hegemony over East and attempt to feel superior.

·      Critical examination of Orientalism:

            There are some counter arguments also against Said.

            First, is about Said’s limit that he limits this study for only academic area. The discussion of orientalism in academic field is limited to late 19^th and early 20^th century scholarship. So, the point is in that time most of the study departments had already left this area of study. I quote the argument:

“Said’s discussion of academic orientalism is almost entirely limited to late 19^th and early 20^th century scholarship. Most academic area studies department had already abandoned an imperialist or colonialist paradigm of scholarship.”

            And this argument goes further that Said connects the works of Barnard Lewis as an example of the continued existence of this paradigm, but Said admits that it was only an exception by the time of his writing that is 1977.

            And Said gave comparison between the wars of Greco-Persian and the controversy between East and West. Greeks had democratic tradition while Persian had monarchical. But Said makes no mention of the other Greek city states, most of which were not ruled democratically.

            These arguments seem hazy in many ways. But Said’s views about it are clearer. So, this is Said’s orientalism. I found some characteristics of orientalism. I put them in brief.

Ø Western intellectual domination:

Europeans’ idea; of people and society of Middle East, Asia and Northern Africa; is that they have not culture, they have ancient and less civilized living style and they are physically inferior than them. And European struggled a lot to dominate Eastern people and first by arresting them intellectually.

Ø Latent Orientalism:

According to Said, it is a kind of Orientalism that can’t be easily caught. It shows Western attitudes. It refers to cultural differences. Said says that the West continued to show the East as “separate, eccentric, backward, silently different, sensual and passive”. And most of these adjectives came from technological progress’ comparison between East and West.

Ø Manifest Orientalism:

In latent Orientalism, they see the speaking style and ascents of eastern people. While in manifest Orientalism, there is the dealing of visible features of Eastern cultures e.g. clothing, architecture and art.

Ø Contemporary Orientalism:

In this type of Orientalism Said describes the Western typical attitude to see the Eastern people esp. Arabs as “irrational, menacing, un-trustworthy, anti-western…and prototypical”.  These mental states are the result of pre 19^th century Orientalism. And Said writes:

“This is the culmination of Orientalism as a dogma that not only degrades its subject matter but also blinds its practitioners.”