What are Culture and Imperialism according to Edward Said?

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Who is Edward Said?

Edward Wadie Said was a professor of literature at Columbia University. He was a renowned a political activist as well as an intellectual scholar in the East and the West. Mr. Said critically examined culture and its deep roots in imperialism which was rampant in the nineteen and twentieth centuries as a core theme of the writers of the very age(s) in their poetic as well as in fictional work. A huge bulk about imperialism has been written but it was Said's Culture and Imperialism which acquired everyone's attraction. This book was a hot selling product all over the world because of its easy-to-understand revealance of imperialism.

 

Said's Book - Not a Sequel

Mr. Said asserts in the introductory part of his Culture and Imperialism what his previous work, Orientalism was limited to the Middle East only. But the particular book covers the Western relationship to its overseas territories. He says that this book is not a sequel to Orientalism because both books cover a different set of topics which are not related to each other.

 

Said's Views on Culture

Mr. Said says that there are two general outlooks on culture. One which focuses on the refinement and development of an already established culture (progressive culture, in our terms). The other is a 'fixed' culture in which a slight change is rendered as an aggressive as well as a gross crime. This type of culture is used as an identity which distinguishes 'us' from 'them'. That sort of culture is openly opposed by liberal philosophers because such culture creates a sense of nationalism (pride of one's nation) which pretty much serves as a tonic to separate that "nation" from rest of the world. "I have found it a challenge not to see", says he, "culture in this way- that is, antiseptically quarantined from worldly affiliations, but as an extraordinary field of endeavour."

 

What is imperialism?

Imperialism is, according to the Oxford dictionary, "A policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means.". In simple terms, imperialism is getting hold of a country either through power or guile and exploiting its sources for the imperialistic country. Said, in his book Culture and Imperialism, hints on imperialism through examples from literature. (Which shall be discussed in a different heading)

 

Said's Literary Reflection of Imperialism

Mr. Said implies examples from English literature to illustrate the fatality of imperialism. He cites the example of Great Expectations, one of the most recalled novels by Charles Dickens, which is a story of a boy Pip (Philip) who helps a prisoner Abel Magwitch to escape to Australia. The convicted person becomes rich and he secretly helps Pip financially to complete his education. When Pip successfully becomes "something", Mr. Abel hails back to England to meet the gentle whom he helped but he is badly rejected and prejudiced by the "successful" Pip because Abel hails from Australia which is a colony of Australia (Pip considers himself a part of a superior nation who controls the distant and gigantic islands like Australia). Through this story, Said shows the prejudiced and discriminated face of the imperialistic nations to the ones that are being controlled by them.

 

Another example of the imperialistic nature is alluded by Edward Said through his reference to another novel Nostromo by Joseph Conrad. The story takes place in the independent America which is dominated by the outer interests due to its vast treasure of silver mines. Holroyd, an American financer in this novel tells to a British owner of a gold mine:

"We shall run the world's business whether the world likes it or not.

The world can't help it- and neither we can, I guess."

This example reflects a typical thinking of the imperialists. This is the actual motive behind civilizing the world through "World Order".

 

Conclusion

Culture is man's attempt to go ahead of the competition (according to Edward Said) and when a specific culture is imposed on other countries to extort their resources, it is imperialism. Imperialism of any kind is harmful to the freedom of mankind so let the progressive culture thrive.

 

References, Sources and Suggested Readings

1. Notes provided by Sir Saffi
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_and_Imperialism?oldformat=true
3. https://neoenglishsystem.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-is-culture-and-what-is-imperialism.html
4. https://profnaeem.blogspot.com/2018/07/ma-english-prose-main-contention-in.html
5. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Edward_Said