Introduction
Edward Said has been a political critic who draws our attention to the imperialism of the West upon the East. In prose, style is a key element to convey the ideas of a writer. Said uses his political themes as a tool to sharpen his style. But we find a musical tone, sense of exile, repetition of ideas aa well as references to different literary works to establish his theme of imperialism. Also, Said invents new terms to make his style even more distinctive.
Some Distinctive Qualities of Said's Prose Style
The first but obvious trait in the prose style of Said is his celebration of exile. Said was basically a Palestinian Arab who shifted to the USA for a better political reach. His celebration of the exile is his deliberate effort to isolate himself from his rough past in his homeland. Said suggests that life in exile passes differently and less comfortably as compared to home country.
The second but a noteworthy point that can be traced in Said's works is his repetition of certain ideas that are closely associated with him. This can include Said's education and culture of his home country, his advocacy for (the peace in) Palestine and exile.
Another striking feature in Said's Prose is his musical tone in his essays. It must be noted that Said was himself a musician. Said was bewitched by the relation of music with memory. Music would give him a glimpse of his past. Therefore, his love for music can be traced easily in his works through the musical tone in his essays.
References to Literature
Said was well aware of the importance of literature as a tool to justify different historical events. He considered literature more significant than the books of history because, through literature, one could grasp the psychological motives behind a certain subject. Said's prominent subject of discussion was the imperialism of the West. In order to establish a psychological link to imperialism, Said alluded to many literary works like Great Expectations by Dickens, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and Robinson Crusoe by Dafoe. According to Said, novels are not directly responsible for imperialism but they give ample food of thoughts to understand the "cultural" reason behind imperialism and colonization.
Introduction of New Terms
Lastly, Said's prose style is known for the establishment of new terms like Orientalism and Contrapuntal. Said defines Orientalism as thus,
The basic distinction between East and West as the starting point for elaborate theories, epics, novels, social descriptions, and political accounts concerning the Orient, its people, customs, mind, destiny and so on.
To simply put, Orientalism means the difference between Eastern and Western Culture. Whereas, the musical term 'Contrapuntal Reading' is used to get a broader idea of imperialism through the narratives (novels) concerning the mindset of imperialist nations.
Conclusion
The prose style of Edward Said is well centred to the point that is intended to be conveyed. It delivers the motifs behind imperialism and the essences of culture attached to it excellently. Thus highlighting a political issue in an eloquent as well as well-explained tone.
