Theory of Orientalism by Edward W Said.
synonymous with the exotic, the mysterious, the profound, the seminal.
35
East is also likely to be seen as homogeni where the people are anonymous mass
rather than an individual, their actions are determined by instinctive emotions lust, terror, amok, etc. rather than by conscious choice or decision.
36
Emotions and the reaction is always determined by racist considerations for example they are like this or that because they are Asian or black, or oriental
rather than by aspects of the status or condition of the individual for example because maybe they are coincidentally a big brother, or uncle, or a collector
of antique ceramics As the invaders, which itself had been preparing for specific purposes,
then science, translations, and other studies it produces, including literature, not as a whole to contain the true objectivity, but rather occurs cultural biases.
Description and analysis of the texts of oriental biased so that the West remains the West and the East will be further east. Knowledge of the East
never be a genuine reason in due to the people who tell it are closely related and have a particular interest in colonialism. Therefore, their objectivity is
objectivity according to their own ideas, which is thought of Western society. Said menyebutkan karya-karya kelompok orientalis sebagai teks-teks
predatoris, yang secara perlahan-lahan akan mengisap kekuatan bangsa Timur. Orientalisme dengan demikian tidak terbatas sebagai
pengetahuan, melainkan sebagai kekuasaan. Oleh karena itulah, disebutkan bahwa orientalisme bukan mitos melainkan mesin, dalam
bentuk imperialism antropologis, yang digunakan untuk menghasilkan pernyataan-pernyataan yang berbeda mengenai dunia Timur.
37
35
Said, Op. Cit., p. 51
36
Peter Barry, Begining Theory: Pengantar Komprehensif Teori Sastra dan Budaya Yogyakarta: Jalasutra, 2010 p. 225
37
Ratna, Op. Cit., p. 209-210
The term of orientalism, in Said’s opinion, can be defined by three ways. First is by viewing orientalism as a mode or paradigm to differ West
and East by a certain epistemology and ontology. Next, orientalism can be also understood such a kind of West institution which focuses on East people
and tradition as its topic. The last, orientalism essentially is the official institution of Western that takes its care into East. In other words, orientalism
is likely the institution created by West to spread an understanding of East which its truth was blown away or sometimes group of lies and myths
38
. The opposite side of the Orient is the Occident. Occident is position
for Europe or West and orient is a term for East or usually Asia. Recently, the area range of occident is identified as Europe and United States. However,
Japan, until recently an emblem of the East, has increasingly been accepted as a member of the West in international organizations as well as in popular
culture.
39
Orient, is covering Asia, Africa and Latin America. Besides, occident call themselves as “West”, “The First world”, “Self”, and “The
Center” while orient call themselves as “East”, “The Third World”, “The
Other” and “Periphery”
40
Occident is reflected as a colonizer and orient is as a colonized. Because the relationship between occident and orient is as colonizer and
colonized, it is impossible to discuss one side only. The relationship between
38
Akhyar Yusuf Lubis, Dekonstruksi Epistemologi Modern: Dari Postmodernisme, Teori Kritis, Poskolonialisme Hingga Cultural Studies
Jakarta: Pustaka Indonesia Satu, 2006, p 216
39
Fernando Coronil, Beyond Occidentalism: Toward Nonimperial Geohistorical Categories. Cultural Anthropology. Accessed on 01.11 pm April 14th, 2015.
http:www.jstor.orgaboutterms.html, p. 53
40
Ibid., p. 52
Occident and Orient is a relationship of power, of domination, of varying degrees of a complex hegemony.
41
These two sides have distinctive power and characterizations and both are in contradiction. Eventhough they are
contrastive, they have same function which is to define the power of each other.
Furthermore, occident and orient are two groups in forming the orientalism theory. The occident is a group with high superiority and great in
any aspects. As opposite side, the orient is an oppressive group and inferior. Characters of the occident are always positive that it is masculine,
independent, civilized, rational familiar, strong, educated and modern. On the contrary, the orient is in negative side that it is feminine, wild, weak,
irrational, uneducated, and primitive.
42
No matter how characterizations of both the occident and orient
are, they are a result of human’s creation. Their presence helps each other to define their position.
As a colonizer, occident always practiced many methods in dominating its colonized country. In colonialization era, the occident bluntly
imperialized to extend its domination area. However, though colonialism have ended, postcolonial regions are not necessarily free from colonialism.
Although it has been bustled by struggle for independence throughout colonial countries, colonialism still re-sticking with a new model called
noecolonialism.
43
41
Bill Ashcroft, et.al. The Post-Colonial Studies Reader London: Routledge, 1995, p. 89
42
Lutfi Hamadi, Edward Said: The Postcolonial Theory and The Literature of Decolonization European Scientific Journal June 2014 SPECIAL edition vol.2, p. 39
43
Maarif, Op. Cit., p. 3
Neocolonialism denotated the continuing of economic hegemony of invaders, in which post-colonial state still relies on his old master.
44
Countries of the former colonies tend to depend on the West that is the invaders of their
own, especially in the economic and political sectors is still not stable. The values that are universal; discipline, respect for the achievements, and the
fulfillment of basic human needs as a reason why theystill depend on the West. Furthermore, Maarif points out that West is very close to peoples
awareness of developing countries. Clothing, art, science, technology, architecture, language, lifestyle and mind, to just mention a few examples,
almost all of them oriented to the West. Third world peoples attitudes towards the West is varied. There were
facing West with rejection discontinuities. Instead some are addressing the West with absolute acceptance and relevance continuity.
45
The countries that adopt Secularism-Scientific choose the attitude of acceptance and
relevance. For them, the West is the prototype of renewal and a source of knowledge. All are from the West accepted, while the products of tradition
tends to be abandoned. But on the other hand, they tend to sacrifice the identity and eroded in westernization.
In brief, according to Said, orientalism contains at least the following connotation. First, it refers to a mode of thinking based on the difference in
ontology and epistemology between Orient and Occident. the Orient and Occident are in separate hemispheres on earth, opposing each other in may
44
Ibid., p. 3
45
Ibid., p. 30
respects due to their striking differences, politically, economically, and even linguistically. Second, it refers to a way of dominance of the powerful West
over the weak East and its oppression of the latter.
46
46
Wang Ning, Op. Cit., p. 58
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