Culture and Imperialism Some Notes

December 19, 2010 MA English-Literature

Edward Said Introduction

Edward W. Said was born in Jerusalem, Palestine and attended schools there and
in Cairo. He was a Christian Arab. He received his B.A. from Princeton and his M.A.
and Ph.D. from Harvard. He is University Professor at Columbia. He is the author of
Orientalism, The Question of Palestine, Covering Islam, After the Last Sky, and
Culture and Imperialism.
He
delivered
his
speech
Culture
and
Imperialism
at York University, Toronto,February 10, 1993. He was an influential writer, speaker
and teacher. 1950s he went to the USA and studied at Princeton and Howard. His
writings have been translated into 26 languages. Orientalism is his most influential
book which presents the Western view of the Islamic World. It is limited to
the Middle Eastonly but it covers the whole landscape occupied by 19 th and
20th century. He had been a teacher of Literature (Comparative) and made critical
and literary analysis of most writers literary allusions are frequently found in his
political works. He died on 25th September, 2003.
Saids views on Culture and Imperialism
Culture and Imperialism is a lecture by ES. It briefly surveys the formation of
Western Culture to show that the process itself was a result of imperialism. In
defining the two terms he says that
Culture:
The learned, accumulated experience of communities and it consists of socially
transmitted patterns of behavior. According to the anthropologist Cliff Greety,
Culture is: An ordered system of meanings and symbols in terms of which social
interaction take place.
Imperialism: (According to OED may be defined as): aggressive expansion of
peoples at
the expense of the neighbors. This has been going on for years.
Imperialism implies some sort of collective premeditation which means a policy
formed at home by the imperialistic force before launching an offensive against
another nation.
The Historian Solomon Modell, Imperialism is a policy extending a countrys
power beyond its own borders for the purpose of exploiting other lands and other
peoples by establishing economic, social and political control over them.
Introduction to the Book

Culture and Imperialism is an important document. ES explains his own concepts of

Culture and Imperialism. ES explains Imperialism as the practice, the theory and
the attitudes of a dominating metropolitan center that rules a distant territory.
Imperialism originated with the industrial revolution in 19 thcentury. The British and
the French held sway over a large part of the globe.
For the industrial revolution, cheap raw material and labor was needed so for the
development of the backward countries, loud claims imperialism were made out to
be need of the nations. The slave nations were taught to regard it as a blessing.
1st world war ended the European Imperialism to some extent, but the 2 nd world war
brought about it. The two hot wars initiated a major cold war between USSR and
the USA. Thus, Imperialism took a new shape. TheUSA reduced USSR and came to
be the sole super power. It the USA-based Imperialism that ES targets in his works.
The book also has its literary merits like Conrads Heart of Darkness, E.M. Forsters
A Passage to India and many others.
Important Textual areas of his Speech
The 19th century is rise of the west for its for its dominating posture.
It grabbed lands so largely and abundantly as never before.
The industrial revolution caused imperialism.
Colonialism, almost always a consequence of imperialism, is the implanting of
settlements on distant territories. Imperialism is simply the process or policy of
establishing or maintaining an empire.
Direct colonialism of the British in India, the French in Algeria and Moroccohas
largely ended but Imperialism exists. Russia acquired bordering lands and the
British and the French jumped thousands of miles for occupation.
The Soviet Unions and Americas super power status which was enjoyed a little less
than half a century derives from very different histories than those of Britain and
France in the 19th century. In the expansion of western empires, profit and the hope
of further profit was important spices, sugar, slaves, cotton etc. gold. There was
very little domestic resistance to foreign dominations in Britain & France because
the superior thought it a metaphysical obligation to rule the inferior. According to
them, their imperialism was different from that of the Romans who were for the loot
but they went there with an idea of civilizing and improving their life.
We see in the empire nothing but a mitigated disaster for the native people. It was
their native, cultural design and need that matured imperialism and they regret it
now. Imperialism has caused dislocations, homelessness for the Muslims, Africans

and the West Indians. They have created the troubles for Britain and France and also
caused the emergence of Soviet and later today America.
According to Arno Mayers telling phrase, of the old regime The Willy Brandt
Report, entitled North-South: A program for the survival published in 1980. It says
that the needs of the poorest nations must be addressed. Hunger must be abolished
and other problems solved. The main purpose is power-sharing in decision making
within the monetary and financial institutions.
It is different to disagree with it. But how will the changes occur? The post-war
classification of all nations into 3 worlds, Ist, Second and the third.
The solution is the revised attitude to education, to urge students on insistence of
their identity, culture and democracy, thus nationalism is the solution.
The relationship between culture and empire is one that enables disquieting forms of
domination. Imperialism considered the mixture of cultures and identities on a large
scale, but its worst and the most paradoxical gift was to allow people to believe that
there only white, black, western or oriental.
Imperialistic allusions from literature
He believes that novel has been important in formation of imperialistic attitudes,
references, and experiences. He calls Robinson Crusoe the prototype of modern
realistic novel. He draws his arguments particularly from the novel because he
believes that Narrative is crucial to my argument here, my basic point being that
story are at the heart of what explorers and novelists say about strange regions of
the world, they also become the method colonized people use to assert there an
identity and the existence of their own history. Said further argues that narratives
of emancipation and enlightenment mobilized the people to rise against the yoke of
imperialism. The stories of Sir Walter Scott charged the Scottish nation against the
British rule. Said cites Mathew Arnold who says that culture is each societys
reservoir of the best that has been known and thought. Literature is, no doubt, the
mirror that faithfully captures and reflects the picture of culture.
He says that his entire life was devoted to teaching culture. He developed the habit of
looking for the imperialistic implications in the stories. He says that inGreat
Expectations by Charles Dickens What Dickens envisions for Pip, being
Magwitchs London gentlemen is roughly equivalent to what was envisioned by
English benevolence for Australia. Said believes that nearly all Dickens
businessmen, wayward relatives and frightening outsides have a fairly normal and
secure connection with Empire.

Said highly admired Joseph Conrad a star novelist of the late Victorian period for
his superb criticism of Imperialism, especially in the Heart of Darkness which is still
highly relevant to the situation across the world.
Saids message is that Imperialism is not about a moment in history, it is about a
continuing interdependent discourse between subject peoples and the dominant
empire. Saids view of the empire and colonialism is best expressed through Fanny
and Sir Thomas from Jane Austens Mansfield Park which is the story of Fannys
being taken into Sir Thomass life at Mansfield Park where she eventually adjusts
into the role of mistress of estate. Fanny was poor. Her parents are not capable
managers of wealth. These skills she acquires when she goes to Mansfield Park to
live at 10. Saids comment on Jane Austens writings highlight the extent to which he
sees in her the reflection of empire.