Explorer Marco Polo Orientalism

1186 Words3 Pages

Orientalism shows to the reader how the oriental land is feminised for a constructed culture. This is a form of conquest by the west over the east. Explorer Marco Polo speaks about the western traders who take Asian wives are in fact taking them away from the Asian men, fighting the Asian men for their women, almost like a disgrace of dignity to the Orient men taking away their women, showing the west as the most powerful source. It is a form of reducing the Orients identity and controlling it. Christopher’s Columbus adventures to discover Asia was a way of having possession over these lands. Hence forth in this book, not only is the other the orient, the polar opposite to the west, but it was also something to be won, a land to be dominated like some trophy to lay claim to. The west always wanted to be in control. In Orientalism this was no different. Be reducing the Orients culture and way of life it gave the west a perfect opportunity to fortify their control. Since the …show more content…

There was a changing attitude to Orientalism once the 20th century emerged. The new 20th century Orientalists were now involved in the way of life of the Orients, living with them in their day to day activities, while the earlier Orientalists were quite in their observations, never giving away too much. The new type of Orientalists decided to try and live among the Orients as if they were one of them that they all belonged together in harmony, the earlier Orients had a clear distinction between themselves and the Orients and interaction between the two was discouraged. The new type of Orients were using this living and interacting with the orients as a devious way to learn how to control the Orients, that they believed to live amongst them and to learn more about them would allow the west to rule them more effectively. For example Lawrence of Arabia was an Orientalist who believed in interacting with the orients for power

More about Explorer Marco Polo Orientalism

Open Document