Exoticism in Literature & Literary Theory

1. Edward Said and the Critique of Orientalism

• Work: Orientalism (1978)
• Argument: Edward Said’s groundbreaking work, Orientalism, critiques the West’s longstanding practice of constructing knowledge about the East (Orient). He argues that these representations are not objective portrayals, but rather serve to solidify Western dominance. Said exposes how the Orient is often stereotyped as passive, irrational, and inferior, justifying colonial projects and perpetuating a binary of “self” versus “other.”
• Quote: “[Orientalism] is a way of coming to terms with the Orient that is based on the idea that the Orient is in some way fundamentally different from the West.” (Said, Orientalism, p. 1)

2. Loїc Winkin and the Myth of the Primitive

• Work: The Myth of Primitive Society (1981)
• Argument: Loїc Winkin challenges the romanticized portrayal of non-Western cultures as “primitive” or untouched by civilization. He argues that these representations simplify complex societies and erase their histories. Winkin suggests that such portrayals often serve a nostalgic purpose for a lost Western past, obscuring the diverse realities of these cultures.
• Quote: “The image of the primitive is not the distorted reflection of a real and independent object, but the artificial product of a specific historical and cultural situation.” (Winkin, The Myth of Primitive Society, p. 13)

3. Gayatri Spivak and the Subaltern Voice

• Work: “Can the Subaltern Speak?” (1988)
• Argument: Gayatri Spivak’s influential essay, “Can the Subaltern Speak?”, problematizes the representation of colonized subjects (“subalterns”) within narratives dominated by the colonizer. She argues that the subaltern’s voice is often silenced or misrepresented due to the inherent power dynamics at play. Spivak highlights the challenges of representing the experiences of the colonized “other” within a framework established by the colonizer.
• Quote: “The subaltern as historical agent is therefore constituted within the structure of an argument which, by its very nature, in its very essence, disappears that trace, constitutes it as a kind of vanishing point.” (Spivak, “Can the Subaltern Speak?”, p. 308)

4. Mary Louise Pratt and the Power of Travel Writing

• Work: Imperial Eyes: Travel Writing and Transculturation (1992)
• Argument: Mary Louise Pratt analyzes travel writing as a tool of colonial exploration and control. She examines how travel narratives construct foreign landscapes and cultures, often through a lens of Western superiority and cultural dominance. Pratt argues that these narratives reinforce existing power structures while simultaneously revealing fissures and potential sites of resistance within the colonial project.
• Quote: “The form of travel writing is deeply implicated in the imperial project, and yet it is also a site where that project is unstable and sometimes even contested.” (Pratt, Imperial Eyes, p. 7)

5. Homi K. Bhabha and the “Third Space” of Hybridity

• Work: The Location of Culture (1994)
• Argument: Homi K. Bhabha offers a more nuanced perspective on exoticism by introducing the concept of the “third space.” He identifies this liminal zone as the point of encounter and interaction between cultures, where fixed identities and hierarchies are challenged. In this space, Bhabha argues, exotic representations can become sites of resistance and the emergence of hybrid identities that subvert dominant narratives.
• Quote: “It is in the ‘in-between spaces’ that the transformation of meaning and the emergence of new enunciatory strategies can be investigated.” (Bhabha, The Location of Culture, p. 37)

Short Story 1: “The Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway

• Ambiguous Setting: The story is set in Spain, but lacks specific cultural markers. This creates a sense of a generic, “exotic” backdrop for the American couple’s conflict.

• Symbolism of Landscape: The barren hills could symbolize the relationship’s emptiness, subtly influenced by the foreign, unwelcoming landscape.
• The Woman as “Other”: Jig is associated with nature and the surrounding landscape, subtly marked as different and therefore potentially threatening to the male protagonist’s sense of control.

Short Story 2: “A Temporary Matter” by Jhumpa Lahiri

• The Exotic Within the Familiar: The story focuses on an Indian-American couple, challenging assumptions about the “exotic” only being external and foreign.
• Food as Cultural Marker: The preparation and sharing of meals highlight cultural differences within the couple, potentially symbolizing larger communication gaps.
• Subversion of Expectations: Shukumar, though marked by his heritage, is ultimately the less emotionally expressive partner – upending stereotypical ideas of the “exotic.”

Poem 1: “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley

• Ruins as Exotic Spectacle: The poem focuses on the remains of a once-mighty empire in a desert landscape, emphasizing the alluring mystery and transience of power.
• Orientalist Lens?: Debate exists over whether the poem reinforces stereotypes of the East as decayed or serves as a critique of all empires, regardless of origin.
• The Power of Description: Shelley’s vivid imagery (“lone and level sands”) constructs an exotic scene primarily for a Western audience.

Poem 2: “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot

• Urban Exoticism: The poem evokes images of fog, yellow smoke, and half-deserted streets, creating an exotic sense of alienation within a familiar, modern city.
• Prufrock as Self-Other: Prufrock’s anxieties and indecision paint himself as exotic, foreign, and potentially threatening to his own sense of social belonging.
• Fragments of Culture: The poem weaves in snippets of foreign languages and cultural references, contributing to a sense of fragmented and potentially exotic high culture.