Spatial Otherness in Literature & Literary Theory

Spatial Otherness: Etymology/Term, Meanings and Concept

Spatial Otherness

Spatial otherness refers to the process of differentiating, segregating, or marginalizing individuals or groups based on their perceived differences within a physical space. This concept emerges from the broader idea of “othering,” which is the social practice of constructing an identity for oneself in opposition to others those deemed different. The term highlights how power structures and social hierarchies can manifest themselves in geographical locations and built environments.

Meanings and Concepts

• Segregation and Exclusion: Spatial otherness can manifest through deliberate acts of separation, such as the creation of gated communities, slums, or racially segregated neighborhoods.
• Symbolic Boundaries: Even without physical barriers, symbolic borders can be drawn through social practices, architecture, or urban planning. These subtle boundaries mark “desirable” and “undesirable” areas.
• Surveillance and Control: Spaces can be designed or monitored in ways that disproportionately target marginalized groups, reinforcing their outsider status.
• Experiences of Place: Individuals and groups experience spatial otherness differently, often based on factors like race, class, gender, or sexual orientation. This can result in feelings of alienation, fear, or a lack of belonging.
• Contested Spaces: Spaces marked by otherness can become sites of resistance where marginalized groups challenge dominant narratives and reclaim their right to belong.

Spatial Otherness: Definition of a Theoretical Term

Spatial otherness refers to the perception or experience of spaces or places as unfamiliar, exotic, or different from one’s own familiar environment. It encompasses the sense of encountering the “other” within physical landscapes, often associated with feelings of disorientation, curiosity, or awe. Spatial otherness can be shaped by cultural, social, and historical contexts, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with diverse geographical settings.

Spatial Otherness: Theorists, Works and Arguments

Theorists

• Edward Said: A foundational figure in postcolonial studies, Said’s work “Orientalism” explores how Western representations of the “East” constructed a sense of otherness rooted in spatial and cultural difference. This otherness served to justify Western dominance and colonialism.
• Michel Foucault: Foucault’s analysis of power, discipline, and space is central to understanding spatial otherness. His ideas on heterotopia (spaces of otherness) and the panopticon (a model of surveillance and control) highlight how space can be used to regulate and exclude.
• Henri Lefebvre: A Marxist philosopher, Lefebvre’s “The Production of Space” argues that space is not neutral; it’s a product of social relations and power dynamics. Spatial otherness is a tool for the powerful to maintain control and reproduce social inequalities.
• Doreen Massey: Massey emphasizes a relational view of space that challenges fixed notions of identity and place. She argues spatial otherness is produced through complex social, economic, and political processes rather than inherent differences.

Works

• “Orientalism” (Edward Said): A seminal work that examines how Western literature, art, and scholarship created a distorted, exotic image of the “Orient,” serving as a tool for othering and domination.
• “Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison” (Michel Foucault): Explores how the architecture and design of institutions like prisons create systems of surveillance, discipline, and power, contributing to the construction of otherness.
• “The Production of Space” (Henri Lefebvre): A critique of capitalist urban spatial practices, arguing that they produce exclusion, alienation, and serve as means of social control.
• “For Space” (Doreen Massey): Emphasizes the dynamic, contested, and interconnected nature of space and how it shapes our experiences of identity and difference.

Arguments

• Space as a tool of power: Spatial otherness is not merely about physical separation; it’s about how space is used to uphold social hierarchies, privilege certain groups, and marginalize others.
• The constructed nature of otherness Spatial divisions and identities are not fixed, but are produced through social practices, representations, and power relations.
• Experiential dimensions of spatial otherness: Individuals navigate and experience these spaces of otherness in diverse ways, depending on their social identities and positions.
• Resistance and agency: Spaces of otherness can also become sites of resistance and community building where marginalized groups challenge imposed boundaries and create new forms of belonging.

Spatial Otherness: Major Characteristics

1. Alien Landscapes: Spatial otherness often manifests through the portrayal of landscapes that are vastly different from the familiar environment of the protagonist. For example, in H.G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds,” the Martian landscape represents an otherworldly terrain that evokes feelings of strangeness and awe in the human characters.
2. Cultural Estrangement: Literary works often depict spatial otherness through the lens of cultural estrangement, where characters find themselves in societies or communities with customs, norms, and values that diverge significantly from their own. In Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Left Hand of Darkness,” the protagonist’s journey to the planet Gethen exposes him to a society with a radically different approach to gender and sexuality, highlighting the cultural otherness of the setting.
3. Sense of Displacement: Spatial otherness can evoke a sense of displacement or disorientation in characters, as they navigate unfamiliar landscapes or encounter unfamiliar cultures. In J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” the hobbits experience a profound sense of displacement as they venture into the vast and perilous landscapes of Middle-earth, encountering diverse cultures and creatures along their journey.
4. Encounters with the Unknown: Spatial otherness often involves encounters with the unknown or the mysterious, heightening the sense of strangeness and fascination with the unfamiliar. In Arthur C. Clarke’s “2001: A Space Odyssey,” the discovery of the monolith on the moon leads to a journey into the depths of space, where the crew encounters enigmatic and otherworldly phenomena that challenge their understanding of the universe

Spatial Otherness: Relevance in Literary Theories

Literary Theory	Relevance of Spatial Otherness
Postcolonial Studies	Examines how colonialism and imperialism shaped representations of space in literature. Works often analyze how colonized spaces are depicted as exotic, dangerous, or in need of civilizing, reinforcing the otherness of non-Western cultures.
Feminist and Gender Studies	Focuses on how gendered power dynamics shape experiences of space. Examines the ways spaces are coded as masculine or feminine, and how this can restrict or empower different genders. Explores themes of domesticity, confinement, and the public sphere.
Marxist Criticism	Analyzes how spatial arrangements reflect and reproduce class inequalities. Literature can reveal how the wealthy inhabit privileged spaces, while the working class is relegated to marginalized, often hidden, areas. Focuses on the built environment as manifestations of power structures.
Critical Race Theory	Investigates how race and ethnicity shape experiences of space and belonging. Examines the legacy of segregation, redlining, and how spaces can perpetuate racial hierarchies and exclusion. Addresses themes of displacement, belonging, and the creation of counter-spaces.
Queer Theory	Explores how heteronormative assumptions about space can marginalize LGBTQ+ individuals. Analyzes the creation of queer spaces that provide safety and community, and how literature can challenge dominant spatial narratives.
Ecocriticism	Examines the relationship between humans, non-human species, and the environment. Can analyze how spatial otherness is applied to the natural world, leading to its exploitation. Also explores literature that challenges anthropocentric views of space and advocates for more interconnected understandings of place.

Spatial Otherness: Application in Critiques

1. Wide Sargasso Sea (Jean Rhys)

• Postcolonial Lens: Rhys’ novel re-imagines the story of Bertha Mason from Jane Eyre. It challenges the colonial representation of the Caribbean as a wild, dangerous space and its inhabitants as inherently other. Rhys portrays colonial spaces as oppressive for Bertha, ultimately contributing to her tragic confinement.
• Feminist Lens: The novel can be read as a critique of the spatial confines imposed on women. Bertha’s movement, both physically and socially, is restricted by patriarchal norms and the colonial setting, highlighting the intersectional experience of spatial otherness.

2. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)

• Feminist/Dystopian Critique: Gilead is a society built upon the rigid spatial control of women. Handmaids are confined to specific households, their bodies surveilled and regulated through spatial means. Public spaces are also sites of gendered othering, with women segregated and visually marked according to their role.
• Power and Surveillance: The novel explores how space itself becomes a tool of oppression. The Panopticon-like architecture and constant monitoring within Gilead create a sense of inescapable otherness for anyone who defies its norms.

3. Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison)

• Critical Race Theory Focus: Ellison’s novel depicts the multiple layers of spatial otherness experienced by a Black man in America. He moves between segregated spaces in the South, the seemingly more integrated North, even living underground, highlighting the pervasiveness of racial exclusion and its psychological impact.
• Symbolism of Spaces: Spaces like the college and the underground hold symbolic value. They represent both false promises of belonging and the creation of alternative spaces of identity in the face of exclusion.

4. The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison)

• Intersectional Critique: Morrison explores how race, class, and gender intersect to create experiences of spatial otherness. Black characters are marginalized in both the physical spaces of their town and in the idealized white beauty standards that dominate social expectations.
• Internalized Otherness: The novel explores the devastating psychological effects of spatial otherness. Pecola’s yearning for blue eyes symbolizes the internalization of dominant narratives that render her and her community as undesirable and unbelonging.

Spatial Otherness: Relevant Terms

Term	Definition
Exoticism	The portrayal or fascination with cultures, places, or customs perceived as exotic or foreign.
Xenophobia	The fear or hostility towards people perceived as foreign or unfamiliar, often rooted in prejudice.
Ethnography	The study and systematic description of cultures and societies, often involving immersive fieldwork.
Diaspora	The dispersion of a group of people from their original homeland, often resulting in cultural diversity.
Nomadism	A way of life characterized by constant movement or migration, often associated with spatial flexibility.
Ecotone	The transitional area between two distinct ecosystems or habitats, characterized by unique biodiversity.
Transculturalism	The blending or interaction of different cultures, leading to the emergence of new cultural forms.
Liminality	The state of being in between or on the threshold, often associated with transitions and ambiguity.
Topophilia	The love or strong attachment to a particular place or environment, often rooted in personal experiences.
Ethnocentrism	The tendency to judge other cultures based on the standards and values of one’s own culture.

Spatial Otherness: Suggested Readings

Books

1. Cresswell, Tim. Place: An Introduction. 2nd ed., Wiley-Blackwell, 2014. (Provides a broad foundation for understanding the social construction of place and space)
2. Massey, Doreen. For Space. Sage, 2005. (Offers a nuanced perspective on the relational and contested nature of space)
3. Said, Edward. Orientalism. Vintage Books, 1979. (Seminal work for exploring spatial representations and colonial power dynamics)
4. Soja, Edward. Postmodern Geographies: The Reassertion of Space in Critical Social Theory. Verso,1989. (Examines the connections between spatiality, power, and social theory)

Journal Articles

• McKittrick, Katherine. “On Plantations, Prisons, and a Black Sense of Place.” Social & Cultural Geography, vol. 12, no. 8, 2011, pp. 947-963. (Critically examines race, place, and the legacy of slavery)