Orientalism From Both Sides

Orientalism is the way Western people view the East, based on how Eastern countries and people are represented in history and in the media. The Orientalist mindset supports a warped view of the East as an exotic, mysterious place full of "sly, devious, despotic, mystical" people. The concept implies Western superiority over Eastern countries. Although he did not invent the term, Edward Said is an important figure for Orientalism, and a credible source of knowledge about the way it works and the way it came to be.

Through her novel "The God of Small Things," Arundhati Roy embodies Said's critiques of Orientalism in a way that could touch anyone. Roy's perspective is valuable to the critique of Orientalism since she uses her upbringing to incorporate insights from both the East and the West. The God of Small Things offers commentary on Orientalism from an Eastern perspective, which is important to understanding Orientalism as a two sided affair. Through references to Western media and her description of the relationship between Estha and Rahel's family with Margaret Kochamma and Sophie Mol, Roy suggests a learned inferiority complex from the East regarding the West. The novel never explicitly comments on the way the West views the East, but is stacked with commentary on the blind approval of everything Western from members of Estha and Rahel's family, specifically the older members. The God of Small Things turns the idea of Orientalism into a full bodied concept, instead of one that is viewed from just one side.