Orientalism and Identity: An Analysis of Attitudes and Behaviors

This essay examines the effects of orientalism on attitudes and behaviors, focusing on Jamaica Kincaid's "On Seeing England for the First Time" and George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant." It argues that orientalism creates a binary between the West and the East, leading to the domination of weaker cultures and the suppression of individual identity. Kincaid's experience reveals the disillusionment with the idealized image of England, while Orwell's narrative highlights the pressure faced by individuals in colonial settings to conform to imposed expectations. The essay concludes that orientalism perpetuates a system where the West invents the Orient to maintain control, impacting attitudes, behaviors, and cultural identities. Desklib offers a range of resources, including past papers and solved assignments, to aid students in their studies.

Running Head: ENGLISH 1
Shooting an elephant
Author's Name
Institutional Affiliation
Introduction

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When people of one culture mix with the other or are placed side by side, their
perceptions and ideas of each other get tested on the ground of reality. What arises is the problem
of misplaced identity. Jamaica Kincaid cleverly discusses these problems in ‘‘On Seeing
England for the First Time’’, and discusses the unalterable impacts of orientalism. George
Orwell in In “Shooting an Elephant,” reflects his perspective on British Imperialism and how the
perception of “self and other” creates pressure on minorities.
Thesis Statement: I will examine the effects of orientalism on humankind, their attitude,
and behaviors depending on which side they are, the governing nation or the country under the
rule.
The Effects of Orientalism on Attitudes
An attitude is an aspect that differentiates a person or a group from others. Certain ideas
and behaviors are more dominant on others within a particular culture as compared to others.
Under the impact of Orientalism, one feels the need of doing certain things or following the
behaviors that are imposed on us. Edward Said explains the term'' Orientalism'' as a study, as a
style of thought and dealing with the Orient' (Ameen Al-shamiri, 2016). Said's corpus of ideas
about ‘‘Orientalism’’ relates to the West's domination over the East and how the West perceives
East as the other and inferior. While the West is seen as rational, dynamic and progressive, the
East is seen as voiceless and backward (Ameen Al-shamiri, 2016). Orientalism is a dominant
political ideology of the European representation to control the East. The impact of Orientalism
can be felt in the two stories and how the characters feel the reassure of doing certain things or
following the behaviors, that are expected from them. An individual does not feel free to
cultivate his or her own self under the discourse of Orientalism. The relationship between the

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West and the East has created certain perceptions that have constructed the conception about self
and Other.
Kincaid mentons how her father strives to be an English man, wearign a hat is a must
forhim a she feel closer to being a British man and thus more English and superor. So, one ccan
see the influence of orientalism on his attitude. He wears the brown felt hat so that he becomes
more of an Englishman, although his heat was the wrong kind for the hot climate. The hat
becomes a central part of his character. “He put on in the morning as he stepped out of bed and
the last thing he took off before he stepped back into bed at night (Kincaid 366). The author
creates sarcasm around England right from the beginning of her writing. She mentions how the
county is presented to her as a special place and a jewel. Only privileged people could go and
live there and adorn the England jewel’ or use Made in England items. Kincaid states different
problems of the influence of Orientalism through her personal journey of reflection. Her
introduction to England made her feel lesser of her identity and confused as to why England is
looked upon as a special jewel when in reality she finds nothing special about England.
Eating habits too get impacted under the influence of orientalism. Kincaid mentionsd that
even within her house, she has to follow British culture and habits, for example, using knife in
the right hand, the fork in the left to eat food. She displays the impact of England on every aspect
of, and her eating habits are one of them. She offers vivid details on the significance of
“breakfast” in her life as it was an important meal in England. The kind of breakfast she had was
based on an “idea from England.” She has to adopt her ways of eating to how the English ate and
have a proper breakfast in the morning even if it made her feel sleepy and tired. “my mother
taught me to eat my food in the English way: the knife in the right hand, the fork in the left.”
(Kincaid, 366). She can feel the impact of orientalism very early on in her life when her mother

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takes pride in the fact that how nicely she can eat.
Self and Other
When social groups create as “self and other” it leads to pressure on minorities. George
Orwell in “Shooting an Elephant” shares his views on British Imperialism and how the British
Empire treated the Burma people as the “other.” As the British officer, Orwell finds himself in a
puppet like situation under the imperialism. Orwell cannot deceive others or himself. His
attitude to imperialism regarding Self and the Other disregards the Other and palaces Self as the
essential.
Behaving in the way society wants can have bad consequences. Orwell explains the
power dynamics in colonial Burma and how the weaker below him force him to act in a certain
way. He cannot ignore those voices and is forced to act accordingly. The Anglo-Indian officer is
forced to shoot an elephant because of the jeerer attitude of burdan people who look at him as a
source of entertainment. Although he knows he is a “poor shot “(Orwell 4) and doesn’t want to
kill the elephant, he does not want to look like a weakling or a fool in front of the large crowd of
people who want to see if he can shoot the elephant.
Because people get organized in groupsd, the iamge of England is different. Orwell feels
like a puppet in front of the crowds of burdan people, and that makes him realize the “futility of
the white man's dominion in the East” ( Orwell 3). England is introduced as a weakling here in
front of a large number of people who are grouped against him. He knows he has to act as the
crowd wishes him to and live up to their expectations. The White man is weak despite having a
gun in his hand, and he feels like a slave to the expectations of the poor villager. Still, he has to
show that he is superior to them and cannot afford to look weak and a fool who cannot shoot an
elephant.

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There is conflict in Orwell ‘s position as he is both explanatory and defensive. One can
see the helplessness in his situation, as he attempts to persuade the Burmese villagers as well as
himself by being defensive and explanatory. He knows how he has to kill the elephant against his
will and live up to the false expectations of the villagers around him.
Conclusıon
The two stories ‘‘On Seeing England for the First Time’’, and “Shooting an Elephant
reflect the substantial impact of Orientalism on humankind and how it divides the cultures,
forcing one to get dominated by the other. The Western cultures dominate the ideas and belief
system of the weaker and forces them to develop specific belief systems. The weaker side tends
to lose its real identity because of the orientalism. Kincaid is introduced to England as a ‘‘jewel’’
and her real experience of England when she finally gets to see it are devastating as she finds no
coherence in the myths and the truths about England. Orwell feels weak and helpless in front of
the oppressed minority simply because they are now grouped on one side and ready to assess if
he can control the elephant or if he is really strong as they have been led to believe. The English
officer cannot afford to be laughed at by the natives. Both stories reflect the binary created
between the West and the East and the impact of Orientalism on humankind. The academic
tradition of orientalism demonstrates how Europeans invented the Orient to dominate the others.

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References
Ameen Al-shamiri, M.A. (2016). A Critique of Edward Said's Orientalism as a Source Text for
Postcolonial Approaches to Literature. International Journal of Language and Literature,
4(1), 269-272
Kincaid, J (1991). On Seeing England for the First Time. matermiddlehigh, 1(1), 364–375.
Orwell, G. (1936). Shooting an Elephant, hawaii.edu, 1(1), 1–4.