Against which historical background was Edward Said’s book Orientalism written?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Contextualizing the question helps illuminate why Orientalism is tied to a specific historical backdrop.
Option a: 'The British occupation of Egypt' — While Orientalism deals with how the West represents the East, this choice points to a particular colonial episode in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Said’s work is not anchored to a single colonial occupation of Egypt, but to broader Western discourses about the East across eras, so this option misplaces the temporal and thematic focus.
Option b: 'The Vietnam War' — This is the historically accurate backdrop. Orientalism was finished and published in 1978, in a period following the Vietnam War and during heightened reflection on imperialism, representation, and power. The book critiques Western depictions of the East and the politics of knowledge that underpinned imperialist attitudes, which were very salient in the era surrounding the Vietnam War and its aftermath.
Option c: 'The US-led coalition’s invasion of Iraq' — This event occurred in 2003, long after Orientalism was written. Presenting the Iraq War as the backdrop would be anachronistic and inconsistent with Said’s published timeline and the intellectual climate of the 1970s.
Option d: 'The Gulf War' — The Gulf War took place in 1990–1991, well after Orientalism was published. Using this as the background would again misplace both the date of the book and the specific historical conversations Said engages with, which are rooted in earlier debates about colonialism and representation.
Thus, the phrase in the question most consistently aligns with the Vietnam-era context rather than the later events referenced in the other options.

ARTS2457-China Imagined and Perceived (T2 25)

Against which historical background was Edward Said’s book Orientalism written?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Against which historical background was Edward Said’s book Orientalism written?

In "Two Visions in the Heart of Darkness" Edward Said argued that the hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute, violent history of colonial intervention over several hundred years is justified because the West gave the Eastern people progress and modernization.

In "Two Visions in the Heart of Darkness" Edward Said argued that the residue of nineteenth century imperialism can still be seen in the way natives are represented in Western media.

According to Dr. McCarty's section introduction, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness was a major work that validated the need to "civilize" the people of Africa.

In a consumer society, many adults channel creativity into buying things

Economic stress and unpredictable times have resulted in a booming industry for self-help products

People born without creativity never can develop it

A product has a selling price of $20, a contribution margin ratio of 40% and fixed cost of $120,000. To make a profit of $30,000. The number of units that must be sold is: Type the number without $ and a comma. Eg: 20000

More Practical Tools for International Students

Homework AI Solver

Stylized Writing Assistant

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation Assistant

In-Class Translation Assistant

Class Notes Assistant

Quiz Search Assistant

Past Exam Questions by School

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler