How, according to Edward Said, does culture serve as an instrument of imperialism?
Introduction to Culture and Imperialism is a notable literary work by Edward Said. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Introduction to Culture and Imperialism.
Answer
How, according to Edward Said, discuss culture as an instrument of imperialism? [NU: 2018]
Edward Said (1935–2003) was a post-colonial critic. In “Culture and Imperialism” (1993), he explained how culture helps an empire. Culture is not innocent or pure. It spreads imperial values and control. Said believed culture shapes thought and judgment. Let us see how it becomes an imperial tool.
Supports Empire Through Stories: Said believed novels helped build the empire. They showed colonizers as noble and strong. Natives were depicted as weak or wild. Novels made the empire seem natural and appropriate. Said saw this pattern in many works. He called culture a space of power. He explained this clearly:
“Culture is a sort of theater where various political and ideological causes engage one another.”
This quote shows how culture spreads ideas. It hides control behind beauty and story. Literature teaches people to support the empire.
Silences Other Voices: Imperial culture blocks native voices and truths. It speaks only for the powerful rulers. It hides the pain of the colonized. Said showed how literature erases others. He explained this with a strong line:
“The power to block other narratives from forming and emerging is very important…”
This quote means that culture removes other stories. It lets the empire decide what is remembered. Novels become tools of silence and forgetting.
Shapes Moral Judgment: Culture teaches who is right or wrong. Novels present Western characters as civil. Native people are shown as wild or lazy. This moral control supports the imperial rule. Said saw this clearly in British literature. Culture shapes values through soft persuasion.
Protects Empire’s Image: Culture makes the empire look moral and kind. It hides violence with beauty and pride. Readers think the empire brings peace and order. But Said uncovered this hidden function. Culture becomes a quiet partner in conquest.
In short, Said showed that culture serves the empire. It silences, judges, and persuades minds. In “Culture and Imperialism,” he revealsUnlock this study guide now