ON EDWARD SAID’S CONCEPT OF “ORIENTALISM

This paper explores the theoretical and ideological contributions of Edward Said, particularly focusing on his groundbreaking work Orientalism. It discusses how Said deconstructed the Western representation of the East, revealing the political and cultural motives behind academic and literary depictions of the Orient. The analysis highlights the colonial and imperialistic underpinnings of Western discourse and emphasizes Said’s Palestinian heritage as a crucial element of his intellectual perspective. The paper further examines how Said's ideas challenged dominant power structures in Western scholarship and contributed to postcolonial studies