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Washington Irving

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165 views

Washington Irving

Uploaded by

lbixgkadtrvcjrfkle
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Washington Irving's The Legend of the Arab Astrologer is a short story that reflects his fascination

with Spain’s Moorish history and Islamic culture, particularly in the region of Andalusia. This tale is
part of Irving's larger work, Tales of the Alhambra (1832), which he wrote after visiting Granada and
exploring the Alhambra palace. In this collection, Irving immerses readers in Spain’s Islamic past,
telling stories of Moors, hidden treasures, and the mystical world of astrologers and magicians. The
Legend of the Arab Astrologer stands out for its mysterious and almost supernatural atmosphere,
rooted in the Moorish influence on Spanish culture.

 Irving’s work is significant because it contributed to Western popular culture’s fascination


with Middle Eastern and Islamic history. While The Legend of the Arab Astrologer offers a
romantic and respectful portrayal of Arab culture, it does so through an Orientalist lens,
shaping readers' perceptions of the East as a mystical, somewhat exotic world rather than a
place of comparable complexity and rationality to the West.

By the lens of Edward Said

 Construction of the Eastern Archetype: Ibrahim is presented as the quintessential


“Oriental sage”—a figure Western readers could recognize as embodying the mystical
and wise qualities they associated with Arab scholars. Rather than being a complex
individual, Ibrahim is portrayed through stereotypes that simplify and generalize him,
fitting into the Western preconception of the "mystic, wise Arab." This aligns with Said’s
observation that Orientalist “knowledge” creates a static, ahistorical image of the East,
one that serves Western imaginations rather than reality.

 Power of Knowledge as a Form of Control: In the story, Ibrahim’s knowledge sets


him apart as both respected and feared by the Sultan and his court. According to Said,
Western Orientalism emphasizes knowledge about the Orient as something that provides
power, often as a means to control or contain the “mysterious” East. Irving’s depiction of
Ibrahim as a man possessing dangerous knowledge reinforces the Orientalist idea that
Eastern knowledge is powerful yet suspect, requiring Western oversight to manage.

 Supernaturalization of Eastern Knowledge: By portraying Ibrahim’s wisdom as


steeped in astrology, supernatural forces, and mysticism, Irving contributes to the idea
that the East is otherworldly, mysterious, and even irrational. Said argues that this type of
depiction reduces the East to a “space of symbols and clichés,” distancing it from
Western rationality and reinforcing the East as inherently exotic. By positioning Eastern
knowledge as mystical rather than scientific or practical, the story implies that the East
operates outside the bounds of Western reason.

 Absence of the Eastern Voice: In Orientalist literature, the East is often spoken about
rather than speaking for itself. Although Irving tells a story with an Arab protagonist, the
narrative voice and framing are Western, projecting Western ideas onto an Eastern
context without an authentic Eastern perspective. This lack of an Eastern voice aligns
with Said’s idea that Orientalism often silences the East, leaving it to be “known” and
“explained” by the West rather than understood on its own terms.

The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain is primarily set in various locations across Europe
and the Middle East during the author's travels with a group of American tourists. Twain
describes the group’s journey through Paris and the beginning of their adventures in Europe,
reflecting on their interactions with foreign cultures and landmarks. This section exemplifies
Twain’s satirical view of American tourists abroad, emphasizing their naivety, arrogance, and
tendency to misunderstand or oversimplify foreign cultures.

 In The Innocents Abroad, Twain’s portrayal of the American tourists’ experience in


the “Orient” is critical and satirical but still engages with Orientalist themes. His
American tourists judge foreign cultures based on their own limited perspective,
displaying ethnocentrism and a superficial curiosity that Said identified as part of the
Western approach to understanding the East. Although Twain is critical of the
tourists’ ignorance and ethnocentrism, he does not fully challenge their stereotypes
about the East. This perspective aligns with Said’s idea that Western portrayals of the
Orient often reinforce power imbalances, reducing Eastern cultures to objects of
spectacle rather than depicting them as equals.

1. Washington Irving’s The Legend of the Arab Astrologer (1832)

 Summary: This story is part of Tales of the Alhambra and centers around Ibrahim, an
Arab astrologer, who uses his mystical knowledge to help a Moorish king locate
hidden treasure.
 Orientalist Themes: Irving romanticizes Arab culture, presenting Ibrahim as an
exotic, mystical figure with supernatural knowledge, aligning with Edward Said’s
idea of the “mysterious East.” The story reinforces Western stereotypes about Eastern
cultures being steeped in magic and mystery rather than rational science.

2. Mark Twain’s The Innocents Abroad (1869), Chapter 8 (Pages 76-82)

 Summary: Twain’s book, written as a humorous travelogue, follows American


tourists through Europe and, later, the Middle East, capturing their often ignorant and
ethnocentric perspectives.
 Orientalist Themes: While Twain critiques the Americans' shallow engagement with
European cultures, he still portrays their encounters with foreign cultures as exotic
and amusingly “backward” compared to American standards. Although he satirizes
American tourists, Twain’s work doesn’t fully challenge Orientalist assumptions but
rather highlights them humorously.

How They Relate to Edward Said’s Orientalism

 Both Irving and Twain contribute to the Western tradition of representing the East as
exotic, mystical, or inferior. Irving romanticizes Arab characters as mysterious and
magical, while Twain’s satire leaves the Western tourists’ Orientalist biases largely
intact. Said’s critique would argue that both authors reinforce the East-West power
dynamic by creating distorted, one-sided portrayals of Eastern cultures that serve
Western interests and fantasies

Washington Irving’s “The Legend of the Arab Astrologer” and Mark Twain’s “The Innocents
Abroad” engage deeply with the main themes of Edward Said’s “Orientalism”, particularly in
their portrayals of the East as exotic and inferior. Irving presents Arab culture through the
lens of mysticism, showing fantastical elements that embody Western stereotypes of the East
as a place of magic and irrationality. This aligns with Said’s critique of how Western
literature reduced Eastern culture to be mere objects of fascination. Similarly, Twain’s
description of Eastern cultures in “The Innocents Abroad” showcases American tourists who
approach the “Orient” with a blend of curiosity, naivety and arrogance. Their experiences
highlight the superiority of Western expectations, as they view Eastern societies as places
frozen in time, a notion that Said argues contributes to a broader discourse of colonialism and
domination. Both authors emphasise the Orientalist framework that shapes Western attitudes
and gives them the right to judge other cultures, illustrating how literature simplified and
exoticized the image of the East, particularly in contexts like Morocco.

Washington Irving’s “The Legend of the Arab Astrologer” and Mark Twain’s “The Innocents
Abroad” engage deeply with the principal themes of Edward Said’s “Orientalism”, in
particular in their representations of the East as primitive and inferior. Irving affords the Arab
lifestyle through the lens of mysticism, embodying stereotypes of the East as an area of magic
and irrationality. According to Said, the West has long held a fascination with the East, which
has been expressed in literature. However, these representations are not neutral or objective
but rather are shaped by the West's own prejudices. Similarly, Twain’s description of Eastern
cultures in “The Innocents Abroad” showcases American travelers who technique the
“Orient” with a mix of curiosity, naivety, and exoticism. Their stories highlight the
superiority of Western expectancies, as they view Eastern societies as places frozen in time.
Said traces the origins of this system of knowledge back to the European colonial project,
which wanted to control and dominate non-European peoples. In conclusion, both authors
emphasise the Orientalist framework that shapes Western attitudes and gives them the proper
to judge other cultures, proving how literature simplified and exoticized the photograph of the
East.

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