Strength in 'Orientalism'

    Orientalism is a postcolonial book written by Edward Said in 1978 which analyzes the notion of “the other,” in regards to mostly Islam, Arab, and Middle Eastern political discourse and ideology. Said is an advocate of the idea that when we address an individual or a group as the other, we are taking away human qualities that we can furthermore relate with ourselves. This idea therefore distinguishes those who are within one another’s system, and who is alienated or “oriental.” The novel Jasmine written by Bharati Mukherjee is a fascinating tale of Orientalism in action as our main character Jasmine after many life altering events has made her way to America.

            Jasmine lands in Florida with a group of illegal immigrants looking forward to the possibility of the American dream, and an opportunity for the better. After already having to have changed her name and her identity due to her culture and life, Jasmine is set out make something of herself in the United State of America, some how, some way. The first night Jasmine spent in America would force her to separate herself from the person she was prior to her immigration. Jasmine spent the first night in a shanty motel with several other illegal immigrants hoping for a world of change. Jasmine would discover a new world that night, as the captain of her ship would take advantage of her. “Half faced” as he is called was a character that Jasmine had to force herself to become oriental with, as Jasmine described her mental state after the epidemic where “for the first time in [Jasmine’s] life [she] understood what evil was about. It was about not being human. Half-face was from an underworld of evil” (116). Jasmine describes this sensation of the moment of truth, an understanding that surfaces at the moment of death. Half Face was looking for more than what Jasmine was offering when he asked her “What are you going to do for me?” Instead of meeting her friendly hand gesture, Half Face maliciously attacked Jasmine with kisses and body contact which quickly led unto him raping her. Welcome to America Jasmine.

            Jasmine, not an expressively angry person in herself was forced into a position where she needed to make some life choices. Jasmine could sit on the sideline and watch as her American life only in its infancy could be forced to do what others desired, or she could stand up for herself, she could make her own choices, and act upon her own thoughts, and that is exactly what she did, killing Half Face. Jasmine had to make herself “oriental” towards Half Face, as he had done to her, with his sexual assault. Jasmine looked at him not as a person, but as a beast, as a physical being without a greater sense of self. This was what Jasmine needed to overcome the weaknesses that could subdue her life as she transformed, so did her tone- “the blade need not be long, only sharp, and my hand not strong, only quick” (118). This was the change that Jasmine expressed previously in the novel the her grandmother may have named her Jyoti but in surviving I was already Jane, a fighter and adapter” (40). Jane was the strength within her that needed to come out, and this unfortunate two prong event of the rape and murder was a cataclysm for that.

            Jasmine has moved forward from this even and is a more conscious person now because of it. We can tell in her tone and her actions that she has found a hard surface to finally put her foot down on, something that will support her. Sometimes it is sad to have to have something so close to home become Oriental to us in order to let us see it. The disestablishment from self that Said discusses in his three part book is a doorway to understanding the character of Jasmine, and many others that may be looking or have come to America, or immigrate to a foreign country. It is those events that put us to the floor that allow us to rise up and create strength, this is the path that Jasmine seems to have headed.