Lord Byron, his critics and orientalism

Marandi, Seyed Mohammad (2003). Lord Byron, his critics and orientalism. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This thesis, to some extent a response to Edward Said’s Orientalism and Culture and Imperialism, concentrates on the dialectical attitudes towards the ‘Orient’ in Romantic literature with particular reference to Byron and to a lesser extent, Shelley, Southey, Moore, and Landor. Through a contrapuntal textual analysis, signs emerge of a stereotypical and often monolithic Orient represented within the framework of dominant discursive practices. Beyond occasional elements of the fantastic and a striking synchronic and diachronic diversity in their aesthetic visions, little difference in essence seems to exist between the ‘Oriental’ in Byron’s textual representations and those of others who solely relied upon Orientalist texts as sources.

Similar discursive practices also seem to influence most of their critics, which include contemporary scholars who have conducted numerous forms of textual analysis through differing theoretical approaches. This raises many questions concerning the binary opposition as well as what Bhabha terms the ambivalent relationship, between the ‘West’ and its ‘Other’: is the portrayal of the Orient a relatively static or monolithic feature, and is it continually seen as a potential threat through transculturation or hybridity? These questions must be pursued in the context of the ideological position of both the Romantic writers themselves and the Orientalism of critics and theorists.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):