Said contradicts Orientalism by treating Western literatures as autonomous.

Evidence

In direct contrast, we getfrom rhe author of Orienta/ism, no lessrhe characterization of ‘French, German and English literatures’ as nor only ‘high’ bur also ‘autonomous’, ‘aesthetically independent’ and ‘satisfying’ Now, satisfaction is doubtless a personal matter, but may one ask: ‘autonomous’ and ‘independent’ of what? The whole point of Orienta/ism, one would have thought, was rhat these literatures were not autonomous; that they were too complicit in colonialism to be spoken of primarily in terms of ‘high’ aesthetics. — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory, 915

Categorization

• XREF: A precise textual self-contradiction in Said that shows even the arch anti-essentialist relapses into the essentialist frame he dismantled — a live case of the strategic-ironic stance collapsing into the very position it criticized. — connects to: Said’s Orientalism denies colonized agency while criticizing the West for silencing it. — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Classes, Nations, Literatures, 703; Said contradicts himself by also crediting the prior critics he dismisses. — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Classes, Nations, Literatures, 714; A credentialed Orientalist’s critique can invert Said’s own position on Orientalism — Wael Hallaq, Restating Orientalism: A Critique of…, 46

Broader Connections

• A credentialed Orientalist’s critique can invert Said’s own position on Orientalism #exemplifies (0.80) — Wael Hallaq, Restating Orientalism, 46