Understanding a discourse’s coherence explains its force without justifying it

Evidence

The interest I took in Orientalism as a cultural phenomenon (like the culture of imperialism I talk about in Culture and Imperialism, its 1993 sequel) derives from its variability and unpredictability, both qualities that give writers like Massignon and Burton their surprising force, and even attractiveness. What I tried to preserve in what I analyzed of Orientalism was its combination of consistency and inconsistency, its play, so to speak, which can only be rendered by preserving for oneself as writer and critic the right to some emotional force, the right to be moved, angered, surprised, and even delighted. — Edward W. Said, Orientalism, 855 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Staiger saw interpretation as proving a poem’s internal coherence — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 2225; Interpretation is a tool for use built on coherence without theoretical adequacy — Donna Landry and Gerald MacLean, The Spivak Reader: Selected Works of…, 365; A performative’s force depends on external felicity conditions, not the utterance itself (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• Hegemonic discourse contains internal play, variability, and affective force #complicates (0.72) — Edward W. Said, Orientalism, 855