Considering the title of Rushdie’s short story cycle East, West one question quickly evolves in the recipient’s mind: Does the comma in the title stand for a separator keeping apart two cultural blocks, namely an Eastern and a Western world, or can it also be considered as a linking bridge?
However, when reading Rushdie’s colourful stories it becomes clear that he even goes far beyond this bridge notion. The author doesn’t only try to link or reconcile the two parts but he as a migrant between the two worlds ironically plays with the traditional images of Orient and Occident: By applying a huge variety of genre, styles, structures and techniques he finally deconstructs the traditional notions of the two entities. In doing so he undermines the reader’s conventional assumptions about the East and West and makes clear that in recent times reality cannot be pressed into or described by such simple schemes any longer.
When Rushdie writes that “literature is, of all the arts, the one best suited to challenging absolutes of all kinds”, this is exactly what he does in “East, West”. Nothing is “sacred” any longer, and thus most of the stories can be considered as attempts to ironically challenge and deconstruct sanctities and weak sides of Eastern and Western culture. By this critique he makes clear that within the global village these two parts of the world are closely interrelated and cannot be considered as opposing entities. Thus, Rushdie goes beyond the common debates about whether there is a divide of the world into East and West or not.
However, as the short stories in East, West fulfil all more or less this deconstructive design on the one side and represent on the other side the richness and diversity of human life in the different parts of the world they naturally do not offer easy interpretations. Nevertheless, this paper tries to examine how Rushdie criticizes and deconstructs the traditional notions and absolutes of the East and West and how he takes apart these artificial entities. The thesis that Salman Rushdie deconstructs the typical images and questions the inviolable both of the Orient and Occident and thus describes the world as a complex, interrelated system will be the paper’s central question. In this respect one “Eastern” story of his short story cycle East, West – “The Prophet’s Hair” – and one “Western story” – “At the Auction of the Ruby Slippers”— will be considered. These analyses will then provide the basis for the conclusion.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Rushdie’s Deconstruction of the “East” and Questioning of the Inviolable: His Short Story “The Prophet’s Hair”
3. Rushdie’s Deconstruction of the “West” and the Questioning of the Inviolable: His Short Story “At the Auction of the Ruby Slippers”
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Core Themes
The primary objective of this paper is to examine how Salman Rushdie utilizes his short story cycle East, West to deconstruct traditional, binary images of the Orient and the Occident. Through an analysis of specific narratives, the author questions established absolutes and ideological certainties, ultimately arguing that the world is a complex, interrelated system rather than two opposing cultural blocks.
- Deconstruction of traditional East-West dualities.
- Critique of religious fundamentalism and the concept of the "sacred."
- Analysis of consumer culture, capitalism, and the commodification of identity in the West.
- Exploration of the "homelessness" of the individual within post-modern global systems.
- Investigation of the "hybridity" inherent in Salman Rushdie’s literary approach.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
Considering the title of Rushdie’s short story cycle East, West one question quickly evolves in the recipient’s mind: Does the comma in the title stand for a separator keeping apart two cultural blocks, namely an Eastern and a Western world, or can it also be considered as a linking bridge (Beck 357)?
However, after having read Rushdie’s colourful stories it becomes clear that he even goes far beyond this “bridge notion”. The author doesn’t only try to link or reconcile the two parts but he as a migrant between the two worlds plays ironically with the traditional images of Orient and Occident: By applying a huge variety of genre, styles, structures and techniques he finally deconstructs the traditional notions of the two entities. In doing so, Rushdie undermines the reader’s conventional assumptions about the East and West and makes clear that in recent times reality cannot be pressed into or described by such simple schemes any longer.
When Rushdie himself writes in his collection of critical essays Imaginary Homelands that “literature is, of all the arts, the one best suited to challenging absolutes of all kinds” (qtd. in Beck 356), this is exactly what it does in “East, West”. Nothing is “sacred” any longer, and thus most of the stories can be also considered as attempts to challenge and deconstruct sanctities of Eastern and Western culture (Beck 360).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the thesis that Rushdie actively deconstructs rigid cultural boundaries and challenges absolute religious or secular dogmas through his writing.
2. Rushdie’s Deconstruction of the “East” and Questioning of the Inviolable: His Short Story “The Prophet’s Hair”: This section analyzes how the author exposes the dangers of religious fanaticism and blind veneration by examining a specific story set in the East.
3. Rushdie’s Deconstruction of the “West” and the Questioning of the Inviolable: His Short Story “At the Auction of the Ruby Slippers”: This chapter investigates how Rushdie satirizes Western consumerism, capitalism, and the loss of individual identity in a post-modern, profit-driven society.
4. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the arguments to confirm that Rushdie successfully presents a vision of the world that rejects clichéd binaries in favor of a complex, intercultural reality.
Keywords
Salman Rushdie, East West, Deconstruction, Orient, Occident, Hybridity, Postcolonial Literature, Religious Fundamentalism, Capitalism, Commodity Fetishism, Identity, Globalization, Satire, Cultural Critique, Interculturality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this academic work?
The work focuses on how Salman Rushdie’s short story cycle East, West systematically deconstructs traditional, binary perceptions of Eastern and Western civilizations.
Which thematic fields are central to the analysis?
The central fields include the critique of religious absolutism in the East and the critique of capitalist consumerism and moral decay in the West.
What is the primary research question?
The research asks how Rushdie challenges the "inviolable" status of traditional cultural absolutes to depict a more complex, interconnected world system.
What scientific methodology is applied?
The paper utilizes a literary analysis approach, focusing on deconstruction, close reading of text, and the application of postcolonial critical theory to examine narrative structure and irony.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body focuses on detailed analyses of two representative stories: "The Prophet’s Hair" for the Eastern context and "At the Auction of the Ruby Slippers" for the Western context.
Which keywords best characterize the research?
Key concepts include deconstruction, hybridity, postcolonialism, religious fanaticism, and capitalist commodification.
How does the author interpret the comma in the title "East, West"?
The author argues that the comma serves as more than a separator; it acts as a bridge that demonstrates the interrelation of both worlds rather than their separation.
What role does the concept of "home" play in the Western context of this study?
In the analysis of "At the Auction of the Ruby Slippers," "home" is presented as a lost ideal, symbolizing the disorientation of individuals within a modern, profit-driven, and relativistic Western society.
- Quote paper
- Jörg Vogelmann (Author), 2005, Salman Rushdie's Short Story Cycle East, West: A Deconstruction of the Traditional Images of Orient and Occident and a Questioning of the Inviolable, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/61301
