Cultural and Imperialism:

In his Introduction to Cultural and Imperialism, EdwardSaid states that his

previous book Orientalism (east)was limited to Middle east. But in this book he
describes a more general pattern of relationship but the Modern West and its over
seas territories (colonized countries). In the introduction to the book Said
attempts to explain the term culture in relation to Modernism of imperialism.
According to Said there are two types of attitude towards culture. The first
definition says, Culture is a concept that includes refining and elevating element,
each societys reservoir (treasure house) of values and tradition of a particular
community. Second definition is viewing culture as a source of identity that
provides a power to fight the influences of foreign culture.
Culture is understood as a protective agent that divorces us from the every day
world (Modern world). Said views the European writing on Africa, India, Ireland far
east and other lands as part of European effecttorule distant lands. He sees
colonial and post-colonial fiction is very important to his argument. The sewriting
describe in habited by uncivilized barbarians,who understood only the language of
violence and deserve to be only slaves.
This is a misrepresentation of the native people and their cultures. This
representation has to be changed. Said finds a connection between these narratives
and the imperial process. The European narratives above its colonized lands are all
misrepresentations of their cultures. The sewritings ignore the important aspect of
the reality the native people and their culture.
Said drives home his point by taking two novels: Dickens's Great Expectation and
Conrad's Nostromo. Dickens Great Expectation is about pips vain attempt to became a
gentle man. In his past life pip has helped a convict named Abel Magwitch, who was
transported to Australia pays back pip huge sum of money through his lawyer.
Magwitch reappears illegally in London after some time.
Pip doesn't welcome him and rejects him for being a criminal. Magwitch is
unacceptable being from Australia, a penenal colony, designed for rehabilitation of
English criminals. This is a remarkable novelaccording to Said, but the focus of
narrative is London, not Australia. Dickens is not bother about the fate of
convicts in Australia, from where they could never return. To Said the prohibition
placed on Magwitch's return is not only penal but also imperial. These criminals
could not be allowed to return to England the land of decent people.
Conrad’s “Nostromo”the second example,is set in the Central American Republic. It
was a colony because it had huge Silver mines. In this novel, Holreyd the American
financer tells obasles Gould, the British owner of the men that We shall run the
world, business whether the world likes it or not”. This is the general thinking of
the imperialist. The idea of responsible of civilizing the world seems to be
originated from this thinking say Said.
The problem with Conrad is that he writes from the view of a Westerner. He is blind
to other histories, other cultures and other aspirations. He does not understand
that India,Africa and South Africa had lines Conrad sees imperialism as
a“system”and it should work in a proper fashion. Conrad was both imperialist and
anti-imperialist,and had a limited vision about the colonised countries.
All such work, for said seems to argue that the centre of life and action was the
West, and rest of the world had no life history or integrity of its own. They
lacked the ability to see the richness of other countries. The world has changed
since Conrad and Dickens due to imperialistic globalization. Now various cultures
interact with each other still maintaining the ethnic differences.
The colonizer and colonized don't exist in separate words. Hence, one sided view is
not possible. Said says a positive development is needed and suggests that
imperialist should avoid narrow mindness. Most of the western writers could never
imagine that those ‘natives  who were either subservient, or uncooperative were one
day going to revolt against the imperials.
The purpose of  his book is to trace the relationship between culture, aesthetic
experience and historical experience. He says that his aim is to enquire historical
facts about imperialism and reveal its  original form more over he has not
discussed all the empires. He has focused on three imperial powers: British, French
and American.
Said says that the origin of current American policies can be soon in the past. All
powers aspiring for global domination have done the same things. There is always
the appeal to power and national interest in running the affairs of lesser
peoples’, and the same destructive zeal when the going goes rough. American made
the same mistake in Vietnam and Middle East. Said hopes that a history of imperial
adventure rendered in cultural terms might serve some deterrent purpose.
Said makes it clear that the criticism on imperialism exempt the colonized people.
The fortunes and misfortunes of nationalism don't always make a flattering story.
Narrow,  and dogmatic approach to culture as is imperialism. Secondly, culture is
not the property of the East or the West. EdwardSaid, by necessity was in a
position to be objective in his approach, as he lived most part of his life in
exileand had the personal experience of both the cultures. He was born in Middle
East and lived as on exilein America, where he wrote this book.