CONFRONTING ORIENTALISM IN AMERICAN MEDIA

Resumen

Abstract: Following the aftermath of the attacks on September 11, 2001, Arab, Middle Eastern, and Muslim Americans became high-profile and trending subjects of primetime American T.V.  American media and Hollywood have subjected the Middle Eastern community to scrutiny by broadcasting stereotypes that demean and dehumanize Middle Easterners and their Homeland. Middle Eastern American literature post-9/11 centers around questions of conflicting identities and new discourse on mainly the representation of Muslim women. Since 9/11, the oriental stereotypical representations of Muslim women as docile, passive, and exotic, dating back to the colonial projects in the 18th century, have been weaponized to create a sense of sympathy and to provoke hostile sentiments against Muslim men. This was done in the interest of the so-called 'War on Terror.' This paper examines the narrative pertaining to the Middle East's cultural, social, and political representations in American literature. It includes an analysis of the residual colonial ideologies deeply rooted in the newly emerging stereotypical portrayals of the Middle East. The recurring patterns of these texts are critical to understanding how the fictional representation of the Middle East, the Orient, is depicted and the psychological after-effects.