East is East: Difference between revisions
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Title of a play by Ayub Khan Din, first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 1996. Title of a movie written by Ayub Khan Din, directed by Damien O'Donnel, released in 1999. The title is taken from "The Ballad Of East And West" by Rudyard Kipling (1889). | Title of a play by Ayub Khan Din, first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 1996. Title of a movie written by Ayub Khan Din, directed by Damien O'Donnel, released in 1999. The title is taken from "The Ballad Of East And West" by Rudyard Kipling (1889). | ||
== Plot == | |||
The film is set in Salford in 1971 and deals with the bicultural family Khan, whose father, George, aims at preserving the Pakastani traditions, whereas the rest of the family – except from his son Maneer – conforms to the British culture. | |||
George feels unable to accept this, which especially becomes clear when he expulses his son Nazir after having cancelled his arranged marriage because of his homosexuality. Sajid, the youngest son, turns out not to be circumcised, which George wants to change – against Sajid's will. Moreover, he arranges two further marriages with two not very attractive daughters of a Pakistani family for his sons Abdul and Tariq. Tariq, however, destroys the wedding clothes and George finds Maneer with the torn clothes, which results in George's violent behaviour towards his family so that he finally leaves the house. He though seems to aim at changing himself for his family at the end. | |||
== Postcolonial discourse == | |||
The binary oppositions 'East' and 'West' were constructed during the time of colonisation. According to Kipling's poem, however, “there is neither East nor West“ (l. 3). Using the terms 'East' and 'West' as binary oppositions goes back to the Western perception of the East as “Other“ or “exotic“. By defining the East as such a “contrasting image“ (Said, p. 2) a justification of colonial attempts was made. "East is East" breaks these ethnic stereotypes and therefore rewrites the time of colonisation as a postcolonial discourse. | |||
Although George sticks to 'his own' traditions he has already assimilated to the British culture, as he has married Ella, a British woman with Irish roots. | |||
== References == | |||
Kipling, Rudyard. Rudyard Kipling’s Verse: Inclusive Edition, 1885-1932. “The Ballad of East and West” London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1933. | |||
http://www. | Said, Edward W. Orientalism. London: Penguin Books, 1991. | ||
Sander, Daniel. “Klischee ist Klischee“. Spiegel Online. http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/kino/der-film-west-is-west-als-nachfolger-von-east-is-east-startet-a-838650.html (accessed June 25, 2017). | |||
Revision as of 11:15, 2 July 2017
Title of a play by Ayub Khan Din, first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 1996. Title of a movie written by Ayub Khan Din, directed by Damien O'Donnel, released in 1999. The title is taken from "The Ballad Of East And West" by Rudyard Kipling (1889).
Plot
The film is set in Salford in 1971 and deals with the bicultural family Khan, whose father, George, aims at preserving the Pakastani traditions, whereas the rest of the family – except from his son Maneer – conforms to the British culture. George feels unable to accept this, which especially becomes clear when he expulses his son Nazir after having cancelled his arranged marriage because of his homosexuality. Sajid, the youngest son, turns out not to be circumcised, which George wants to change – against Sajid's will. Moreover, he arranges two further marriages with two not very attractive daughters of a Pakistani family for his sons Abdul and Tariq. Tariq, however, destroys the wedding clothes and George finds Maneer with the torn clothes, which results in George's violent behaviour towards his family so that he finally leaves the house. He though seems to aim at changing himself for his family at the end.
Postcolonial discourse
The binary oppositions 'East' and 'West' were constructed during the time of colonisation. According to Kipling's poem, however, “there is neither East nor West“ (l. 3). Using the terms 'East' and 'West' as binary oppositions goes back to the Western perception of the East as “Other“ or “exotic“. By defining the East as such a “contrasting image“ (Said, p. 2) a justification of colonial attempts was made. "East is East" breaks these ethnic stereotypes and therefore rewrites the time of colonisation as a postcolonial discourse. Although George sticks to 'his own' traditions he has already assimilated to the British culture, as he has married Ella, a British woman with Irish roots.
References
Kipling, Rudyard. Rudyard Kipling’s Verse: Inclusive Edition, 1885-1932. “The Ballad of East and West” London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1933.
Said, Edward W. Orientalism. London: Penguin Books, 1991.
Sander, Daniel. “Klischee ist Klischee“. Spiegel Online. http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/kino/der-film-west-is-west-als-nachfolger-von-east-is-east-startet-a-838650.html (accessed June 25, 2017).