East Vs West; West Vs East; Those vs Us.

East Vs West; West Vs East; those vs Us.

“I always found in myself a dread of the west and a love of the east.” J. Steinbeck

Edward Said, an eminent post-colonial theorist, coined the term Orientalism which describes the binary between the Orient (East) and Occident (West). His binary also referred to as the East/West binary, is the key in the post-colonial theory. Said argued that the Occident could not exist without the Orient, and vice versa. In other words, they are mutually constitutive.

There is the concept, the west is fighting the east for their interests. But here in the novel I will explain the differences; East vs west means, what they do and what we do. In the west, there is a concept, if you want to get married, you can decide it individually. It’s up to the person, if it is stable financially, emotionally, physically and job wise etc. they can get married, reasonably. Contrary, the eastern marriages are completely different from the west, as mentioned in the novel.

           “As I do not approve of Asghar’s friendship with Bundoo. Why you don’t stop him? He is your son too. You could tell him yourself. That is why, I say you should think of his marriage. ’’ (p.8)

Here In east, when a person want to marry, he will start kicking utensils, fighting, and drugs etc.  Again in the novel, it is written:

            “Asghar is now twenty-two, she tells her husband. Its time you thought of his marriage lest the boy starts keeping bad company.” (p.8)

So here, the parents decides Asghar’s marriage, because of the fear of bad company.  They don’t think of his education, humanity. So, this is the eastern philosophy, which is not in the west. In west, the parent advice their sons not to do something wrong. But here, marry it.  That is how we treat the marriage, which is a sacred thing.