Orientalist Representations in Paul Bowles’Their Heads Are Green and Their Hands Are Blue: Scenes from the Non- Christian World(1963)

Abstract

This dissertation examines the Orientalist representations included in Paul Bowles’ Their Heads Are Green and their Hands Are Blue: Scenes from the Non-Christian World (1963). It aims to argue that Paul Bowles’s portrayal of the exotic lands, as North Africa and the Far East regions, is Orientalist. To achieve our purpose, we have relied on Edward Said’s ideas included in his well know work Orientalism (1978). In the first chapter of the dissertation, we have dealt with the representation of the native people of the Non-Christian world and we have found out that Bowles employs stereotypes to focus on the otherness of the Non-Westerners. The second chapter has been devoted to the thematic study of exoticism within the essays set in the Orient. In this part, we have focused more on Bowles’ stereotypical descriptions of the geographical areas and the different towns. In the third chapter, we have tried to emphasize Bowles’ Orientalist stance by highlighting the idea of his belief in “the Western superiority”. The latter is analyzed in relation to identity, religion and culture. We have concluded that Paul Bowles may be classified as an Orientalist travel writer and that his work Their Heads Are Green and Their Hands Are Blue provides enough evidence about his adherence to western ideology.