Issues of Cultural (Mis)Representations in Lord Byron's The Giaour: Fragment of a Turkish Tale (1813)

Abstract

Abstract: Cultural representations of other cultures and people is a rich theme in literature. Throughout ages, literature has functioned as an expression and reflection of humanity, human behaviors and perceptions, and has stood  as a valuable source of knowledge, understanding and interacting with other cultures and people. However, such understanding might sometimes be blurred by lack of enough knowledge of the ‘other’ that ultimately results in (mis)representations of other cultures and people belonging to that culture.

When either the East or the West comes under the influence of ‘us the superior’ and ‘them the inferior’ then misrepresentation is bound to occur. One clear example of this cultural discrepancy is the West and the East through different historical periods starting from the Dark Ages to the present time. Literature and men of letters are expected to represent other cultures and people in a true and objective way to boost mutual understanding of each other, particularly in the age of globalism and emerging issues of global concern that bring humanity together more than ever before.

The present research discusses issues of cultural representations and misrepresentations in The Giaour by the major British writer Lord Byron. The research methodology used in this study is qualitative: the text is thematically analyzed focusing on cultural mis/representations in The Giaour. As described by Lord Byron, The Giaour is a Turkish tale poem. In The Giaour, there are two main characters; the Giaour, a Christian, and Leila, an Ottoman slave girl. Both had an illicit relationship that was deemed to be socially unacceptable as both major characters belong to different cultures. Byron’s treatment of the incident reflects a lack of sufficient understanding of the Eastern culture that was not deliberate. In addition, there were some examples of contradictions between Byron’s personal perceptions versus an established social norm of the other culture. Thus, there is a need for correct and mutual understanding of cultures to avoid misrepresentations. If such a practice might be understandable, it can by no means be accepted from a well renowned writer like Byron.