The Reformulation of Ethnological Sources and Orientalist Discourse in Bellow’s Henderson the Rain King

When Saul Bellow composed his renowned novel Henderson the Rain King fifty years ago, his undergraduate studies of anthropology under the Africanist Melville Herskovics exerted a significant influence. This paper considers the sources of many of Bellow’s descriptions of East and West African tribes...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAmerican and British Studies Annual Vol. 1
Main Author Christopher E. Koy
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published University of Pardubice 01.12.2008
Subjects
Colonialism
Edward Said
Melville Herskovics
Orientalist discourse
Saul Bellow
Stereotypes
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Summary:When Saul Bellow composed his renowned novel Henderson the Rain King fifty years ago, his undergraduate studies of anthropology under the Africanist Melville Herskovics exerted a significant influence. This paper considers the sources of many of Bellow’s descriptions of East and West African tribes in the novel. Where Bellow diverts from these sources, his changes will be considered in light of Edward Said’s concept of ”Orientalist discourse” as set out in Orientalism.
ISSN:1803-6058
2788-2233