AN ANALYSIS ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORIENTALISM IN PAULO COELHO’S THE ALCHEMIST

Abstract

This research is qualitative research and a documentary method is used to collect the data. This research is divided into two kinds of data, primary data and secondary data. The primary data are taken from Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. The data in this thesis are the selected dialogues and narrative structure. I also use journals, theses, articles, other books and websites as the secondary data in this research. An inductive method is used to analyze the problems. It means that the way of transferring the idea in this analysis is shown from the specific to the general. After discussing this research, it can be concluded that Paulo Coelho represents the orientalism through the representation of the West and the East. This is linear to Edward Said’s orientalism that the West is superior and the East is inferior, backwardness and subordinated. Those constructions are the result of the author’s experiences or his ideological interest in the social environment portrayed in the novel. As what Coelho constructs the East as the subordinated is linear to Said’s orientalism that the West tries to do the practice of viewing the East based on their point of view. In other word, the West tries to stereotype the East. From analyzing the novel, it is not only the representation of the West and the East but also the ideological interest beyond it. Hence, the idea of stereotyping the East by the West discourses is to continue the process of colonialism. Therefore, the reinforcement of their discourses is generally to hegemony even to conquer the Eastern world.