Inventorying the Self: Nafssiya, Elaboration, Recursive Humanism

This chapter begins with a discussion of a key section of Edward Said’s introduction to Orientalism, the section titled “the personal dimension.” The influence of Antonio Gramsci is noted towards appreciating why Said was keen to reflect on his life experience. The concept nafssiya is applied to his reading of George Eliot’s novel Daniel Deronda, first published in serial form in 1876. Gramsci’s notion of “elaboration” is discussed in respect of Said’s development of the term, especially in his work on musical performance. Said’s somewhat ambivalent application of humanist critique is addressed in the last section, drawing on some of the secondary literature that has been critical of his employment of the term, especially in Orientalism.