Molly Sabol
Orientalism
Melissa Eppihimer
January 31, 2012

Colonialism diminished the allure of the harem as Grigsby’s quote would suggest. The women of the harem became an object that was passed through the hands of many men similar to the pocket watch she mentions at the end of her article (Grigsby, pg. 86). Before the accessibility to the harem, it was a space that was virtually impenetrable to outsiders and was through this idea of an impenetrable space that the harem was extremely desired and fantasized about. But through colonization, this revealing of men’s fantasy and mystery ultimately caused the “loss” of the harem. Further, the loss of truth in the paintings added to the loss of the harem (Grigsby, pg. 87). By “forgetting” details, the harem becomes lost in a mix of exciting colors, poetry and exotic objects.
This access to the Orient, in general, originally was only through the military. But because of the steam engine, travel was greatly increased (Benjamin, pg. 14). This contributed to the decrease of desire and exclusivity of the harem. Grigsby's quote formulated this idea that the access gained by foreigners to the harem lessened the value of this space because it acted as a commodity, a space that was experienced by as many that wanted it. The harem turned into a place of commerce. Said contributes to this idea as well. He discusses the Orient's "untiring sensuality, unlimited desire" (Said, pg. 188). This parallels Grigsby's quote as it describes the Orient as a place where the "commodity" is never depleted much like an object in demand. This supports the observation of the lost harem as it suggests the overabundance and banality of the harem. Said follows this up when talking about Flaubert. Flaubert remarked, "the more you concentrate on it [in detail] the less you grasp the whole" (Said, pg. 189). Concentrating on the space of the harem and paying specific attention to the details (in contrast with forgetting the details mentioned above) one has the tendency to miss the essence of the harem and it loses the novelty it once possessed. By not taking in the sheer splendor of the space of the harem and relying on the excruciating details to tell the story, the harem as a whole is fragmented and loses its desirability. This absence of the original, impenetrable harem also relates to Nochlin's article The Imaginary Orient. She discusses the absence of history, the absence of brushstrokes, and the absence of work. She suggests that the Orientalist paintings are void of all these things due to the advances of colonization, which ties into the argument that Grigsby makes. Colonization makes the attempt to wipe out the culture of the said colony. Here, the absence of these themes is the effect of imperialism. The domination of one culture over another and, further, the domination of males over females contributes to the loss of the harem. The access to the harem for men meant that there was the possibility to have these women and it threw aside the exclusivity and mystery. Therefore the access to the harem meant the loss of it.