Representing Others

Representing Others Synopsis

Representing Others examines a diverse range of cultural forms in which white novelists, sculptors, diarists, photographers, ethnographers, travel writers and filmmakers have depicted Native American, African, Pacific and Australian Aboriginal peoples. As they were seen by incoming whites who were themselves strangers to the land, they most often appeared incomprehensible, threatening, 'Other'.

The analyses in this book go beyond simply asking questions about the 'accuracy' or otherwise of a work's representation of the culture under discussion. Although the seven authors conform to no single position and adopt a variety of critical approaches, they share a common concern. These essays all propose that if we are to use our own terms to speak of another culture, we must become aware of the problems involved in the act of representation itself.