ORIENTALISM AND MUSLIM STEREOTYPE IN POST-9/11 AMERICAN FICTION: TERRORIST BY JOHN UPDIKE

Abstract

The events of September 11, 2001 significantly influenced Western perceptions of Islam and Muslims, leading to a renewed interest in representations of Muslim identity within literature. This research examines the presence of Orientalist discourse and Muslim stereotyping in John Updike’s novel Terrorist (2006). Drawing primarily on Edward Said’s theory of Orientalism and Homi K. Bhabha’s concept of stereotype, the study investigates how the novel constructs Islam and Muslims through binary oppositions that position the West as civilized, modern, and rational, while portraying Islam as backward, violent, and resistant to modernity.The research explores the ways in which Muslim identity is represented, repeated, and fixed through stereotypical images and narratives. Particular attention is given to the novel’s use of religious references, including quotations from the Qur’an and Islamic teachings, to determine how these references contribute to the portrayal of Muslims and Islam. Through a qualitative textual analysis, the study seeks to identify Orientalist patterns embedded in the narrative and to examine whether these representations reinforce post-9/11 anxieties and fears associated with Islam.The findings are expected to demonstrate that Terrorist reflects several characteristics of Orientalist discourse by constructing Islam as the cultural and ideological opposite of the West and by presenting Muslim identity through recurring stereotypes. The study contributes to ongoing discussions on post-9/11 American fiction, Orientalism, and the representation of Muslims in contemporary literature. It also aims to provide a framework for further research on the relationship between literature, ideology, and cultural representation in the post-9/11 era.