Swami Vivekanandas revisionary ambitions: Consequences of the incorporation of orientalist discourses or the influence of western colonial discourses

It is asserted that Vivekananda, regarded by many Americans and British as both a spiritual and intellectual equal, utilized his physical attributes and rhetorical prowess to reframe the Indian subcontinent's subservient relationship with the West. However, Vivekananda participated in the very lectures he attempted to disprove. As a culturally diverse and intellectually composite figure, Vivekananda exemplifies the predicament of the colonial subject, who had to navigate an ambiguous and transitional stance between cultures. The history of British domination in the Indian subcontinent highlighted the inequity that Vivekananda sought to eradicate, while modern discourses asserting insurmountable distinctions between the two cultures hinted at this same unfairness. This internal conflict is also visible in Vivekananda's life, illustrating the dilemma of colonial subjects. His persona and ideology comprised several cultural components, yet the society he was part of hindered his ability to balance these influences. It is evident that he struggled with the psychological effects of his dual cultural identity and was reluctant to identify as solely Indian or Western.   Key words: East and west, colonialism, orientalism, essentialism.