Beyond Orientalism: Shifting Perceptions in American Cinema

The article explores the evolving representation of Muslims in American cinema, with The Big Sick (2017) as its case study. The article examines how interpersonal relationships and casual conversations set the foundation for the intercultural exchange and the transformation of identity. The study focuses on the evolution of perception within the movie and extends this to the shift in perception of Muslims on a broader global scale. Textual and visual analysis of the movie serves as a research method to study aesthetic and thematic patterns that project evolving cultural assumptions. Breaking away from the traditional post-colonial theoretical assumptions, this article provides a novel conceptual platform to study the representation of Muslims in Western discourses. Building upon Edward Said’s (1978) concept of Orientalism , the article focuses on perception as an evolving process of negotiation rather than of domination. The study concludes that the perceptions of Muslim and American characters evolve within the film, which symbolically mirrors and shapes broader Muslim–West relations. In doing so, the study contributes to American cinematic discourse on Muslims and their overall perception in the West.