Hollywood Fantasies vs Native Realities: The Orient in Stephen Sommers’ The Mummy (1999) and The Yacoubian Building (2002) by Alaa Al Aswany
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Date
2025-07-03
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Université Mouloud Mammeri Tizi Ouzou
Abstract
This research explores the representation of Egypt in Stephen Sommers’ filmThe Mummy
(1999) and Alaa Al Aswany’snovel The Yacoubian Building (2002). It argues that these
works present two opposing lenses: Hollywood fantasy and Egyptian socio-political realism,
through which Egypt is imagined and constructed. Drawing primarily on Edward Said’s
theory of Orientalism (1978), the research examines how The Mummy perpetuates Orientalist
stereotypes that reduce Egypt to a static, exotic backdrop and its people to voiceless figures
serving Western adventure narratives. In contrast, The Yacoubian Building offers a nuanced,
insider perspective that dismantles such essentialist portrayals, portraying Egypt as a
dynamic, diverse society grappling with modern challenges. The findings indicate that
Orientalism remains a powerful force in shaping Western media representations, evolving
with new cinematic forms while maintaining colonial-era assumptions. Furthermore, the
research shows that Hollywood operates not merely as entertainment but as a vehicle of
cultural dominance. The work concludes that resisting Orientalist narratives requires the
promotion of authentic Eastern voices and cultural expressions that reflect the complexity of
their societies and challenge reductive Western portrayals.
Description
66p. ; (+CD-Rom)
Keywords
Stephen Sommers, The Mummy, Alaa Al Aswany, The Yacoubian Building, Hollywood Fantasies, Egyptian realities, Edward Said, Orientlism
Citation
GENERAL AND COMPARATIVE LITERATURE