a comparative reading of the crusades and america's post 9/11 literature: terrorist and the falling man - two american novels

following the 9/11 attacks in 2001, several novels were published dealing directly or indirectly with the effects of the event on individuals- both inside and outside of the united states. though the novels often claim to deal with the post traumatic aftermath of the incident, writers have adhered to orientalist stereotyping and it seems that after 9/11 such attitudes towards muslims and arabs have become stronger, strengthening even the dominant orientalist discourse. this paper shall focus on john updike's terrorist and don delillo's falling man. both novels were new york times' bestsellers and both novelists are prominent figures in contemporary american literature. although the european culture is the place to look for orientalism and its roots, the mid 20th century and early 21st century saw a rise in orientalist approaches in the us, where these attitudes were promoted thereon. this article seeks to study how the named authors have represented muslims and their ideologies. the significant point is that although these novels have been written in the 21st century and there has been an increase in contact with and information about muslims, these writers have often used the same clichés and stereotypes about muslims that have existed since the middle ages.