"Said"

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I saw a tweet today discussing how the University of Tokyo had a test question where "Said" was the answer. The person who tweeted about it said, "I was moved by how politically and intentionally Tokyo University's questions were designed," but I was first surprised it could be interpreted that way.

At the same time, I was surprised by the way the question was posed. This was because questions were typically in a simple question-and-answer format, such as "Who is often referred to as the 'father of modern painting' due to his significant influence on 20th-century art, including Cubism, as a post-Impressionist painter?"—questions anyone could answer easily.

I knew Said during my master degree when I was interested in Orientalism in paintings. I remember well because I had to order a Japanese version of his book from Japan. (I couldn't understand his writings in Chinese at all.) It's impressive that teenagers need to know about Said for the Tokyo University entrance exam, but I wonder if they will delve deeper into Said in the future. Of course, depending on their major, it might be discussed, but some who learn about Said in a simple question-and-answer format may never encounter him again.

As mentioned above, some people find significant meaning in this question. And those who will become Tokyo University students in the future or are studying to become one will remember Said as one of the historical figures. I haven't read all of his writings yet. I'm going to read a little before bed tonight.