Between the Occident & the Orient: The Imperial World in the Mind of Sidney Gulick 1900-1935

Abstract

This project involves the complexities of perceptions between Japanese and American cultures during the early 20th century, primarily through the eyes of Sidney Gulick, an American missionary who worked and lived in Japan for decades of his life. The goal was to bring a more modern understanding of the relationships and tears between Japan and the western world during that period and explore how even the greatest minds of a generation may still fall prey to some biases of their enironment. This has been done through analysis of primary texts predominantly by American author Sidney Gulick, who was considered exceptionally familiar with Japanese cultural practices. How he described his observations and interactions with the Japanese people during different events within the early 201h century gives enlightening examples of world attitudes during that time.