Knowledge of the East?: Paul Claudel and the Equivocal Nature of Intercultural Exchange

Claudel’s interest in the East is undeniable, first through his governmental posts in China and Japan, but especially through his poetic work, particularly his experiments with eastern visual and discursive forms. His adaptations, however, can be seen as ambivalent, reminiscent of Orientalist stereotyping. Does he avoid this pervasive western misstep?