here is the summary and analysis, feel free to use this to follow along

This chapter is by far my favorite and the most interesting chapter. It is very much detached from the rest of the work, so if you are not caught up with the reading feel free to skip ahead to this one. Once again, I will be leaving the discussion open. Feel free to highlight your favorite parts, ask questions, put in your favorite questions. Try to respond to one other person's comment. Great work comrades for everyone who has completed the reading and keep it going to everyone getting caught up!

English translation by Richard Philcox – https://ia801708.us.archive.org/3/items/the-wretched-of-the-earth/The Wretched Of The Earth.pdf – you'd be reading from page 42 to 311 of this PDF, 270 pages

English translation by Constance Farrington – https://abahlali.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Frantz-Fanon-The-Wretched-of-the-Earth-1965.pdf

Original French text – https://monoskop.org/images/9/9d/Fanon_Frantz_Les_damnés_de_la_terre_2002.pdf

English audio version – https://inv.tux.pizza/playlist?list=PLZ_8DduHfUd2r1OOCtKh0M6Q9xD5RaR3S – about 12h20m – Alternative links

soundcloud audio book english https://soundcloud.com/listenleft/sets/frantz-fanon-the-wretched-of-the-earth

Schedule

8/20/23 - pre-face and chapter one On violence

8/27/23- chapter two Grandeur and Weakness of Spontaneity

9/3/23- chapter three The Trials and Tribulations of National Consciousness

9/10/23- chapter four On National Culture

9/17/23 chapter five Colonial war and Mental Disorders and conclusion

its been a fun ride yall and I will eventually responed to every comment, its been a long week and im getting drunk tonight.

  • AssortedBiscuits [they/them]
    ·
    9 months ago

    This is another one of my favorite chapters. Chapter 5 details Fanon's field work in as a psychologist working with Algerians and French settlers. It's different from the previous chapters which discusses theory. I like this chapter because when Mao said, "no investigation, no right to speak," Mao wasn't talking about reading a bunch of books as investigation but doing actual field work (The title of the article is "Oppose Book Worship" as in books aren't good enough). As a testament to the thoroughness of his field work, Fanon also treated French policemen and made it really obvious that their mental disturbances are completely attributed to them torturing Algerian prisoners. One French torturer went to Fanon because he kept on beating his wife and kids, and he repeatedly beat his wife and kids because he spends his entire day beating Algerian prisoners. Colonization not only dehumanizes the colonized, but also dehumanized the colonizer as well, turning them into inhuman monsters. Part of the chapter also dealt with the way the French would torture Algerians and the PTSD Fanon had to deal with.

    The Conclusion is also very powerful. I'll leave the ending of the conclusion here:

    So, comrades, let us not pay tribute to Europe by creating states, institutions, and societies which draw their inspiration from her.

    Humanity is waiting for something from us other than such an imitation, which would be almost an obscene caricature.

    If we want to turn Africa into a new Europe, and America into a new Europe, then let us leave the destiny of our countries to Europeans. They will know how to do it better than the most gifted among us.

    But if we want humanity to advance a step further, if we want to bring it up to a different level than that which Europe has shown it, then we must invent and we must make discoveries.

    If we wish to live up to our peoples' expectations, we must seek the response elsewhere than in Europe.

    Moreover, if we wish to reply to the expectations of the people of Europe, it is no good sending them back a reflection, even an ideal reflection, of their society and their thought with which from time to time they feel immeasurably sickened.

    For Europe, for ourselves, and for humanity, comrades, we must turn over a new leaf, we must work out new concepts, and try to set afoot a new man.