Fanon Liberation, and Becoming a “New Man” Flashcards
What is Fanon’s vision for postcolonial subjectivity?
Fanon’s vision for postcolonial subjectivity is deeply radical, aiming not only for political emancipation but for the creation of a “new man” who transcends the colonial legacies of psychological and material domination
How does the “new man” emerge, according to Fanon?
The “new man” does not emerge from a return to a precolonial past, nor from assimilation into Western cultural frameworks. Instead, this subjectivity is forged through rupture, struggle, and the radical re-creation of oneself.
What does liberation require?
a break with both colonial oppression and the illusory forms of self-worth that colonial systems impose
aspirational
What role does desire play in both colonial domination and liberation, according to Fanon?
Under colonialism, the desire of the colonised is manipulated, driving them to aspire to whiteness and the privileges that come with it.
What does Fanon say about the futility of desire under colonialism?
Fanon argues that this desire is ultimately futile. The colonised subject may acquire the language, culture, and manners of the coloniser, but they remain unrecognised, trapped in an identity defined by racial exclusion.
How does Fanon describe the paradox of assimilation in colonialism?
no matter how much one conforms, whiteness remains forever out of reach.
This creates a paradox: the more they try to assimilate, the more their Blackness is affirmed by the system of racialised power.
How does Fanon address the intensity of anti-Black sentiment in Western culture?
refers to the racialised assumptions and prejudices that have been internalised over centuries of colonial violence. these can be transformed into catharsis,
but he rejects the idea that this transformation will look the same across all postcolonial societies.
How does Fanon’s own positionality as a theorist influence his work?
Fanon’s awareness of his own ambiguous position as a theorist educated in the west. Also from Martinique
How does Fanon critique intellectual assimilation in postcolonial intellectuals, referencing Césaire?
The compulsion of colonised individuals to be “white” in order to transcend their marginalised status.
Fanon cites Césaire’s Notebook, in which Césaire claims that he recognised the “white man” he had internalized within himself and choosing to figuratively “kill him” in order to emancipate himself
What is Fanon’s view on the position of Black professionals in colonial societies?
The colonised subject may be elevated to a position of prestige, such as a Black teacher or physician, but this comes with an implicit infantilisation.
Even a Black professional is constantly reminded of their precarious position. “If the physician made a mistake, it would be the end of him and of all those who came after,” Ever present risk of disgrace
How is he optimistic?
In the final pages of Black Skin, White Masks, Fanon offers a burst of optimism, acknowledging the lasting tensions between struggle and freedom. s he writes, “I am endlessly recreating myself.”
This assertion reflects a move toward self-invention, an act of reclaiming agency in a world that has systematically denied him this
Does Fanon remain hopeful despite the grim realities he discusses?
Yes. He calls for the creation of a ‘new man’ - a call for radical self-creation, not bound by structures of the past
What tension does Fanon reveal in his vision of liberation?
The text reveals a tension between the suffering Fanon insists is necessary to achieve freedom, and the unexpected outcome of that struggle: the emergence of a new, liberated subjectivity that transcends historical oppression.
How is Fanon’s concept of self-creation related to Sartre’s existentialism?
This concept of self-creation is in dialogue with a Sartrean notion of self-making — one that is rooted in existential freedom — rather than the traditional Marxist framework of collective struggle.
Fanon, in this moment, imagines a radical break from history, a leap into a future defined by the ability to create oneself.
What does Fanon’s final prayer represent for both himself and the reader?
He questions whether it is possible to recover that lost enthusiasm in a world defined by a racist gaze.
This final prayer is not merely a personal appeal but an invitation to the reader, a call to embrace the possibility of a world where Blackness is not defined by subjugation, but by a radical and ongoing process of self-liberation
What is Fanon’s final prayer in Black Skin, White Masks and its significance?
Fanon’s conclusion is marked by a provocative and almost secular prayer: “Oh my body, always make me a man who questions.”
In this final plea, Fanon reflects on how colonialism amputated the enthusiasm for life and self-creation that should have been natural to him from birth.
What is the ultimate goal in Fanon’s call to action?
a world where racial barriers are broken down and human recognition is mutual.
