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cocopopsmonkey 's review for:
Black Skin, White Masks
by Frantz Fanon
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Unlike other collections of essays/theoretical analyses, this book read very linear, with no pauses or moments of disconnect in between. Fanon's prose is very easy to parse and he explains his theories & ideas succinctly, without room for misappropriation or intentional misinterpretation. His language is also very light at times, I found myself smiling or laughing at the way he challenges his perceived naysayers who, I suppose, would seek out his work to disagree with his conceptualisation of Blackness as a lived experience.
The first chapter, the chapter that deals with Language, had me thinking about AAVE and BBE and how it has become a mainstay of modern Black culture; in contrast to the experience of those who lived in the French territories. The concept that he who conquers the language conquers the culture/very existence of the nation they speak the language of gave me a stronger understanding of my own experience having grown up in a different country and often experiencing being "granted" the nationality of the country I was raised in, for my ability to speak the language like a native.
For as much as I enjoyed the book and Fanon's writings, it falls victim to the fact of his career/degree --Psychiatry. While I find his perspective incredibly invaluable, reading about Freud, Jung & Adler got a little tiring a little too quick.
The first chapter, the chapter that deals with Language, had me thinking about AAVE and BBE and how it has become a mainstay of modern Black culture; in contrast to the experience of those who lived in the French territories. The concept that he who conquers the language conquers the culture/very existence of the nation they speak the language of gave me a stronger understanding of my own experience having grown up in a different country and often experiencing being "granted" the nationality of the country I was raised in, for my ability to speak the language like a native.
For as much as I enjoyed the book and Fanon's writings, it falls victim to the fact of his career/degree --Psychiatry. While I find his perspective incredibly invaluable, reading about Freud, Jung & Adler got a little tiring a little too quick.