Violence and Manichaeism: A Literary Reading of Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth

This blog task is given by Trivedi Megha Ma'am . It is about Franz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth.Let's discuss about it.

1) What is the role of violence in colonialism with reference to The Wretched of the Earth?

In The Wretched of the Earth, Fanon radically reframes the discourse on violence. He contends that colonialism is not merely an administrative or economic system but a fundamentally violent one, and therefore, the act of decolonization is inevitably violent. Unlike traditional critiques that see violence as an unfortunate side-effect of struggle, Fanon positions it as structurally embedded in the colonial experience.

Colonial violence manifests on three levels:

Physical – Through police, military, forced labor, land dispossession, and punitive expeditions, the colonized are systematically subdued. The daily realities of occupation—curfews, beatings, and massacres—normalize fear and submission.

Psychological – Colonization imposes a traumatic inferiority complex. The colonized are conditioned to see themselves as lesser beings, incapable of autonomy, while the colonizer internalizes moral and cultural superiority. This dual psychological conditioning ensures the longevity of colonial dominance without constant overt confrontation.

Symbolic/Cultural – Cultural erasure, control over education, and the marginalization of indigenous knowledge systems reinforce the colonized’s subordination. Even art, literature, and language are weaponized to assert the colonizer’s worldview as universal and objective.

Fanon asserts that violence by the colonized is restorative. It is a means of reclaiming humanity, not merely a tactical choice. The act of resistance has a therapeutic dimension: it purges internalized inferiority and transforms the collective consciousness. Here, violence is both revolutionary and existential—it challenges the imposed moral and social hierarchies, creating a psychological and material space for a new, autonomous society.

Analytically, Fanon’s insight is profound because he links structural, psychological, and symbolic forms of violence. Decolonization, then, is not only a transfer of political power but a total upheaval of a system built on normalized brutality. Fanon’s work challenges pacifist or reformist approaches by showing that colonial structures cannot be dismantled without confronting the violence at their core.

2. Manichaeism in the Colonial Context :

Fanon’s concept of Manichaeism offers a psychological and epistemological lens to understand colonial hierarchies. In Manichean colonial societies, the world is divided into absolute binaries: colonizer/colonized, civilized/savage, superior/inferior. These binaries are not accidental metaphors but operational tools that legitimize domination.

 Manichaeism functions on multiple levels:

Moral Absolutism :

The colonizer’s morality is positioned as universal, while the colonized is denied ethical or cultural legitimacy. Every act of resistance is morally delegitimized; obedience is equated with righteousness.

Social Structuring :

Manichean binaries create rigid hierarchies: urban/rural, educated/uneducated, rich/poor, male/female. These distinctions are internalized and reproduced within the colonized community, creating a culture of compliance and self-policing.

Psychological Entrapment 

 By framing existence as a struggle between good (colonizer) and evil (colonized), the colonized internalizes oppression. Fanon highlights how this psychic violence is as potent as physical violence, producing self-alienation, inferiority complexes, and dependence on the colonizer for recognition and legitimacy.

Decolonization, in this context, is not merely about expelling the colonizer; it is about dismantling the Manichean worldview. Fanon implies that the struggle must be both material and symbolic: the colonized must assert autonomy in their institutions, cultural practices, and self-perception to escape the binary trap.

Critical insight: 

Manichaeism shows that colonial oppression is totalizing, shaping not just political structures but consciousness, morality, and social interactions. The link to violence becomes clear: revolutionary action is needed to break the binary, restore dignity, and reconstruct social reality.

Synthesis – Connecting Violence and Manichaeism

When analyzed together:

• Violence addresses the structural and psychological oppression created by Manichean divisions.

• Manichaeism explains why colonial domination is so pervasive—it creates a worldview that justifies inequality and subjugation.

Fanon’s framework shows that decolonization is both an internal and external struggle: a physical confrontation with oppressive systems and a cognitive and moral confrontation with the binaries they enforce.

Fanon’s genius lies in connecting psychology, culture, and political action. Decolonization is transformative not only in territorial or political terms but also in the human imagination and consciousness, dismantling the violent, dualistic logic of colonial power.

Conclusion:

In The Wretched of the Earth, Fanon transforms abstract theory into literary experience. Violence is not merely a social or political reality—it is literaryized as catharsis, drama, and moral reckoning. Manichaeism is not just a conceptual framework—it is a structural device that dramatizes colonial dualism in space, language, and psychology. Together, these concepts illustrate the interdependence of literary technique and political philosophy in Fanon’s writing: the colonial world is both analyzed and performed, and decolonization is imagined as both ethical revolution and narrative transformation.

Through this literary lens, Fanon’s work transcends conventional political theory, demonstrating that the power of language, imagery, and structure can convey the deep truths of oppression, resistance, and human liberation.

References :

  Abedin, Zaynul. “Manichaeism in Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth: Its Implications for Postcolonial Nations.” Philosophy and Progress, vols. LXXI–LXXII, Jan.–Dec. 2022, pp. 154–177.

  Castelli, Alberto. “Liberation Through Violence in Fanon’s the Wretched of the Earth: Historical and Contemporary Criticisms.” Peace &Amp Change, vol. 47, no. 4, Aug. 2022, pp. 325–40, doi:10.1111/pech.12554.

                                      

        Frant Fanon, “Concerning Violence,” From THE WRETCHED OF THE EARTH. hyle.mobi/Reading_Groups/Concerning%20Violence,%20Frantz%20Fanon.

  “Manichaeanism Analysis in the Wretched of the Earth | LitCharts.” LitCharts, share.google/ia7gQOcJjZpkG4AdW.

                    

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