Abstract
Frantz Fanon’s thinking—as elaborated everywhere from his early plays to his later dissertations—cuts through wide and complex fields of knowledge, ranging from specialized medicine to basic sociology and philosophy. Yet however great the variety of Fanon’s questions and problems might be in this regard, there is one certain problematic that arguably continues to engage him throughout his entire oeuvre: the question of subjectivation. In Peau noire, masques blancs (1952) this problem could be said to be elaborated through a certain understanding of the notion of the carnival. The concept of carnival, I argue, could even be posited as a sort of nodal point in Fanon’s thinking, relating notions such as language and violence to subjectivation as a continuous or permanent process of individuation and alienation, while at the same time displacing and differentiating our understanding of these concepts within Fanon’s work in general.
Highlights
Frantz Fanon’s thinking—as elaborated everywhere from his early plays to his later dissertations—cuts through wide and complex fields of knowledge, ranging from specialized medicine to basic sociology and philosophy
Great the variety of Fanon’s questions and problems might be in this regard, there is one certain problematic that arguably continues to engage him throughout his entire oeuvre: the question of subjectivation
In Peau noire, masques blancs (1952) this problem could be said to be elaborated through a certain understanding of the notion of the carnival
Summary
Frantz Fanon’s thinking—as elaborated everywhere from his early plays to his later dissertations—cuts through wide and complex fields of knowledge, ranging from specialized medicine to basic sociology and philosophy. “instead of four, six were needed; and when that did not suffice, they were forced, in order to cut off the wretch’s thighs, to sever the sinews and hack at the joints...” The use of sulphur would prove problematic too: “‘The sulphur was lit, but the flame was so poor that only the top skin of the hand was burnt, and that only slightly.’”5 An executioner, allegedly “strong” and “sturdy” was forced to take further measures.6 He “took the steel pincers, which had been especially made for the occasion, and which were about a foot and a half long, and pulled first at the calf of the right leg, at the thigh, and from there at the two fleshy parts of the right arm; at the breasts.” Only after this intervention could the execution continue according to plan, and the boiling potion be poured over each of the wounds, the size of “a six-pound crown piece.”. In what follows the implications of this permanency will be examined through Foucault’s work on the mechanisms behind the western phase out of the “punishment-as-spectacle.”
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
