Abstract

Drawing from archival documentation of their long-standing literary relationship, this essay examines the correspondences between the negritude writings of Léopold Sédar Senghor and the assimilationist thought of his literary precursor René Maran. It traces the history of Senghorian negritude as a theory of cultural intermixture or métissage. As Fabre demonstrates, Senghor's ideas about the ethical and political significance of cultural hybridity, which emerged from his intellectual relations with transnational black figures of the 1920s and 1930s, aimed to counter biologically-rooted forms of racial essentialism with a notion of blackness—what Senghor referred to as the "black soul"—considered as a set of cultural properties.

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 call

Disclaimer: 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.