Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Frantz Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.
The Wretched of the Earth: Introduction
The Wretched of the Earth: Plot Summary
The Wretched of the Earth: Detailed Summary & Analysis
The Wretched of the Earth: Themes
The Wretched of the Earth: Quotes
The Wretched of the Earth: Characters
The Wretched of the Earth: Terms
The Wretched of the Earth: Symbols
The Wretched of the Earth: Theme Wheel
Brief Biography of Frantz Fanon
Historical Context of The Wretched of the Earth
Other Books Related to The Wretched of the Earth
- Full Title: The Wretched of the Earth
- When Written: 1961
- Where Written: Algeria
- When Published: 1961
- Literary Period: Postcolonial
- Genre: Nonfiction
- Setting: The Third World
- Antagonist: European colonialism
- Point of View: First Person
Extra Credit for The Wretched of the Earth
Racism Abroad. As a soldier during World War II for the Free French forces, Fanon was forced to endure cruel and endless racism. After Fanon and a group of black soldiers liberated a group of white European women, the women refused to dance in celebration with the black men who saved them and chose instead to dance with white enemy prisoners.
Lost in Translation. Fanon’s work was originally written in French, and English translators have long since disagreed on the translation of his work. Some early translations are riddled with errors, and some scholars believe that Fanon’s work has been misrepresented because of these mistakes. This misrepresentation has led to Fanon’s image as a proponent of violence, while his true message of decolonization and unity is lost.