The Wretched of the Earth

by

Frantz Fanon

Algerian War of Independence Term Analysis

A war fought between France and the National Liberation Front from 1954 to 1962, which ended in Algeria’s liberation from French rule. Fanon joined the National Liberation Front after moving to Algeria in 1954, and he mentions the war several times in The Wretched of the Earth, often using Algeria and the war as an example of the effects of colonialism.

Algerian War of Independence Quotes in The Wretched of the Earth

The The Wretched of the Earth quotes below are all either spoken by Algerian War of Independence or refer to Algerian War of Independence. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Colonialism, Racism, and Violence Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1: On Violence Quotes

In its bare reality, decolonization reeks of red-hot cannonballs and bloody knives. For the last can be the first only after a murderous and decisive confrontation between the two protagonists. This determination to have the last move up to the front, to have them clamber up (too quickly, say some) the famous echelons of an organized society, can only succeed by resorting to every means, including, of course, violence.

Related Characters: The Colonized, The Colonists/Colonialists
Page Number: 3
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4: On National Culture Quotes

The colonized intellectual should not be concerned with choosing how or where he decides to wage the national struggle. To fight for national culture first of all means fighting for the liberation of the nation, the tangible matrix from which culture can grow. One cannot divorce the combat for culture from the people’s struggle for liberation. For example, all the men and women fighting French colonialism in Algeria with their bare hands are no strangers to the national culture of Algeria. The Algerian national culture takes form and shape during the fight, in prison, facing the guillotine, and in the capture and destruction of the French military positions.

Related Characters: The Colonized
Page Number: 168
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5: Series A Quotes

Today I can tell just which stage the interrogation has reached by the sound of the screams. The guy who has been punched twice and given a blow behind the ear has a certain way of talking, screaming, and saying that he is innocent. After he has been hanging by his wrists for two hours, his voice changes. After the bathtub, a different voice. And so on. But it’s after the electricity that it becomes unbearable. You’d think he was going to die at any moment.

Related Characters: A (speaker), The Colonists/Colonialists
Page Number: 195
Explanation and Analysis:
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Algerian War of Independence Term Timeline in The Wretched of the Earth

The timeline below shows where the term Algerian War of Independence appears in The Wretched of the Earth. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5: Colonial War and Mental Disorders
Colonialism, Racism, and Violence Theme Icon
Oppression and Mental Health Theme Icon
...will suffer many wounds. This chapter, Fanon says, explores the mental disorders suffered during the Algerian War . The reader may find it strange that this book involves psychiatry case files. “There... (full context)
Colonialism, Racism, and Violence Theme Icon
Oppression and Mental Health Theme Icon
...means a specific situation triggered the psychotic event. In this case, the trigger is the Algerian War . (full context)
Chapter 5: Series D
Colonialism, Racism, and Violence Theme Icon
Oppression and Mental Health Theme Icon
Along with mental illnesses, the Algerian War also causes “a pathology of the entire atmosphere in Algeria.” This widespread trauma leads to... (full context)