The Wretched of the Earth

by

Frantz Fanon

The ruling class of a capitalist society. They own most of society’s wealth, and in the case of the colonized in The Wretched of the Earth, the bourgeoisie drives the national politics.

Bourgeoisie Quotes in The Wretched of the Earth

The The Wretched of the Earth quotes below are all either spoken by Bourgeoisie or refer to Bourgeoisie. 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 3: The Trials and Tribulations... Quotes

Since the bourgeoisie has neither the material means nor adequate intellectual resources such as engineers and technicians, it limits its claims to the takeover of businesses and firms previously held by the colonists. The national bourgeoisie replaces the former European settlers as doctors, lawyers, tradesmen, agents, dealers, and shipping agents. For the dignity of the country and to safeguard its own interests, it considers it its duty to occupy all these positions. Henceforth it demands that every major foreign company must operate through them, if it wants to remain in the country or establish trade.

Related Characters: The Colonists/Colonialists, The National Bourgeoisie, The Urban Proletariat
Page Number: 100
Explanation and Analysis:

The struggle against the bourgeoisie in the underdeveloped countries is far from being simply theoretical. It is not a question of deciphering the way history has judged and condemned it. The national bourgeoisie in the underdeveloped countries should not be combated because it threatens to curb the overall, harmonious development of the nation. It must be resolutely opposed because literally it serves no purpose. Mediocre in its winnings, in its achievements and its thinking, this bourgeoisie attempts to mask its mediocrity by ostentatious projects for individual prestige, chromium-plated American cars, vacations on the French Riviera and weekends in neon-lit nightclubs.

Related Characters: The National Bourgeoisie
Page Number: 120
Explanation and Analysis:
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Bourgeoisie Term Timeline in The Wretched of the Earth

The timeline below shows where the term Bourgeoisie appears in The Wretched of the Earth. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: On Violence
Colonialism, Racism, and Violence Theme Icon
Decolonization, Neocolonialism, and Social Class Theme Icon
...as nepotism, and it causes them to question the very point of independence. The colonialist bourgeoisie has convinced colonized intellectuals that Western values are supreme, Fanon says, but those values have... (full context)
Colonialism, Racism, and Violence Theme Icon
Decolonization, Neocolonialism, and Social Class Theme Icon
The colonialist bourgeoisie has convinced the colonized intellectuals that they must exert individualism and that there is wealth... (full context)
Colonialism, Racism, and Violence Theme Icon
Oppression and Mental Health Theme Icon
Decolonization, Neocolonialism, and Social Class Theme Icon
...to the culture of their oppressors—the colonists—the colonized intellectuals have had to assimilate to colonialist bourgeoisie thinking and are thus always in danger of becoming “demagogues.” The colonized intellectual is a... (full context)
Colonialism, Racism, and Violence Theme Icon
Oppression and Mental Health Theme Icon
Decolonization, Neocolonialism, and Social Class Theme Icon
...according to Fanon, only the peasantry is truly revolutionary. In a colonial situation, the colonist bourgeoisie convince the colonized intellectuals and business elite that nonviolence is in everyone’s best interest, but... (full context)
Colonialism, Racism, and Violence Theme Icon
Decolonization, Neocolonialism, and Social Class Theme Icon
The colonist bourgeoisie calm the colonized with religion, and the colonized are given saints who forgave trespassing as... (full context)
Chapter 1: On Violence in the International Context
Colonialism, Racism, and Violence Theme Icon
Capitalism, Socialism, and the Third World Theme Icon
Decolonization, Neocolonialism, and Social Class Theme Icon
The national unity of European countries was developed when their bourgeoisies had most of the wealth. With the exception of England, European nations were in about... (full context)
Chapter 3: The Trials and Tribulations of National Consciousness
Decolonization, Neocolonialism, and Social Class Theme Icon
In a newly independent nation, the national bourgeoisie takes power after the exit of the colonial power, but the bourgeoisie is underdeveloped and... (full context)
Colonialism, Racism, and Violence Theme Icon
Decolonization, Neocolonialism, and Social Class Theme Icon
As they are underdeveloped like their nation, the national bourgeoisie knows nothing about actual economics. Their knowledge is purely theoretical, and the economy they support... (full context)
Decolonization, Neocolonialism, and Social Class Theme Icon
The national bourgeoisie, like the Western bourgeoisie, develops an economy based on tourism, including “exoticism, hunting, and casinos.”... (full context)
Decolonization, Neocolonialism, and Social Class Theme Icon
The inadequacies of the national bourgeoisie are not limited to only economics. They achieve power through biased nationalism and incite race... (full context)
Colonialism, Racism, and Violence Theme Icon
Decolonization, Neocolonialism, and Social Class Theme Icon
From the beginning, the national bourgeoisie is concerned with intermediate activities. So, in order to lift the nation toward progress, the... (full context)
Colonialism, Racism, and Violence Theme Icon
Decolonization, Neocolonialism, and Social Class Theme Icon
...in the developing nations is often a dictatorship used only to hold up the national bourgeoisie. The party is gradually transformed into an intelligence agency, and all opposition parties are rooted... (full context)