DISCOURSE ON COLONIALISM: BOOK REVIEW
Aimé Césaire is one of the most influential figures, developing significant anti-colonial literature and movements. Discourse on Colonialism is a manifesto that dissects the meaning of the “third world” and describes the impacts of colonialism on both the colonizer and colonized. The content and structure of Césaire’s work are both so riveting and active, it summons the collective consciousness of all colonized and oppressed peoples.
What instantly stood out to me as I began reading was his approach to writing. Discourse is a surrealist text. Surrealism is essentially a form of story-telling that is not necessarily logical but deeply rooted in images and feelings. By detailing his arguments and observations in a nonlinear way, he is actively deconstructing not only colonial thought but also the way colonialism has impacted the narratives of colonized people. Césaire writes in direct opposition to the typical sequential process of storytelling utilized by the West. He is anti-colonial in both what he says and how he does it.
A common argument I’ve heard in classes is that, despite the violence and destruction caused by colonialism, it was ultimately a necessary and inevitable process. However, right from the start, Césaire makes it clear that civilizations were created with infinite distance between them. This is evident in our modern world, where colonialism has caused so much harm and separation between people and nations that it created a divide so deep that it would take centuries, if even, to undo.
Césaire writes about the dynamics of colonization and flips the narrative. He states that colonialism de-civilizes the colonizer, and that it’s a system to degrade and brutalize him. We often hear the reverse, where colonized peoples are “de-civilized.” However, such a predisposition for violence and aggression actually renders the colonizer as the one that is uncivilized, especially because they are so apt to destabilizing and harming others. This is a crucial portion of Césaire’s piece and responds directly to common claims made by imperialists and colonialists alike. Césaire does not accept the common narrative, he instead addresses the violence and redefines a term that is used incorrectly so often.
Discourse sets the foundation for many contemporary academics. Césaire continues to draw on the prioritization of race over class in combatting these systems of oppression. He dissects the meaning of the “nation” and connects it to the system of capitalism. Césaire paints the conditions of the most oppressed and creates important connections between all these systems. There is so much nuance and attention given to the arguments he makes, and how he writes them out. His work is timeless, necessary, and revolutionary.
