Colonial Violence and the Pathologization of the Colonized: A Critical Analysis of Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth

Özet

Franz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth (1963) remains a seminal text in the critique of colonial violence, exploring the physical, structural, and psychological mechanisms through which colonialism dehumanized the colonized. Drawing upon his experience as a psychiatrist in Algeria, Fanon analyzes how colonial systems employed medical institutions, surveillance, and coercive violence to maintain racial hierarchies and social control. The text foregrounds the concept of the “colonized mentality,” illustrating how oppression produces profound psychological and social consequences, including trauma, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. Fanon further interrogates the reciprocal effects of colonial violence, highlighting its impact on both the colonized and the colonizer. By examining the intersections of power, health, and violence, the work demonstrates the entanglement of political domination and medicalization, while advocating revolutionary violence as a necessary tool for decolonization. This review situates Fanon’s analysis within broader discussions on colonialism, structural violence, and postcolonial theory, emphasizing its enduring relevance for scholars in history, political science, African studies, and critical theory.