The Legacy of Colonialism: Exploring Inferiority Complexes in Franz Fanon's Peau Noire, Masques Blancs

Abstract

Franz Fanon’s Peau Noire, Masques Blancs stands as a seminal text in postcolonial studies and psychoanalysis, exploring the psychological impacts of colonialism on the colonized. This article investigates the inferiority complex described by Fanon, focusing on its origins, manifestations, and implications. Fanon’s framework situates the inferiority complex within the socio-historical context of colonization, where racial and cultural hierarchies systematically dehumanize colonized individuals. As Fanon illustrates, language plays a central role in this dynamic, as the colonized subject’s adoption of the colonizer’s language becomes both a means of assimilation and a source of alienation (Fanon, 1952, p. 16). The article further examines Fanon’s critique of internalized racism and the mythologizing of whiteness, as articulated through his analysis of relationships and societal interactions (Fanon, 1952, p. 30). Drawing on interdisciplinary approaches—postcolonial theory, psychoanalysis, and sociology—this study situates Fanon’s insights within contemporary discussions on systemic racism and identity. It argues for the continued relevance of Peau Noire, Masques Blancs in addressing the psychological legacies of colonialism and offers pathways toward psychological liberation and racial equity. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how historical structures of oppression shape individual and collective psyches, providing a foundation for transformative practices in education, policy, and community-building.

Keywords: Franz Fanon, colonialism, inferiority complex, postcolonial studies, psychological alienation, systemic racism, racial identity.