Comparing Frantz Fanon And Mahatma Gandhi - 1333 Words

Danielle Patton Final Paper History 1500 to Present December 4th, 2014 When you look back through time at the history of decolonization, there are many names that come to mind, but two that should be focused on are Frantz Fanon and Mahatma Gandhi. Both of these men were strong advocates for anti-colonialism and nationalism. Their attitudes can be described by this quote from Frantz Fanon who said, â€Å"what matters is not to know the world but to change it.† They may have been active during different times in history, but they both took action to see that the countries they represented were run in an anti-colonialistic and nationalistic way. A few questions that may arise though is why did both of these men feel so strongly, what actions did they take to make sure that their countries were run the right way, and what impact did they have on decolonization? To fully understand these men and their actions, understanding what they believed is key. The term nationalism describes both the attitude of someone that takes pride in their nation an d its identity, and the actions that are taken to ensure their country’s autonomy (Miscevic). Most people that have a nationalistic belief feel as though their country should be self-sufficient and maximize their resources. The term anti-colonialism is used to describe an opposition to the term colonialism, but you may wonder what does colonialism mean? Colonialism is a term that describes â€Å"the practice of domination† (Kohn). ThisShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesChinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.2 The Martinique-born psychiatrist, Franz Fanon, represented the colonial city as a bitter contrast in white and black: The settlers’ town is a well-fed town, an easygoing town; its belly is always full of good things. The settlers’ town is a town of white people, of foreigners. . . . The native town is a hungry town, starved of bread, of meat, of shoes, of coal, of light.3 Fanon called for violent revolution; most found the situation more ambivalent. Midcentury