The Colonizer and the Colonized

Classic book, polemic at the time of publication, about who the colonizer is, vis-à-vis the colonized, in a symbiotic relation to one another. Great for a further understanding of the psychological and sociological consequences of colonization.

Where Hegel discussed the psycho-social relations between the 'master' and the 'slave,' Memmi turns toward the relations between Colonizer and Colonized. Like Aime Cesaire, Malcolm X, Franz Fanon, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and so many others of the mid 20th century anti-colonial movements, Memmi is interested in exposing the crippling psychological effects of the colonial relationship for all involved. His standpoint as a Jew in the middle of French North Africa allows him an inside/outside perspective which helps him to interpret the worlds of both colonizer and colonized. An exceptional work of anti-colonial theory, this book can open even stubbornly shut eyes.

Memmi captures the contradictions and destructive forces of colonialism from an individual perspective, but more importantly he provides us with a work that transends his subject matter and allows for greater understanding of the manner in which structural and institutional forces of other forms of oppression and inequality affect us today. A classic statement pertaining to the human condition and the potential for liberation.

Albert Memmi wrote many yeras ago this study of the relationship and dynamics between the colonizer and the colonized, but the lessons he imparts unto the reader are of great value to this day. Be it in racist, sexist or politically oppresive conditions, Memmi manages to pinpoint the psychological and social impact upon the individual. Trully a valuable piece of literature.