Author(s): Cengiz KARAGÃZ
One of the most distinctive quality of Aime Cesaire is that he aimed to refute the colonialist argument that blacks are inferior sub-human beings while whites are superior to them. He developed his anti-colonialist discourse in which he claimed that blacks have their own virtues which can help them recover themselves from inferiority complex imposed on them by the Western nations. He spoke out his perceptions regarding the brutality and hypocrisy of the colonialist nations in both his theoretical and literary works. This study aims to exhibit Cesaire’s approach to colonialism and to reveal how he deals with it in his plays by discussing his three plays. While he criticizes the colonialist nations’ racist argument against the black race in his writing, he also warns the ex-colonized black nations against the chaotic conditions and local elites that often spring up in the countries which have gained their independence recently. He is one of the founders of Negritude movement where he strove to inspire blacks to be conscious of their meritorious traditional and cultural elements. According to Cesaire, it is possible for black nations to regain their self-confidence and cultural values by constructing a new system through solidarity and struggle.
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