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The Colonists/Colonialists
Made up of the urban proletariat, the national bourgeoisie is the ruling class of colonial society and the developing nation. The national bourgeoisie live Westernized lives, and they are in constant conflict with the peasant masses, with whom they have nothing in common. After the exit of a colonial power, the national bourgeoisie slips into the place of the colonists and exploits the peasant masses politically and economically. The national bourgeoisie have limited experience and little political wherewithal, and they stand to lose everything through decolonization. They support dictatorships and have zero intention of helping the peasant masses to rise from poverty, widespread hunger, and illiteracy. The national bourgeoisie are wholly damaging to a developing nation, which cannot expect to progress and prosper until the national bourgeoisie are stripped of their ruling power.
The National Bourgeoisie Quotes in The Wretched of the Earth
The The Wretched of the Earth quotes below are all either spoken by The National Bourgeoisie or refer to The National Bourgeoisie. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 2: Grandeur and Weakness of Spontaneity Quotes
The great mistake, the inherent flaw of most of the political parties in the underdeveloped regions has been traditionally to address first and foremost the most politically conscious elements: the urban proletariat, the small tradesmen and the civil servants, i.e., a tiny section of the population which represents barely more than one percent.
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This quote is near the beginning of Fanon’s chapter on newly independent nations, and it is important because it begins to explain how previously colonized countries are vulnerable to neocolonialism and continued oppression even after the colonial power exits, but it also introduces the “mistake” that leads to the national bourgeoisie. Here, Fanon explains in no uncertain terms one of the main reasons as to why a developing country might fail to grow and prosper. In the building of the political parties in the new nation, Fanon claims there is a “great mistake,” an “inherent flaw,” which implies the developing Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic
Chapter 3: The Trials and Tribulations... Quotes
Since the bourgeoisie has neither the material means nor adequate intellectual resources such as engineers and technicians, it limits its claims to the takeover of businesses and firms previously held by the colonists. The national bourgeoisie replaces the former European settlers as doctors, lawyers, tradesmen, agents, dealers, and shipping agents. For the dignity of the country and to safeguard its own interests, it considers it its duty to occupy all these positions. Henceforth it demands that every major foreign company must operate through them, if it wants to remain in the country or establish trade.
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This quote occurs in Fanon’s chapter about the developing nation and neocolonialism, and it is significant because it highlights how dangerous the national bourgeoisie really is to the developing nation. The bourgeoisie in an underdeveloped nation is not the same as in an established capitalist nation. In a developing nation, the bourgeoisie are inexperienced and generally uneducated, and they do not have the means nor the skills to fill this role. The national bourgeoisie, however, which is made up of the urban proletariat—the privileged, educated masses that represent one percent of the population—is qualified, at least on the surface, to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae
The struggle against the bourgeoisie in the underdeveloped countries is far from being simply theoretical. It is not a question of deciphering the way history has judged and condemned it. The national bourgeoisie in the underdeveloped countries should not be combated because it threatens to curb the overall, harmonious development of the nation. It must be resolutely opposed because literally it serves no purpose. Mediocre in its winnings, in its achievements and its thinking, this bourgeoisie attempts to mask its mediocrity by ostentatious projects for individual prestige, chromium-plated American cars, vacations on the French Riviera and weekends in neon-lit nightclubs.
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This passage also occurs in Fanon’s chapter about the developing country and neocolonialism, and it is significant because it highlights the utter useless of the national bourgeoisie. Moreover, it suggests that the national bourgeoisie isn’t merely useless, but also dangerous to the developing nation. Fanon claims these problems with the national bourgeoisie aren’t “simply theoretical,” meaning they represent real problems with real implications and consequences. The national bourgeoisie has not just been handed a negative reputation or bad name from unfair or biased history. No, Fanon says, the national bourgeoisie is absolutely worthless. The national bourgeoisie shouldn’t just be rejected, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis c
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The National Bourgeoisie Character Timeline in The Wretched of the Earth
The timeline below shows where the character The National Bourgeoisie appears in The Wretched of the Earth. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2: Grandeur and Weakness of Spontaneity
...the taxi drivers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, and they are the “bourgeois” of colonial society. This national bourgeoisie is in conflict with the masses. They live Western lives and work Western jobs, and...
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Chapter 3: The Trials and Tribulations of National Consciousness
...to the developing nation. The problems with national consciousness can be overwhelmingly attributed to the national bourgeoisie .
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In a newly independent nation, the national bourgeoisie takes power after the exit of the colonial power, but the bourgeoisie is underdeveloped and...
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The main job of the national bourgeoisie in an underdeveloped country is to reject their status as bourgeois and dedicate themselves to...
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As they are underdeveloped like their nation, the national bourgeoisie knows nothing about actual economics. Their knowledge is purely theoretical, and the economy they support...
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The national bourgeoisie , like the Western bourgeoisie, develops an economy based on tourism, including “exoticism, hunting, and...
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Landowners behave in much the same way as the national bourgeoisie . Soon after independence, the large farmers call for the nationalization of all agricultural holdings....
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Soon after independence, the national bourgeoisie , having struggled against the racism of colonialism, call for the jobs of white lawyers,...
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Africanization and Arabization by the national bourgeoisie is not based in true nationalism. Rather, it is chiefly concerned with transferring power previously...
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The inadequacies of the national bourgeoisie are not limited to only economics. They achieve power through biased nationalism and incite race...
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The national bourgeoisie is also inept in areas of domestic politics. They have no real power, so they...
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Soon, a popular leader is selected to both steady the regime and placate the national bourgeoisie . This “bourgeois dictatorship” is fueled by the presence of a beloved leader, and as...
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...over the national government. The new leader puts a divider between the people and the national bourgeoisie , and then he takes to supporting the bourgeoisie and hiding his efforts from the...
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...festivals and parades on Independence Day. The rebellion has done their part and helped the national bourgeoisie come to power, and now they are no longer needed.
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...increasingly antidemocratic. The police hold everything together, and they are trained by foreign experts. The national bourgeoisie are trained by foreign experts as well, and they take concessions and kickbacks from foreign...
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Opposition to the nationalist party becomes more apparent, and hostility toward the national bourgeoisie grows, but this affects the national bourgeoisie very little. They are concerned only with Europe...
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From the beginning, the national bourgeoisie is concerned with intermediate activities. So, in order to lift the nation toward progress, the...
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...party in the developing nations is often a dictatorship used only to hold up the national bourgeoisie . The party is gradually transformed into an intelligence agency, and all opposition parties are...
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...live in close proximity to them. In order to do all of this, however, the national bourgeoisie must be taken from power.
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In an underdeveloped country, the national effort must always involve the people. The national bourgeoisie will inevitably fail the people, and national politics most often lead to a “dead end.”...
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