Applying Fanonian Lens to Examine Memory and Trauma in Selected Works from East Asia and South East Asia

Abstract

This research adopts a Fanonian framework to analyze the cultural and communal effects of war and colonialism in selected texts from East and South East Asia. This paper argues that though Fanon’s theories are framed based on the experiences of colonized African subjects (Fanon 1986), they resonate deeply with the turbulent histories of Vietnam, South Korea and Philippines. Narrated from the perspective of women’s civilian experiences, the novels highlight how these nations faced intense cultural erasure, violence and collective trauma under various colonial powers.

In order to understand gendered perspectives of war, the article examines The Mountains Sing by When the Rainbow Goddess Wept (1994) by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, The Mountains Sing (2021) by Nguyen Phan Que Mai and The Island of Sea Women (2020) by Lisa See. The analysis explains how colonialism forces the colonialized subject to abandon their ethnic identity and mimic the colonizer for survival (Fanon 1963, p.58). Fanon’s arguments claim that a reclamation of the culture and memory is possible through counter-narratives that resist colonial hegemony.

Finally, the article aims to conclude that the application of the Fanonian lens to these Asian contexts, in understanding the lasting effects of colonial violences perpetuated in the selected countries. The study concludes by depicting that gynocentric narrations form an essential part of the decolonialization process and helps in the reclamation of the fractured identity.