This quote explains how being colonized profoundly damages a person's sense of self and who they are. It highlights the psychological harm beyond just physical or economic exploitation, making it hard for individuals to know their true identity.
Quote by Albert Memmi: “The most serious amputation suffered by the colonized is the one that attacks his identity.”
The most serious amputation suffered by the colonized is the one that attacks his identity.
Insight
Historical Context
Published after Tunisia's independence from French rule, this work provided a foundational analysis of the psychological and social impacts of colonialism on both the colonized and the colonizer.
About the Author
Tunisian-French writer and sociologist whose 1957 work The Colonizer and the Colonized became a foundational text of postcolonial theory. Born into a Jewish family in Tunis under French rule, he analyzed the psychological damage done to both colonizer and colonized.
View all quotes by Albert Memmi