Picturing sanity, in black and white

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Literary Criticism
• Postcolonial Studies

Background:

• White supremacy poses a significant challenge to understanding the nature of black health and sanity.
• Existing frameworks may not adequately address the psychological and existential implications of systemic oppression.
• Literary analysis offers a unique lens to explore complex concepts of sanity and illness within oppressive contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the paradoxical question of whether apparent black health and sanity are genuinely healthy within a white supremacist system.
• To delineate the characteristics and mechanisms of 'white sanity' through comparative literary analysis.
• To examine the ethical and existential dimensions of disability metaphors in postcolonial discourse.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of Fyodor Dostoevsky's character, Mr. Golyadkin, to establish norms of sociality and sanity.
• Extension of Golyadkin's case study to Antonin Artaud to further define 'white sanity'.
• Juxtaposition of 'white sanity' concepts with works by African writers (Bessie Head, Véronique Tadjo, Dambudzo Marechera) and an interrogation of Franz Fanon's theories on disability and amputation.

Main Results:

• The study outlines the bounds and mechanics of 'white sanity' by examining violations of sociality in literary characters.
• Readings from African writers challenge and contextualize the concept of 'white sanity'.
• Franz Fanon's metaphorization of disability, particularly black amputation, reveals profound ethical and existential implications.

Conclusions:

• Apparent black health and sanity may be compromised within an inescapable white supremacist framework.
• The study concludes with a complex riddle, suggesting the cyclical and unresolved nature of the initial inquiry.
• Understanding 'white sanity' is crucial for deconstructing the impact of systemic oppression on marginalized identities.