Part I Vocabulary (40 points)
Briefly define the following technical terms used by the theorists we studied:
Colonized people
Lactification
Phylogeny
Ontogeny
Sociogeny
Inferiority complex
Superiority complex
Zone of being/Zone of nonbeing
Borderlands
Linguistic terrorism
Part II Short Essay (60 points)
On a new clean sheet of paper write a 2 pg. double-spaced paper following the standard format of 12 pt. font, Times New Roman, and one inch margins (no extra spacing between paragraphs, don’t enlarge your margins to take up space or increase the font size to make it seem as if you wrote a lot, I am aware of these tricks). For this part of the midterm do not go over 3 pgs. Part of the aim of the exercise is for you to sort out what is relevant within a large chunk of information and to be concise. Please write clear, non-repetitive, succinct, dense answers to the questions below. Make sure you answer every part of a question so you do not lose points. Also break up your answer into digestible paragraphs that are organized into clear chunks with smooth logical transitions and not one long single spaced paragraph. You want to give your reader a breather. When you answer these questions try and answer them in your own words, with clear examples, and in such a way that someone who never read these philosophers could get a feel for the question and understand an answer to it.
If you have written beyond the 3 pg. limit for the short writing assignment section there are some things you can do to trim it: (a) read it aloud (i.e. yourself or someone else) (b) delete extra words/phrases that do not work to help express what you want to say (c) look for repetitive sentences and delete them. Here are the questions(remember when providing tetxtual evidence you must just include parenthesis and page number, no works cited is needed):
1.(1a)What is the vicious circle Fanon is interested in being liberated from? When you explain the problem of the vicious circle you must weave together the following concepts: colonized people, asymmetrical invisibility, inferiority complex, superiority complex, the zone of being, the zone of nonbeing andlactification. In chapter one Fanon identifies one strategy black colonized subjects of the Antilles try to adopt in order get out of the vicious circle, namely, mastering the French language. (1b)Why does this strategy fail for Fanon? Briefly explain. You must cite 2 distinct pieces of textual evidence indicating why Fanon thinks that strategy fails?
2. (2a) What is linguistic terrorism for Anzaldua and why is it so bad for Anzaldua? You must cite 1 piece of textual evidence to support your explication of this concept. (2b) Who inflicts this linguistic terrorism on her? You must identify at least 3 distinct sources of this linguistic terrorism? (2c) How does Anzaldua resist linguistic terrorism? You must cite 1piece of textual evidence. (2d) How might Anzaldua’s choice to write her book in a mixture of at least 7 languages sidestep the problems with linguistic terrorism she identifies? You must identify 1 reason. (2e) How might Anzaldua’s choice to write her book in the multiple mixed languages break out of the vicious circle identified by Fanon? You must give1 reason. Fanon says in his introduction “However, painful it may be for me to accept this conclusion, I am obliged to state it: For the black man there is only one destiny, And it is white.”(pg. 4) (2f) In what sense might Anzaldua still be white (i.e. still be somewhat snagged in the vicious circle identified by Fanon)? You must give 1 reason.
3.In chapter five, “The Fact of Blackness” Fanon tries to get out of the vicious circle by making 2 attempts at liberation and ends by crying. (3a)What 2 strategies of liberation does Fanon adopt? Identify Fanon’s 2 attempts at liberation. (3b) What is the problem with the 1st attempt according to Fanon? Briefly explain. Fanon then discusses 3 distinct problems that are raised against his 2nd strategy of liberation. (3c)What is the first problem? Briefly explain. You must cite 1 piece of textual evidence to support your explanation. (3d) What is Fanon’s response to diminish the force of the first problem? (3e) What is the second problem? Briefly explain. You must cite 1 piece of textual evidence to support your explanation. (3f) What is Fanon’s response to diminish the force of the second problem? (3g) What is the third problem raised by Sartre? Briefly explain. You must cite 1 piece of textual evidence to support your explanation. After Sartre raises the third problem Fanon breaks down and begins crying.
