Representation of Fanon’s theory “Black skin, White mask” in short

story “Overcoat”

Hadia Sarfraz roll no 32

Rida Batool roll no 56

Semester 7 section B

Instructor: Dr. Dur-e-Nayab

Department of English
Abstract

This study is exploration of short story “Overcoat” by Ghulam Abbas in the light of Fanon’s
theory “Black skin, White mask”. The study aims at finding the post colonial features in the
story. Analysis prove that the protagonist of this story is alienated, mimic man and hiding his
inner from world. The study Analyze that the society which is represented have features of
colonization in it.

Introduction:

A proposed working definition for post colonialism is that it entails a critical examination of
colonialism’s legacy and current repercussions , both locally in former colonial states and
globally in broader global trends regarded as imperial legacies.

Frantz Omar Fanon, better known by his given name Ibrahim Frantz Fanon, was a French West
Indian . Post colonial studies , critical theory and Marxism have all benefited from the influence
of his writings. Fanon holds controversial thought in high regard but also learning valuable
enlightenment from it. He is especially worried about how a logic of identification would just
promote the Black person to a concept of mankind invented by and based on White person .

Fanon was a groundbreaking philosopher and promoter of postcolonialism who investigated

the emotional consequences of colonialism on colonizer as well as colonized . The domestic
people aspires to be as white as possible in an effort to overcome his emotional inadequacies
by escaping his own culture and embracing Western values, class, faith, and linguistic traditions.
Wearing White mask over black skin to create a dualistic consequence and psychotic
environment is what Fanon refer to as. Additionally ,brutality which is a form of egotism, is an
outcome of colonized’s perception of failure and instability. As in French, blackness is
associated with wicked and immoral. Black people wear white mask by speaking French as they
are associated with white ones and have equal rights in the society.
In the short story “Overcoat” by Ghulam Abbas, two types of classes are presented in a society,
upper class and the lower class. A young man wearing a brown overcoat belongs to lower class
but poses to be part of upper class. As people of lower class pretends to be of upper class by
doing things which are done by people of elite class such as to be well dressed, listening to the
music etc. This all shows the black man wears white mask to look like white people .

Literature review

The concept of Man as his alienated representation, not Self and Other but the “Otherness” of
the self inscribed in the grotesque mosaic of imperial identification (116)

Homi Bhaba is depicted in a nonspeaking position as a colored, racialized “colonial subject” to

add “texture” to the cinematography, claims Isaac Julien, the director of the Frantz Fanon
biopic Black Skin, White Mask (Interview). The mute Bhaba is a cypher, a visible sign of
difference in the philosophical, cinematic, and audio montage that makes up Julien’s meditation
on decolonization (Frantz Fanon [Director’s cut]), in contrast to the articulate postcolonial
critics Stuart Hall and Françoise verges who are extensively interviewed in the film. Bhabha’s
foreword to a 1986 British reprint of Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks, “Remembering Fanon:
Self, Psyche and the Colonial Condition,” was a crucial component of Fanon’s body of work.
Julien’s Fanon is an interstitial image that is put together using a variety of angles of view and is
literally made up of filmic components that are placed in stark juxtaposition to one another. He
appears from speech fragments that have been disassembled and reassembled, much like
Bhabha’s Fanon is depicted in Fanon’s illegible statement, “The Negro is not,” which reveals the
nature of identity by using an ellipsis. More so than the white man, even” (113). The colonial
setting is where the realization that the nature of identity is physically divided and temporally
postponed is most clearly represented.

Analysis

Short Story overcoat Has been written by Ghulam Abbas (1909-1989) popular Urdu writer of
subcontinent who came into prominence as a short story writer. His short stories underlined
the bare realities of human life. Ghulam Abbas stories paradigm of socio realistic fiction. All of
his short stories are complete representation of cultural flavor and real life. He was born in
British Punjab when subcontinent was under colonization. British colonization has had a
profound effect on the minds of people and mindset of society can be determined by its
literature. Colonization leave its various features in roots of culture which can be observed in
literature even after passing many years. Colonization doesn’t only means ruling over territories
but also includes the rule of minds of colonized nation. As English want to make a class of
individuals who mimic English culture and values just like Fanon’s point of view “ Black
skin ,White mask” . Frantz Fanon emphasized the colonial rule as violation of human minds
which cause racialized view of colonizers as superior humans and colonized nations as inferior.
Term “ Mimicry” is used in post colonial literature. In colonial countries colonizers desire their
subjugated to copy them and look like them . It will diminish the distinction between them .

For Homi K . Bhaba Colonial mimicry is the desire for a reformed, recognizable other’s as a
subject of difference that is almost the same but not quite . (Bhaba,1994: 122)

Fanon portrays the French educated man as mimics . “ Black skin, White mask.” Jacques Lacan
compare the mimicry with camouflage as practiced in human warfare. He lists
misrepresentation and menacing as other considerable elements in which imitative activity is
operating. Organisms cannot grab the originality itself but can decode mimetic mottling.

The protagonist of this story portrays the “ Mimic men phenomena.” He is dressed in English
style dressing . He wore scarf and overcoat which is apparently English dressing. English
dressing is considered modern dressing in society. The young man dressed up fashionably so
the word “ Babu Shahab” is used for him which used for colonizers. He uses a few words of
English like “ Thank you” he said to taxi driver who hurried toward him . At another time when
stick fell down he said “ Oh , Sorry” to himself . All this is an endeavor our to look like English
man who considering supercilious by young man and society.

Identity crisis

During the time of colonization ,colonial people undergoes the inferiority complex which insist
them to feel that where colonizer masters are far better than them. Colonized subjects felt
ashamed in owning themselves. They try to stay away from their own culture. Gradually they
start losing their identity. Now the colonization steps into the phase of mental domination.
Mental slavery cause the culture inferiority complex which resulted in self loathing and self
denial . Nations survive when their culture, traditions and language performed continuously
and in this way people sustain their identity. Self identity doubts arouse in subjugated people of
categorized societies. Frantz Fanon said

“let us have the courage to say it outright. It is the racist who create the inferior.” ( Black skin,
White mask) . Colonizers never considered subject equal human . They plant this seed of
inferiority in the minds of people through education. They teach their own culture through
literature and they show their scientific advances to impress colonized people. So in this way
they forget themselves and their identity and attract toward new things . In Overcoat , the
protagonist talks and walks in a way that readers become confuse about his identity even he is
not sure about himself. The identity crisis caused by colonization are evident in this story.
Ghulam Abbas unveiled the dirty face of colonization. The protagonist of this story wore an
overcoat which was very fashionable and elegant by appearance but its internal condition was
as unpleasant as English rule. People were startled when the overcoat of the man remove in
hospital emergency room.

“ when overcoat was taken off only a time worn woolen sweater was found with big holes in it.
From these a moth eaten an untidy undervest was visible . The young man covered the neck
with silk scarf by using such a skill that his Bosom was hidden. His body was covered with filth .”

This is what Fanon said

“ Black skin , White mask” .

Diaspora

It is the sense of alienation. Diaspora is referred to the population of people who are away from
their homeland or geographic origin . They maybe scattered in different regions. It is basically
the sense of alienation which someone experience. The protagonist in this story is alienated
from the environment. It seems that he does not belong to this place but he is pretending to
be. He is trying to hide his detachment. He is not enjoying anything but just trying to look
excellent English man. He only feels pleasure in imitation . He is not taking interest in ongoing
activities around him . He is too isolate and unconcerned that he is not even attracting toward
opposite gender . It can also be assumed that he is killing his nature.

Imitation cause the dissatisfaction because it blurred self identity. In colonized societies
subjugated people become less confident and fell ashamed in practicing their culture and
traditions because they are continuously being insulted by their master who are superior. This
cause a psychological condition and they start hating themselves and trying to be like superiors.
Now they stand between two thinking one is their own and other is which they are copying .
Their inner self is what they are naturally but externally they are different people which cause
stress and anxiety. Such people never express their emotions . Black skin White mask is
dangerous for people as it is shown in “ Overcoat” by Ghulam Abbas .

Discussion:

Black Skin, White Masks was first released in 1952 which was on of the famous writing of Frantz
Fanon. It was published in French . The black people of that time wish to be as white people
and want to have stability in society as blackness is considered as wicked and evil. So people
belonging to black wear masks to pretend like white people.

Similarly in the short story “Overcoat” written by Ghulam Abbas the two classes of society are
presented one Is lower class which is working class and the other one is upper class also known
as ruling class. The writer Ghulam Abbas has shown the lower class as taxi drivers, labourers
and sellers assemble near the restaurants to listen music and strive to be amused and
entertained by orchestra playing at the inner side of restaurant. While people of ruling class go
inside the restaurants to enjoy it. In this story, an unknown young man belongs to lower class
but poses to be of ruling class . He is well dressed by wearing a brown overcoat which is of good
quality and doing all the things which pose him to be from elite class such as to observe the
foreign musical instruments and expensive carpets and gramophone records as he belongs to
the upper class. But at the end, a truck full of bricks hits him while walking on the road and
people take him to the hospital . His reality is revealed when nurses take off his coat. He is a
young man of lower class who wants to be a rich man and pretends like that. It shows that
people want to hide their reality from others because of their inferiority complex. In our
society, the lower class is considered as inferior to the upper class and treated like servants. So
people from lower class pretend to be from elite class so they get equal rights in society.

Conclusion :

From this short story written by Ghulam Abbas, it is concluded that how people of lower class
pose to be from ruling class as they wear white masks over their black skins to hide their reality.
There is a great conflict between the two classes of society. Lower class is considered as they
are slaves of upper class and upper class people are born to rule over them and are considered
as superior . This causes inferiority complex in the minds of lower class people and they want to
be superior so they copy the upper class to be like them . They hide their identification. There is
great difference between their inner personality and the outer appearance. In this way, it is
exactly same as black skin, white masks as said by Fanon. But it is quite immoral and wild act to
conceal what a person is in reality.

References

Ahsan,N. & Tariq, H. (2013). Ghulam Abbas short stories a paradigm of socio-realistic
fiction.International journal of Humanities and Social sciences Inventions. 2 .63-68.

https://www.ijhssi.org/papers/v2(5)/version-5/I256368.pdf

Khan M.M .(2015). Overcoat an Analysis of short story with postcolonial perspective.

https://www.academia.edu/19651834/
Overcoat_An_Analysis_Of_Short_Story_With_Postcolonial_Perspective

Marry,V.M . Fanon Black skin White mask The irreducibility of Black bodies. The CLR James
journal.

23.193-210 https://www.jstor.org/stable/26752153