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Aime cesaire, Notebook of a Return to the Native land and Oswald de Andrade Murderous Humanitarianism. The theme of this essay is to examine positions and dreams of Aime Cesaire and Jose Oswald De Sousa Andrade for a different kind of life, as they emerge from the text comparing them with my own dreams. Aime Cesaire, a well-known poet from Basse-Pointe, Martinique, was born on June 25, 1913. He was a progenitor of the Negritude movement and almost all his words were dedicated to the theme of freedom.
He is known as a black man who changed the world. His poem Cahier d'un Retour au Pays Natal (Notebook of a Return to My Native Land) is not an exception. Another poet, Jose Oswald De Sousa Andrade (1890 - 1953), the leader of Brazilian Modernistas, also represents a revolution for a time. He is definitely known for his militant strength of mind. Both of them recall to themes of freedom, equity and decolonization. They are sure that policy of decolonization was profitable to those politicians who manipulated by ayes and noes.
The republic meant quantity of ayes and noes, whereas nation considered it as justice. When nations of former colonies became independent, they received right to choose the politicians, whereas they considered that they received justice. Colonialism wasnt able to provide nation with political equity, it could only give the equity before the law. So I agree with both poets that policy of colonialism was evil. Oswald also keeps his balance between politics and art, between poetry and struggle for equity and freedoms. He focuses attention on traditions of justice and liberty.
Oswald appeals to become free of all bourgeois ideologies and urges to emancipation of proletariat. Jose Oswald De Sousa Andrade detested and criticized the idea of nationalism, comparing it with a cancer (1944) and provoked anger and antipathy of Vargas. In his other work, Anthropophagous Manifesto, Oswald De Sousa Andrade speaks about cannibalism and proposes as well as aboriginals to eat enemies to absorb their best qualities, the intellectuals and artists should absorb the foreign influence to create a new Brazilian art as combination of old and new traditions. Oswald de Andrade examines cannibalism as a metaphor of national identity and equity of world cultures.
The concept of cannibalism, being understood as embodiment of other enlightenment project, is its compound part, so-called underside of art and policy. De Andrade criticizes enlightened rationalism, but wants to include it in project of constructing national identity. He writes about differences that appeared because of different social and political contexts. I support his theory, - in such a way, the contemporary finds himself in the role of tourist that is able to absorb alien culture to assimilate it with his own experience and conscience. Cahier d'un Retour au Pays Natal contains the brightest expression of Afro-American affirmation. Cahier d'un Retour au Pays Natal has become an anthem of black people throughout the world: where is the healer to suck with thick lips the obstinate secret of the poison at the root of the open wound?
where's the gentle witch-doctor to unwind from your ankles the clammy warmth of the deadly iron rings? You are here and I will not make my peace while the world is on your backs (Cesaire, Aime, 2001, p. 37) What his dreams were about? Aime Cesaire spoke in support of black race, a scattered population all over the world. He didnt like the way France oppressed its colonies and dreamed about freedom in general and freedom for blacks in particular. Aime Cesaire rejected the roles of slaves. He was sure that no race has all the beauty, intelligence and strength there is room for all the meeting-places of victory we know now that the sun moves round our earth lighting the piece of land that we alone have chosen (Cesaire, Aime, 2001, p. 39) Aime Cesaire's dreams deal with themes of black identity, decolonization, power and freedom.
Oswald de Andrade also recalls the theme of colonialism and liberty. In the second part of Pau-Brazil, Poemas da colonizacao, he focuses attention on colonization. Oswald de Andrade also speaks about colonization in his Erro de portugues: Quando o portugues chigoe/ Debaixo de uma but china/ Vestiu o indio/ Que pena! The works of both poets embody a cri de coeur against history and poverty. I agree with Aime Cesaire and consider that a man must have freedom to determine his own fate. I support liberal ideology and my dreams are closely related to Aime Cesaire's dreams.
His poem, evidently, appeared as reaction to French authoritarian regimes: For centuries this country repeated that we are brute beasts; that the human heart-beat stops at the gates of the black world (Cesaire, Aime, 2001, p. 46) Im firmly convinced that modern society based on libertarian doctrines can reach maximum welfare for society in general. Im sure that modern society should declare dignity, value of each man and justice. It should propagate compassion as well as equity in human relations, regardless of the color of skin. My dreams are based on principle of equality or relative equality. I consider that something should be done to correct mistakes of inequality as a result of current situation.
Aime Cesaire has the same dreams and expresses them in his Cahier d'un Retour au Pays Natal. He speaks about trivial things that are easy to understand. Some words mean goods such as peace, equity, friendship, democracy some of them embody bad things such as evil, crime, cruelty, war, colonization, inequity, etc. He speaks about the most important principle: people are much more important than government is. My position coincides closely with his dreams.
I do consider that nation is more important than ideology or government. I think that the main criteria for priorities defining welfare of any government are equity and guaranty of liberties. My dreams are concerned with freedom so much, because I live in America. We know that America is often associated with freedom.
Some historians and sociologists consider that American citizens built a great nation because they were neither limited by their government system, nor dependent on it. The interest of society depends on our liberal ideology on integrity, conscience, understanding of civil freedoms and their importance for nation. The US government respects sovereignty of individuals as well as their individual freedoms and I realize all importance of it. Cahier d'un Retour au Pays Natal begins with violence and demonstration of inequality: At the end of daybreak... Beat it, I said to him, you cop, you lousy pig, beat it, I detest the flunkies of order and the cockchafers of hope... ( (Cesaire, Aime, 2001, p. 6) Aime Cesaire tries to show the readers all crying injustice and the governmental regime as byword for iniquity and appeals to freedom and justice. I am sure that justice cannot exist without sovereignty as well as concept of human rights cannot exist without freedom.
And the modern society should be based on the individualistic value of personal liberties: every man has equal rights. Although there is an opinion that Art must not be political, the poem Cahier d'un Retour au Pays Natal by Aime Cesaire is a brilliant attempt to embody dreams about freedom and equity of the black race, where Afro-Americans are shaking themselves in various ways to get rid of their stripes. We know that lots of nations achieved sovereignty and liberties in the process of decolonization and other historical changes. As a result of these changes, world society created new possibilities for liquidation of racism in all fields of social and political life. I am convinced that organic equity of the humankind, as well as the main equity of all nations reflects ideal model of modern society. I consider that all nations or ethnic groups regardless of their ethnic origin make their contribution into the blossom of civilizations and cultures that compile welfare of our mankind.
My dreams are closely related to principles of equity and liberties, expressed by both poets, Aime Cesaire and Jose Oswald De Sousa Andrade. I know that racism, race discrimination, colonialism and apartheid are still alive both in political and social spheres of life in the modern society. It becomes apparent, when you see legislative acts or some principles of practice in governmental and administrative institutions of some countries that are not compatible with principles of respect of human rights. Some political and social institutions are marked by injustice and they neglect individuals. They create isolation, humiliation, exploitation or violent assimilation of some individuals in the modern society due to their origin or other features.
I consider that all people are equal and have the same origin. They are born equal in their dignities and rights and are the integral part of the mankind. All people have right to be different, to have some distinctions and cannot be the subject of race discrimination. The differences of nations can be explained by geographical, historical, political, economic, social and cultural factors. These differences cannot justify any hierarchic classification of nations due to their race origin. Bibliography: Cesaire, Aime. (2001).
Notebook of a Return to the Native Land (Wesleyan Poetry). Wesleyan University Press, 1 st edition.
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