JOURNAL ARTICLE

An Epistemology of Self-Knowing: Suzanne Césaire, André Breton, and Caribbean Surrealism.

  • Published In: African American Review, 2025, v. 58, n. 1. P. 11 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Schultz, Kathy Lou 3 of 3

Abstract

During World War II, Suzanne Césaire theorized a unique Caribbean surrealism within the pages of Tropiques. Neither simply an aesthetic category nor an artistic practice, it is her Caribbean surrealism through which Césaire invites her countrymen and women to "dare to know oneself!" in the creation of what I call her epistemology of self-knowing, which she shows is key to the achievement of both individual and collective freedom. Césaire relies neither on a time in the postcolonial future nor in a precolonial past to imagine this freedom. Her Caribbean surrealist time supplants linear constructions. This essay examines the foundational principles of her Caribbean surrealist philosophy, putting it in conversation with and showing how it diverges from that of André Breton and others, as she did herself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:African American Review. 2025/03, Vol. 58, Issue 1, p11
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:1062-4783
  • DOI:10.1353/afa.2025.a973158
  • Accession Number:189168278
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of African American Review is the property of Johns Hopkins University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.