I tried to find a translated version but didn’t found one.
Being told how great a humanist Hugo was, I was genuinely angry no one told me until univ about his views on colonization and racism.
It’s not the average XIXth century politician vaguely colonial and racist prejudices. He’s one of the main advocates of colonialism, even among his peers.
You can try to translate his Discourse on Africa to get an idea of where he stands. Here’s a mtl excerpt :
"What a land this Africa is! Asia has its history, America has its history, Australia itself has its history; Africa has no history; a sort of vast and obscure legend envelops it. […]
Already, the two colonizing peoples, who are two great free peoples, France and England, have seized Africa; France holds it by the west and the north; England holds it by the east and the south. Now Italy accepts its share of this colossal task. America joins its efforts to ours; for the unity of peoples is revealed in everything. Africa matters to the universe. [I] limit myself, and this will be my last word, to noting this detail, which is only a detail, but which is immense: in the nineteenth century, the white man made a man of the black man; in the twentieth century, Europe will make a world of Africa. […]
Come on, Peoples! Seize this land. Take it. From whom? From no one. "
PSA : Victor Hugo was a huge PoS. And it saddens me because boy do I use to love his writings.
Could you elaborate on that ? I am genuinely curious
I tried to find a translated version but didn’t found one. Being told how great a humanist Hugo was, I was genuinely angry no one told me until univ about his views on colonization and racism.
It’s not the average XIXth century politician vaguely colonial and racist prejudices. He’s one of the main advocates of colonialism, even among his peers.
You can try to translate his Discourse on Africa to get an idea of where he stands. Here’s a mtl excerpt :
"What a land this Africa is! Asia has its history, America has its history, Australia itself has its history; Africa has no history; a sort of vast and obscure legend envelops it. […]
Already, the two colonizing peoples, who are two great free peoples, France and England, have seized Africa; France holds it by the west and the north; England holds it by the east and the south. Now Italy accepts its share of this colossal task. America joins its efforts to ours; for the unity of peoples is revealed in everything. Africa matters to the universe. [I] limit myself, and this will be my last word, to noting this detail, which is only a detail, but which is immense: in the nineteenth century, the white man made a man of the black man; in the twentieth century, Europe will make a world of Africa. […] Come on, Peoples! Seize this land. Take it. From whom? From no one. "
Huh interesting (no need for a translated version i am french)
Lafargue’s essay on Victor Hugo is pretty entertaining.