The Pyschology of Oppression: A Comparative Analysis of Fanon, Jia, and Wu Anonymous College

Changes to moral character, altered mental stability, and acceptance of adversity are effects of long-term oppression, well documented through both fictional and autobiographical works. When a force of oppression overcomes its subject, the subject is heavily burdened, mentally or physically, by troubles and thusly their conscience is affected. The psychological effects caused by oppression can be better visualized in scholarly works, such as literature and film. Some such examples include Black Skin, White Masks by Frantz Fanon, The World directed by Jia Zhangke, and Orphan of Asia by Zhouliu Wu. Each work follows the lives of normal individuals who experience oppression on different levels and in different locations. Any form of oppression alters one’s self-identity by its long-reaching effects, thus proving that exposure to this negative power will influence any person’s psyche.

The World directed by Jia Zhangke is a realistic fictional film set in present-day Beijing, following a woman named Tao as she and others struggle with their oppressed lifestyle. Within the film, Tao works at Beijing’s World Park, which features famous landmarks from all over the globe. Yet she has never traveled outside of Beijing because she lives...