Episode 21|2 : King Leopold’s Ghost

Dévorer le tabou: la révolution à travers l’acte de manger – Les Bookworms

Dans cet épisode, nous discutons le livre de Lauren Malka – Mangeuses : Histoire de celle qui dévorent, savourent ou se privent a l’excès. Nous explorons les expériences universelles et personnelles lie à l’acte de manger, passant de la honte et de la culpabilité à la célébration et à la joie. Nous examinons les pressions politique et sociétales qui ont contrôle et critique le corps de femmes.  Et surtout, nous célébrons l’acte de rébellion de s’aimer tel que nous sommes et de savourer chaque bouchée de ce confit de canard !

1. Dévorer le tabou: la révolution à travers l’acte de manger 31:23
2. Searching for Justice: Proust and the Dreyfus Affair 40:50
3. Through the Pages of Time 55:01
4. In Search of Lost Podcasts: Les Bookworms Revival 28:08
5. 2 Down 5 to Go: Reflections on Volume II of Proust 30:07

Overview

 Leopold’s Ghost explores the exploitation and colonization of the Congo Free State by King Leopold of Belgium from inception to the king’s death, an area now separated into the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, . It recounts the terrifying greed and lack of empathy of Leopold in his single desire to own and command a “piece of the African cake”. Unlike the non-fiction of my history class, the book highlights specific people within the timelines of this terror, creating an enthralling read that underscores how history is told, and the many small steps needed to keep the atrocities of this time quiet.

Country

Belgium and (colonial) Congo

Overarching Themes

1. King Leopold II – the “chessplayer”
2. Geopolitics and Complicity
3. Importance of Stories and Pop Culture

How does this book question the idea of the Francophonie? (Does it go against the grain? Does it stay stereotypical?) 

This broadened my understanding of the Francophonie because it touched on French as a second language in Belgium as well as discussing the politics beyond colonialism. Oftentimes the colonial system is presented as something that existed, it was bad, and was later dismantled. This book provided names, dates, letters, and other documents that showed exactly who was doing what and for what reasons. It was personal and disgusting. I appreciated learning the names of those responsible instead of letting their responsibility for these atrocities be forgotten in history.