Reading about Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, the word that kept coming to mind was “badass.” A more professional description of her would be a founding member of the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society at Columbia University, which is where she currently is a professor. She was born in Calcutta in 1942 and received her MA in 1959 from the University of Calcutta. Spivak proceeded to study at the University of Cambridge and Cornell University, where she earned her Ph.D in 1967.
Her first major work was Of Grammatology, which is an English translation of De la grammatologie, a work by Jacque Derrida, a French deconstructionist philosopher. Deconstruction is an area of philosophical and literary analysis in which false dichotomies in theories are dismantled, not necessarily to destroy them, but to point out the power differential assumed by the interpretations presented. The LA Review of Books, in a 2016 article about Spivak defines the purpose of deconstruction in this way: “to unpack the relationship between text and meaning and critique the hidden biases of the Western intellectual tradition.” When she began this translation she was a young, unknown female scholar from India, pushing through self-described intellectual insecurity in order to complete an ambitious project that she didn’t quite seem qualified for. This translation, along with her translator’s preface became widely read and propelled her career forward. When asked why she chose such a difficult and, at the time, unknown work to translate, she responded, “Well, I didn’t know who Derrida was at all. I was 25 and an assistant professor at the University of Iowa in 1967, and I was trying to keep myself intellectually clued in. So I would order books from the catalog which looked unusual enough that I should read, so that’s how I ordered the book.”
See? Badass! I love that desire to face a challenge head on, not allowing fear to dictate what can be accomplished academically. I love that she knew she had something to offer as a young Asian woman, and just went for it. In her own words, she put it this way, “So I thought, “Well, I’m a smart young foreign woman, and here’s an unknown author. Nobody’s going to give me a contract for a book on him, so why don’t I try to translate him?” And I had heard at a cocktail party that the University of Massachusetts Press was doing translations, so I wrote them a very innocent query letter in late 1967 or early 1968. They told me later that they found my query letter so brave and sweet that they thought they should give me a chance. [Laughs.] It’s really ridiculous, but there it was.” (Paulson)
Her most famous work is the one which we are reading for class, Can the Subaltern Speak? This is an important contribution in the area of postcolonial studies, a movement of which she is considered a founder. She was in the first generation of Indian intellectuals in the post-colonial era, so this is a part of her personal and intellectual heritage. In this piece she focuses on which groups are not heard in the telling of history, and why. She emphasizes the necessity of not just boiling down a group of people based on characteristics that are defined by the Subject, thus always keeping one group defined by the one in power, or the one “with a voice,”
Spivak is not only a respected professor and writer, she also is an activist. She is deeply invested in efforts to bring literacy and democratic principles to rural schools in India, educating both students and teachers. She travels to India for this purpose eight or nine times a year and keeps in contact with the teachers in between visits.
“Deconstruction.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 12 Dec. 2019, www.britannica.com/topic/deconstruction.
“Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak.” Columbia Global Centers, globalcenters.columbia.edu/content/gayatri-chakravorty-spivak.
“Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 20 Feb. 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Gayatri-Spivak.
Mani, B. Venkat. “Gayatri Spivak.” Presidential Lectures: Gayatri Spivak, 2000, prelectur.stanford.edu/lecturers/spivak/.
Paulson, Steve interviews Gayatri Chakravorty “Critical Intimacy: An Interview with Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak.” Los Angeles Review of Books, 29 July 2016, lareviewofbooks.org/article/critical-intimacy-interview-gayatri-chakravorty-spivak/.
Wow, great post! I didn’t know a lot of what Spivak has accomplished. I definitely agree that she is a badass. I think it is so important for women to follow their dreams and accomplish whatever they want to accomplish in their lifetime because they are considered a minority when compared to men. Women like Spivak really encourage and empower women to become the best part of themselves and to keep pushing themselves to do more and to not stop until they are fulfilled. She is, also, helping minority groups and giving them a voice, which they deserve, like she describes in her essay. Spivak is such an inspiration for minority groups of all different kinds!
I loved reading this! The title of your presentation stuck out to me, so I clicked on it, and was not disappointed! It is so impressive that Spivak is so accomplished in works unknown to many, simply because she felt like trying it. For being a self-described “smart foreign girl”, she sure is ambitious, and truly “badass”. This helped me a lot to understand who Spivak is prior to reading her work, and I now really look forward to reading “Can the Subaltern Speak?”, as I now have much-needed knowledge on its author and origins.
I don’t know much about postcolonialism, so to get to read the work of one of the founders of the subject and translation is going to be so interesting. Thank you for providing this information in an intriguing and informative way!
Wow awesome job! I really appreciate that you provided some background information on Spivak. Reading about her past experiences and academic career gave me a better idea of why she wrote, Can the Subaltern Speak? in the way that she did. Her story is very interesting and should serve as an inspiration to young scholars who want to foster change in their communities. I like how Spivak was able to challenge well respected professors despite not having much credibility in academia. Her work demonstrates that we all have the ability to be social influencers and stand up for underrepresented minorities. Spivak’s work is a timeless example of equality and social justice.
Great post! I love how you mixed in some anecdotes about Spivak’s life with her accomplishments and credentials; I feel like a got a complete picture of who Spivak is along with a base of knowledge about the important milestones in her life. Additionally, I think it is interesting to consider how an author’s experiences can impact his or her works. Often times, it seems authors begin to explore their area of focus due to a personal connection with this area. When completing this week’s assigned reading, I will now try to think about how some of Spivak’s life experiences relate to the ideas detailed in “Can the Subaltern Speak?”
Thanks for sharing this information! I have never learned about such detailed information about Spivak and her books. It is inspiring to know that Spivak did so many achievements in works unknown to most people just because she wanted to try it to show that she is a “smart foreign girl”. As a female writer, her unique spirit encouraged many writers to be brave to find the things they really want to do and keep pushing themselves to do their best. Also, by learning this contextual information, I think I can read the articles in a more intriguing and interesting way.
Spivak really is an interesting person! I also admire her braveness and ability to “get after it” if you will. I forgot to visit this page before reading “Can the Subaltern Speak?” so reading it after is interesting. Having a background on the author makes it feel more personal and reminds you that the authors experiences and identities play a big role in how they write.
This was very interesting to read! I have never known about Spivak until this class, and you increased my knowledge about her a lot! She is definitely really cool and inspiring to me. I believe the world needs more people like her. Her views are so intriguing and interesting. I believe we could spend an entire class about this piece of literature she wrote. It is very dense and has many different meanings.
The title of this post definitely captured my attention. Spivak really seems like the person you want to be around in life. This post really got me interested in the reading for this week. I think that it is awesome that she uses her platform to be an activist and promote change.
This is some really great backstory on Spivak, and it really does enhance my reading of “Can the Subaltern Speak?” to learn about her background in deconstructionalism.
This is an awesome post about the story and achievement of Spivak. As a woman in a minority, her story encourages many other girls and women to believe that it is possible for them to do similar things. She helps fighting with gender equality as well in some terms.
I can tell you are very passionate about this subject and provided excellent research on the topic! The background you provided really shows the process of how Spivak made an impact not only in the literature world, but in general as well. I find her points very insightful for colonized groups. One question I did have was who was she applying Marxist principles to? Was it the subaltern or the colonizers? I think this is a central point to her work considering the implications of Marxism. This could potentially sway my view of the reading in a different light.
I think we see this dynamic of “being defined by the one with power” a lot in today’s society, but obviously on a much lesser scale than Spivak is referring to. Whether it be at work, where you live, or your position in a social group. Assumption is a very dangers territory along with not giving people a voice. I find it very insightful that we will never fully know the Subaltern’s true thoughts from the past due to how much they have been distorted. This leads the only option to be acting in the present.
I really liked reading you thoughts about Spivak and her achievements she had. I think from reading this we all can tell how you are inspired by her. I would for sure want to be around her myself. The fact that she promotes change shows she truly does want things to change. We can see that she wanted to inspire writers to do their best and to do anything they wanted. If you put your mind to it, you can do it. Such a great and inspirational post. Good Job!
That’s a great post. Your title caught my eye. When I finished reading it, It didn’t disappoint me. Here are some great stories about the background of Spivak. Through these stories, many women are encouraged to become confident. I also think her story has contributed to the fight for gender equality.
This is a definitely great post. I learned such a detailed information about Spivak from the stories. I think that it is awesome that she brings literacy and democratic principles to rural schools in India.
Good post! I really like what you said about Spivak, particularly how the word “badass” kept coming to mind for you. She has a very interesting story and point of view, and her work shows that. I think you wrote everything really well, too.
I truly enjoyed reading your contemplations about Spivak and her accomplishments she had and thank you for sharing some background information about her. The information you gave truly shows the cycle of how Spivak had an effect in the writing scene, yet by and large also. I discover her focuses savvy for colonized gatherings. As a lady in a minority, her story empowers numerous different women and young girls to accept that it is feasible for them to do comparative things.
I really like this article, which let me get to know an outstanding Indian woman. The word “badass” in the article is important because it catches the reader’s eye and highlights Spivak’s maverick side. I found that she is a brave writer in terms of the translation subject matter of her choice. Her efforts to acquire knowledge are also very admirable to me!
I really liked your presentation, I loved the way you talked about Spivak she truly is badass. Your presentation showed how much of an impact Spivak had in the writing scene.
This was an excellent presentation, it really caught my attention quickly. You don’t hear the word badass in a lot of presentations but I think it worked Spivak is pretty badass. Her desire and motivation to learn and become more knowledgable in her respected field is inspiring. People who work hard and are determined will have bright futures. This presentation showed just that
What an interesting read, your title does a great job of catching the readers attention right away. Spivak definitely in cases is a badass for the way she handled the situation. Spivak work ethic showcased in her work of “Can the Subaltern Speak?” And you do an excellent job laying out that work and her life.
I loved this presentation! Spivak accomplished many things as a women. She does not care about what other think of her writings. I love how she just listens to herself and does want she wants.
You did an amazing job with this presentation! Reading this, I could definitely tell you were passionate about what you were talking about. I totally agree with facing a challenge head on and I could see where Spivak did that throughout her life. She was a very strong women who accomplished many things. Great Job!
I really enjoy reading your analysis and views on Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. I didn’t know her before I reading your post. When I read the first sentence, my impression is that she talks about stupid things. However, you stated that she is a founding member and a professor at Columbia University. At this point, I am confused that why a professor is a badass. After I read the whole presentation, I realize that I am wrong. I appreciate how strong and powerful she is. She had made huge accomplishments. What she wants to do is to encourage woman to stand up and be confident.
This is a great presentation! After reading your passionate and informative presentation, I learnt more about this great person and I admire the work Spivak has done for speaking for the subaltern. I admire her even more now.
I really enjoyed the background information and getting to learn some of Spivak’s accomplishments. You manage to capture her personality provide insight to how her writing style is presented.
Very interesting writer. I like how you dive into her life and gave us the literal picture of Spivak. It was more interesting for me how you simplified her professional life.