Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, was an Indian scholar and theorist that wrote an essay in 1988 titled, Can the Subaltern speak? I decided to do more research on this very courageous woman for further context into how she thinks, and why she thinks the way she does. Spivak was born in 1942, which was near the end of India’s fight for Independence. She became a professor at Cambridge teaching comparative studies. She has a very unique way of highlighting issues which has been noted as “deconstruction criticism.”
As India began to rebuild, a new power was delegated and many became what Spivak would describe as the Subaltern. This societal theory only grew once Spivak was able to see how the Western world viewed third world countries such as India. In her writings she commonly uses a woman as the Subaltern as she has strong feminist views and women were often seen as inferior to men. She describes the Subaltern as those who are completely unable to move upward and have no voice. Being a woman in post-colonial India would place her in this group among others such as, farmers and peasants.
Her first deconstruction is that of India. She believed that there was no quick fix to give the Subaltern a voice. It had to come from education. Public schools are, in her eyes, a necessity in giving the Subaltern a voice. She goes more in depth in explaining how the western world has many issues as well. She explains that the Western world thinks they know what’s best and can speak for countries such as India. She believes that the western world, especially in writing, treats women or minorities as Subalterns. They give them no voice. How can countries with their own Subalterns speak for other countries. That in itself makes a country like India a Subaltern. She goes back to her feminist roots in her essay saying, “Within the effaced itinerary of the subaltern subject, the track of sexual difference is doubly effected,” on page 5. Not only does she lose her voice and opportunity as an Indian, but also as a woman.
All in all, Spivak is defining a specific kind of The “One” and other relationship. From her own life experience she has seen that people in power, speak for and claim they know what’s best for those “below them.” Both India as a local culture and the Western world are guilty of taking one’s liberties away because it’s “for the best.” Before reading this article I had never heard of Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. After reading her essay and more about her I strongly respect her courage, critical thinking and adversity in trying to give everyone a voice. She deserves more recognition and has my utmost respect.
Sources:
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Can the Subaltern Speak?, 1988
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak Quotes | Shmoop. (2020). Retrieved 13 September 2020, from https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literary-critics/gayatri-chakravorty-spivak/quotes#:~:text=And%20it’s%20not%20because%20the,in%20the%20way%2C%20you%20ask%3F
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak | Biography, Books, & Facts. (2020). Retrieved 13 September 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gayatri-Spivak
India After Independance. (2020). Retrieved 13 September 2020, from https://www.toppr.com/guides/history/india-after-independence/india-after-independence/
First of all, I agree with you about the fact that Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak deserves the utmost respect. Despite being born in India during a time of instability due to the fight for independence, Spivak was still able to pursue her passion for teaching about this Subaltern culture with a degree from Cornell University. Her theory about the Western World claiming responsibility for countries like India is directly correlated with Jameson’s three-world concept. Although India may have been colonized, this is not untrue of many other Western “developed” countries like the U.S. Classifying India as an “other” state and providing them with a voice prohibits the country from individually expanding and being able to make their own decisions.
Spivak shows great amounts of courage and strength in writing this piece. As a child growing up in the fight for independence, Spivak continues to express her passion for her own voice within society. Spivak not only tries to advocate for women to speak their mind, but for all people. I admire the fact that she turns to education to support the Subaltern voice. The subaltern voice will be backed up with facts, not just opinions. The subaltern voice will be intelligent. The subaltern voice will eventually be heard from the “Western World”, disregarding their own issues. Personally, Spivak has been one of my favorite writers we have discussed because of the amount of passion for herself and for those whose voices may be cut short. Spivak shows great qualities that people can take away from.
Subalterns, whether people or a country, face hardships, but with no possibility of gaining anything else in the future. As a woman in India, Spivak understood that by attempting to self-proclaim herself as more than an “Indian woman”, it was irrational and impossible. The education levels she achieved and ability to speak on behalf of the oppressed people in the third world were still viewed as “sub-par”. The overall idea of being a woman automatically placed her in an inferior category and generalized her way of life. Spivak challenges these ideas and uses her experiences in school and in her own life to remold the image all women are believed to have simply based on their gender.
I didn’t know much about the term Subalterns meant until reading this. I feel that in the world today that the stigma that women are beneath men still exist. Spivak’s writing gives her point of view that maybe connects with so many other women on what they go through to have a voice and be accepted as an equal no matter what country it is. I can’t imagine how hard and uncomfortable it was for her to write about the experiences she faced and the guilty countries that all have that same similarity that women are to not be treated equal. Honestly I always thought that gender equality was real and we had that but when I entered college it all changed, I saw the facts and women were getting paid less then men for doing the same thing. They were being questioned for having a family, rather than the men getting applauded for doing the same. Women are so powerful and can do anything, but the world has to evolve as well as how we as humans do. What Spivak did was write about the injustices and unfair rules that were putting women in a category and box and it is a world issue that needs to be talked about. I am glad she spoke up even after being criticized for doing so because I know many women probably connected with all of her writings.
I really like the topic you chose for your Context Research Presentation; analyzing Spivak’s background, history, and motivation is the best way to really understand her writings. She really does have an interesting history, and gives a voice to the animosity that many feel towards the perceived superiority of Western cultures. Not only that, but she does so while also giving a much-needed voice to the women of a notoriously classist India. As such she was the recipient of much criticism as you noted, which makes it all the more inspiring that she stuck with her ideas and would not be silenced.
Thank you for your presentation Hayden! It’s so inspiring to hear those who desire change within their own culture speak up for themselves and others in her same predicament. Although, many cannot do that. That is why it is inspiring. I agree with her that change must be brought through education. Education is what shapes the minds and hearts of the people who are to become leaders and influencers.
Throughout this piece, Spivak shows enormous amounts of bravery and strength. She was born in a time of instability in India and she was still able to come out on the other side and speak about her passions. She was also able to get an education and receive a degree from Cornell. Even though she accomplished all of these things, these accomplishments were still viewed as not being good enough. This shows that women were automatically viewed as being less then and generalized the way she chooses to live her life. I thought, it was also very interesting to learn about what Subaltern meant. I have never heard anything about this term until I read this. This idea that women are inferior to men does still exist in our society today. I really like show she spoke up for herself and for all other women, even after being put down on many occasions, because women can read about her experiences and relate to them on a personal level.
Hi! I really enjoyed reading your post and I love how you gave us so many sides and perspective to look at that relate to this weeks readings. I applaud you on this post and like you, I have the a lot of respect and appreciation for Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. She has done many amazing things that you highlighted throughout this article. The one thing that really stood out to me was when you explained her criticism for western countries. I had never really thought about how the U.S. could try and tell other countries what to do (and this sadly happens often) when they in return have their own Subalterns. I had never really thought about this before but it really just brought everything full circle. Thank you for your context post!
Overall, I was not entirely familar with the term Subalterns in this context before I begin reading this blog. After reading this, I am a lot more educated about the term and what it entails. This was a very informative blog post and really helps us think about things that we might not think of in everyday conversation. The part about the western world thinking they can speak for places of India is quite interesting, often times in America you come across people who despite not living somewhere, and having no experience with the culture or lifestyle, seemingly are genius’ on the topic and able to construct answers that seemingly are not applicable, given we do not live in these other places.
Hayden, I really enjoyed reading your post. You provided great insight about Spivak and her thought processes and opinions that aided in my understanding of her writing, Can the Subaltern Speak? Your description of Spivak considering the way Western worlds think about countries such as India reminded me of the readings from the previous week of class, when Jameson groups together all “third world literature” into one category. This thought makes me wonder what Spivak’s response would be to Jameson if she were to read “Third World Literature in the Era of Multinational Capitalism”.
I had never heard of Spivak or Subalterns before reading this blog post either. It’s interesting to see the difference between the one and other concept and the idea of Subalterns. Spivak had a particularly difficult task of spreading awareness and educating people because she fit two different categories of Subaltern. In the the eyes of the West, she was just from a third world country and in the eyes of her own country she was just a woman. Spivak was incredibly brave to stand up against these views to spread her ideals that positive change was needed.
This research presentation was very well done. I appreciate learning the history of such a dynamic and strong individual who is fighting in a time and place much different that of what we experience today. Through this I have a bit of a theory though. The obvious statement that other western nations also face problems, just as India does, relates possibly to the social constraint of women being looked at as inferior or the other in Indian society. During the time period women across the globe were looked at as the “other”, but maybe do you think that due to western British colonial rule, a western nation of a patriarchal society, could have something to do with India also adhering to sexism and ignorance, although that she had managed away to get her message out? Just a thought to chew on.
I really liked how you discussed the Western World’s own issues with creating their own Subaltern groups. When you brought up Spivak’s idea of “no quick fix”, it immediately reminded me of the struggle of many Black American’s in the US. Following abolition and reconstruction, Black Americans weren’t really given the opportunity to better their situations due to racial discrimination and systemic racism. Many families were left in poverty, and some have been unable to escape that reality even today. As you mentioned previously, I think the only way to solve that problem is through education opportunities. Putting a larger emphasis on education in communities of people considered “Subaltern” can help to give people equal opportunity to escape poverty. This, in my opinion, is the only way to give a voice to the voiceless.
Thanks for writing this presentation! I think it’s a very good idea to look into the authors of the texts we’re reading. this post will help me to better understand this reading and where the concepts in it are coming from. Contextualizing the premise of the reading along with its motivations is ver beneficial to the overall understanding of it. Thanks again!
Hayden, Thank you for your post. Before reading this I had no idea about Spivaks upbringing and history. I also now know that she identifies herself as a subaltern with no voice. She is a subaltern as a women in India where most women have very little rights and access to eduction or there voice, and are by men as inferior beings. She is also a subaltern as an Indian citizen. I now that the western world believes they know what is best for India and know what Indian wants. Still today people in India are trapped as subalterns by the caste system. In which people are born into jobs housing conditions and just all around social class which most people cannot escape. I now also know and agree with Spivaks idea that education is the way to subalterns their voices.
Thank you for your sharing of the article, I think your points are well organized. I think your ideas are very correct. It is very necessary to change people’s inner thoughts and behaviors through correct education. She is eager to make some changes in this world, which is right. Thank you very much for the information and arrangement.
Thank you very much for sharing and information on this article! I think your writing is very good, which can help me better understand the article and its central idea. The various thoughts and spiritual things Spivak showed here are very impressive to me. I also agree with her approach and thought very much. I think she is a brave person.
Hayden,
Really nice job writing this post. I think you did a really nice job of providing us a picture of the life that Spivak lived and the cultural situations of her time. I think having a better understanding of the author allows to the reader to draw more conclusions to have a better understanding of what the writer is trying to say. In this case, understanding the social context of India helps me understand that deeper meaning behind Spivak’s work.
Hi Hayden,
I think you did a great job with your post. I really enjoyed how you went in depth with the history and story of Spivak; it was very informative. This information really allows you to see why Spivak is the way she is with her drive and motivation. As you stated, I also had not heard of this women until this course, but I am glad I was able to learn some about the history.
Hi Hayden,
Thanks for putting so much work into this presentation to help us understand the material better. I did not know anything of Spivak or Subaltern’s before this let alone heard of them before. Learning of her background and how the Subalterns are viewed and how the western world still has some of these same problems is always interesting and eye-opening to realize and helps me digest the material better. I also think it is incredibly brave for her to stand up and spread these ideas of her when she knew the way she was treated or respected in culture.
Hayden,
It was extremely interesting to learn more about the author of one our readings this week. Your explanation and background information of the reading as well as the term Subaltern was very informative. I also found it very constructive that you included the essential solution to giving the Subaltern a voice which was education.
Hi Hayden,
Great work! I haven’t read this article yet, but thank you for giving me some important clues. I didn’t even quite understand what subaltern means, but now I do. And I agree with you that Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak have our utter most respect. I’m impressed by her courage and had a more thorough understanding of the great things she has done.
Hey Hayden! Great post! I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that you took the time to really delve into other important ideas surrounding Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. Listing some of her other accomplishments does really just set in stone the amount of respect i think is well deserved. I also really like how you incorporated the idea of “The One” in your final paragaraph as i think that bringing in concepts from recents weeks into our current discussions is very important to the overall learning process in this course! Again, i really think you did a great job with your post and i thank you fro giving Spivak such the written respect she deserves!
Hi, thank you for your presentation to give us the context information. I learned some background information about Spivak, like she was an Indian scholar and theorist. I had a better understanding of the reading content. I realized why she took the women as an example to explain the subaltern, which is because Spivak has intense feminist thinking. Women are a typical weak group in almost all of society, which can represent the weak situation of the subaltern. Also, your presentation gave me a clear direction of Spivak’s article. Great work!
I think you did a great job digging into the history of Spivak and how she came to be the person that she is today. I think it’s really cool that she was a professor at Cambridge and just shows how smart she really was and how accomplished she managed to become throughout her life to teach at a prestigious university. Overall you highlighted many great points and I learned me information because of it!
I absolutely love this context! I feel like this adds an amazing amount of depth to Spivak’s work as a leader in not only being and creating and environment for the subaltern but also for the feminist movement. I feel like the research presented here adds to this woman’s writing but my respect for Spivak as an individual as well. She seems very strong and motivated to do good for this world, a very rare and beautiful trait. I think this is a wonderful post and it was written beautifully! Thank you Hayden!
Hi Hayden, this context is very helpful for me. I learned a lot about the background of the rebuilding of india. I understand what the deep mean of Can the Subaltern speak is. I agree with the point that there is no sexual difference and everyone is equal.
I really like the presentation of your article. I think it is a very good way to understand her work through history. What is more, I totally agree with your point that “From her own life experience she has seen that people in power, speak for and claim they know what’s best for those “below them.” I also admire his courage and express my high respect for the great cause she has done.
Hey Hayden,
Before reading I was not all too familiar with Spivak. After reading your brief description of her past, her courage and bravery really shines through. As you said, being a woman from India put her in the same class as peasants and farmers. By opposing this subaltern belief she gave herself and her peers a voice against injustice.
I really found the background interesting and I feel like it helps in terms of understanding her writing. I really found the part where you discussed that giving the Subaltern a voice comes through education and I feel like that applies today in terms of the Black Lives Matter movement, educating people of it will help more people understand the real meaning behind the movement. Also, you mention about how the Western world looks at other countries and feel like they are better than them, I feel like that still happens today where different countries have this sense of power over other countries. Overall I found the background and the research you did to be very helpful in truly understanding the meaning behind the term Subaltern.
Hi, I definitely agree that Gayatri Spivak is truly an inspirational figure and deserves utmost respect for pursuing subaltern culture. She tries to educate the rest of the world about the culture. Even though I am from India, I was totally unaware of the term subaltern and the meaning behind it. This article has definitely enhanced my knowledge on the topic.
Hi Hayden, thanks for the great context presentation. I loved the quote you used, I think it really hits this idea of how someone can be a Subltern by two identities. The intersection of their identities can cause a more significant feeling of oppression or a lack of your voice being heard.
Hi Hayden, even after reading the articles, you still helped me grasps a better and overall understanding the articles and their main ideas! Your explanation and understanding on the subalterns was outstanding and very informative. I agree with Spivak when she stated that change or reform come with proper education. Proper education is what sets individuals on the right track, and overall become better influences in the future. Great work!
Great post! I like how you researched the author outside of what we are supposed to do. I think this background makes the story even more meaningful and this actually helped me understand it a bit better. I also appreciated you relating it to the “one” and the “other.” This is a clear example of this concept for our class. The other being Spivak and the one being people she sees with power and a voice. It is awesome that Spivak in a way has turned herself from the other into the one. Our whole class and many other people read her story and I’m sure learned from her.