Study
of the Postcolonial Condition of Women in the Public Sphere
Dr.
Sunita N. Thapak*
Professor,
Oriental Institute of Science and Technology, Bhopal, M.P. India
snthapak@gmail.com
The researcher discusses few texts
of Mahasweta Devi like Breast Giver, Draupadi, Dhouli, Shanichari, Chinta,
Giribala, Mother of 1084, and Sindhubala with an aim to focus on the theme of
women's suffering, identity construction, agency and protest in the
postcolonial world. This study highlights the significance of Gayatri
Chakravorty Spivak in translating and disseminating the works of Mahasweta Devi.
It concludes that the writings of Mahasweta Devi gives voice to the downtrodden
women and represents how women can still protest under oppressive regimes. Her
literature works as a tool for social consciousness, feminist activism and
political criticism.
Keywords: Postcolonialism, Marginalization,
Women's Identity, Resistance, Patriarchy, Subaltern Studies, Mahasweta Devi,
Feminism
INTRODUCTION
Postcolonial studies is a
critical discipline emerged in the later twentieth century, largely responding
to the psychological, cultural, social and political aftermath of colonialism.
Researchers and writers of former colonies started scrutinizing how the imperial
regime shaped the cultural representation, literature, systems of knowledge,
language and identities of the subaltern. Though postcolonialism was gaining
academic recognition in Western countries in the 1980s and 1990s, its roots had
already been planted by the major thinkers like Frantz Fanon, Chinua Achebe,
Edward Said, Homi K. Bhabha and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak who contested the
ideas of colonialism.
Edward Said's influential
book Orientalism deals with the
Western way of representing East in an inferior position in his work, which he
calls the imperial gaze. As per Said, the creation of a dichotomy between West
and East — the former enlightened and the latter barbaric — became a reason for
western domination over the latter. Homi K. Bhabha presents ideas like mimicry
and hybridity in postcolonial studies which talks about cultural interaction
between the coloniser and the colonized. He believes that colonial interactions
did not produce binary difference but hybrid cultures. Colonial state never
imposed absolute control over the colonized subject as power was contested and
negotiations always happened.
Gayatri Chakravorty
Spivak's theory of subalternity questioned the existence of the subaltern
subject and raised a crucial question — Can the subaltern speak? According to
her, subaltern woman suffered doubly at the hand of the imperial powers and her
own community's patriarchy. Mahasweta Devi is a famous Bengali writer, in whose
literary works, condition of the oppressed women of tribal and marginalized
groups like landless poor people, laborers, wives, mothers and daughters of
society is depicted strongly. Unlike elite literary works that are always busy
in projecting the heroic male protagonist and often ignores the plight of poor
women of society, Mahasweta Devi confronted various socio-political issues like
economic exploitation, political persecution, state violence, gender
discrimination and so on. She is very sensitive towards women, in particular
those on the margins of society. In the literary field she not only depicted
the victimhood of women but at the same time highlights the endurance of
oppressed female beings. Through the portrayal of fictional female characters,
she has raised feminist awareness and political dissent.
The main aims of this
research are:
·
To analyze the condition of women in
postcolonial society.
·
To examine the representation of
marginalized women in the writings of Mahasweta Devi.
·
To focus on the relationship between
patriarchy, class, caste and colonial oppression.
·
To show the role of resistance and agency
in the women characters.
·
To trace the contribution of Gayatri
Chakravorty Spivak to translating and interpreting Mahasweta Devi's works to
the Western readers.
·
To emphasize on the importance of
subaltern discourse in the field of women's literature.
The present research is
primarily based on descriptive and analytical method. It primarily draws on
secondary sources such as literary works of Mahasweta Devi, translation of her
selected works, critical essays, books and journals, related to postcolonial studies,
feminist studies and subaltern studies.
In the present study, the
researcher intends to focus on Mahasweta Devi's works such as Breast Giver,
Draupadi, Dhouli, Shanichari, Chinta, Giribala, Mother of 1084 and Sindhubala.
The research will utilize critical ideas given by the feminist and postcolonial
thinkers like Edward Said, Homi K. Bhabha, Frantz Fanon, Gayatri Chakravorty
Spivak, Chandra Talpade Mohanty, bell hooks and so on. The study uses textual
analysis to explore the condition of marginalized women as represented in the
literary universe of Mahasweta Devi.
FEMALE IDENTITY
AND SUBJECT FORMATION
The construction of
female identity has been one of the crucial elements of feminist critical
thought. Generally, women were considered the domestic subjects; intellectual,
creative, and political pursuits were almost non-existent for them. Their
identities were predominantly formed around social roles like daughter, mother,
wife and widow within patriarchy; individuality and creativity were discouraged
to be developed. The women writers employed writing as a way of contesting
domination, and through literature they gave voices to the experiences that
were previously silenced or marginalized.
Mahasweta Devi's literary
works have effectively reflected this notion of women's identity formation in a
deeply stratified and patriarchal society. Her characters have been struggling
hard to regain their dignity and subjectivity. Though trapped in the
suffocating environment, they have shown strong agency and protest. In Draupadi, her protagonist challenges the
hegemony of state power and patriarchy by her defiance. The character of Mother
in Breast Giver represents the
oppression that takes place within the structure of an exploitative capitalist
system. The condition of female character in Dhouli where caste and gender oppression converged to drive her
into extreme exclusion, illustrates the intersectionality of identities.
Through the portrayal of women's life experience — her suffering, endurance and
struggle for survival and identity — Mahasweta Devi has presented not the
oppressed women but rebellious characters against the prevailing social norms
and systems of subjugation.
The translation of
regional literatures into a globally acceptable form helps marginalized authors
access a larger audience; it promotes cultural discourse and dissemination of
neglected subjects to both national and international sphere. The translated version
of Mahasweta Devi's work by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak gives prominence to her
concerned issues like condition of the tribal and poor women. Postcolonial
translation is not merely a literary transference, but it becomes a mode of
translating political discourse as well. Spivak argued that it requires an
intensive interrogation of political implications of writing and the writer's
position. Her translation of Mahasweta Devi's works gives awareness to her
international readers regarding the issues of class and caste discrimination,
sexual exploitation, state atrocity, poverty and patriarchal domination in the
lives of the oppressed Indian women.
Women in postcolonial
societies often experience multiple forms of oppression. They may face
discrimination based on gender, caste, class, ethnicity, religion, language,
region, or economic status. Colonial histories intensified many existing
inequalities by creating systems of political, cultural, and economic
domination.
In many societies,
women's labor is undervalued while their bodies become sites of exploitation
and control. Marginalized women frequently lack access to education,
healthcare, property rights, employment, legal protection, and political
participation.
Mahasweta Devi's stories
reveal these realities with remarkable honesty and intensity. Her female
characters endure poverty, sexual exploitation, social exclusion, caste
oppression, and institutional violence. However, they also display resilience,
courage, and determination. For example, Dhouli
portrays a woman forced into prostitution due to caste oppression and
economic hardship. Shanichari explores
the suffering of a poor woman struggling against social injustice and personal
loss. Draupadi presents the female
body as a site of both violence and resistance. These narratives illustrate how
social systems push women toward marginalization while denying them dignity and
opportunities.
The postcolonial
condition of women therefore cannot be understood only through gender analysis.
It must also consider class relations, caste hierarchies, political structures,
colonial histories, and economic inequalities.
The circulation of ideas
between languages and cultures is promoted by literary translation, which
allows people from various societies to engage with histories, identities and
life styles completely different from their own. Translation has indeed been a
significant element in bringing the regional literatures of India together, due
to the multilingual nature of the nation; as this allows a dialogue between
different cultures and traditions to occur.
Works like Mahasweta
Devi's were internationalized because of the power of translation. Her writings
transcend national readership and gained worldwide attention. Discussions on
the politics of feminist criticism, postcolonial theories, human rights and
subaltern discourse, and all those concerning human dignity, have widely
incorporated texts written by Devi. Translation is also an ethical dilemma
since the translator has to be attentive of the socio-cultural realities of a
translated text. A translated text is not about translating words but also
emotions, struggles, histories, political contexts.
SUBALTERN
DISCOURSE
"Subaltern" is
the social category which has been deprived of both power and representation by
the dominant social structures. The subaltern studies were initiated with the
aim of rescuing the history and experience of oppressed people. Spivak has extended
the theory of subaltern by focusing the "subaltern women". According
to her, marginalized women have been denied any mode of selfrepresentation
within the existing social and political systems because their identity is
interpreted and represented by dominant institutions.
Mahasweta Devi's writing
attempts to voice the subaltern women by portraying tribal women, poor women,
widow, oppressed mothers, neglected social groups, who struggle to survive in a
male oppressive social setup. By bringing these categories of women in the
foreground, Devi has critically questioned elitist assumptions and presented
realities about these silenced women who exist outside the periphery of the
mainstream society. Her writing challenges the claims that the subaltern women
are 'voiceless' and attempts to render voice and visibility to their existence.
The identity of a woman
is negotiated through a complexity of issues such as caste, class, gender,
religion, language and regional affiliations. Their experiences are determined
not only by their gender, but also by their social location, caste, class,
community, education and economic status. It is because women of marginal
groups face discrimination and oppression based on both gender and social
class, that they are victimized more, although there is an equality guaranteed
to all under the constitution. Indian literature plays a part in unveiling
these oppressions, by addressing issues like caste, class, state, economy,
gender-specific violence, and so forth. Mahasweta Devi used her writing to
achieve social and political awareness. She broadened the scope of Indian
literature, bringing the category of women writers from the realm of Indian
middle class writers to the forum of global critics by projecting tribal women,
poor mothers, poor women, labor, etc. to centers of discussion.
LITERARY
ORIENTATION OF MAHASWETA DEVI
Mahasweta Devi had never
been writing as an artist; she has always identified herself as an activist.
Her writings, infused with a high degree of social concern and realism, address
the realities of exploitation, state violence, tribals, bonded labor, class,
caste, and gender. She had lived closely with tribals and other marginalized
people of India. Her deep understanding and lived experience had enabled her to
convey the reality and struggle with authenticity. Mahasweta Devi is an
important feminist writer as her female characters are never passive but active
beings fighting to survive, resist, assert themselves and regain power in a
dehumanizing social structure. Her literature is therefore political not in an
overtly propagandistic sense, but in a critical awareness of social justice and
women empowerment.
THREE WORLDS
THEORY AND POSTCOLONIAL MARGINALITY
The term "Third
World" has become more common through twentieth-century texts which denote
post-colonized countries. In the realm of postcolonial theory it has been
argued that colonialism has only transformed into neo-colonial structures of
economic domination without giving much liberty to the newly-independent
nations. Postcolonial Literature is now widely understood as a literary
tradition that deals with themes like resistance, identity, nationalism, the
colonial discourse and exploitation by the ruling elite and so forth.
In the light of these
concepts, Mahasweta Devi can be considered as a leading postcolonial writer as
her literature focuses upon a society in post-colonial India, wherein women of
marginalized groups are still battling oppression. She not only reveals how
social structures of oppression — caste, class, gender and economic oppression
— continue to exist, but also shows how their condition persists.
CONCLUSION
This paper has critically
evaluated how the Indian women are portrayed in postcolonial society as
revealed through the writings of Mahasweta Devi. Her literature unfolds how
Indian women face immense suffering through state violence, poverty,
class-caste oppression and social marginality. The female characters that she
creates do not remain passive or static individuals but act as resilient
subjects who fight to survive, resist, regain power and assert themselves. They
become sites of protest and self-assertion and simultaneously represent women
as embodiment of strength and vitality in a patriarchal order.
This study has also
highlighted the role played by the translations and analysis of her work,
conducted by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, in popularizing the idea of giving
voice to the subaltern
women. In conclusion it
can be stated that Mahasweta Devi's literature, by all accounts, serves as a
powerfully engaging medium of critique against social injustice and oppression,
a staunch advocate for the marginalized voices and is considered as influential
literature of postcolonial India in all regards.
1.
Achebe, C. (1958). Things fall apart. Heinemann.
2.
Ashcroft, B., Griffiths, G., & Tiffin,
H. (1989). The empire writes back: Theory
and practice in post-colonial literatures. Routledge.
3.
Bassnett, S., & Trivedi, H. (Eds.).
(1999). Post-colonial translation: Theory
and practice. Routledge.
4.
Beauvoir, S. De. (1949). The second sex. Gallimard.
5.
Bhabha, H. K. (1994). The location of culture. Routledge.
6.
Chakravarti, U. (2003). Gendering caste: Through a feminist lens. Stree.
7.
Chatterjee, P. (1993). The nation and its fragments: Colonial and
postcolonial histories. Princeton University Press.
8.
Devi, M. (1990). Bashai Tudu. Thema.
9.
Devi, M. (1995). Imaginary maps. Translated by G. C. Spivak. Routledge.
10.
Devi, M. (1997). Breast stories. Translated by G. C. Spivak. Seagull Books.
11.
Devi, M. (1998). Rudali: From fiction to performance. Seagull Books.
12.
Devi, M. (1999). Mother of 1084. Seagull Books.
13.
Eagleton, M. (Ed.). (1996). Feminist literary theory: A reader (2nd
ed.). Blackwell.
14.
Fanon, F. (1961). The wretched of the earth. Grove Press.
15.
Gandhi, L. (1998). Postcolonial theory: A critical introduction. Columbia University
Press.
16.
Guha, R. (Ed.). (1982). Subaltern studies I: Writings on South Asian
history and society. Oxford University Press.
17.
hooks, b. (1984). Feminist theory: From margin to center. South End Press.
18.
Jain, D. (2005). Women, development, and the UN: A sixty-year quest for equality and justice.
Indiana University Press.
19.
Loomba, A. (1998). Colonialism/postcolonialism. Routledge.
20.
Mohanty, C. T. (1984). Under Western eyes:
Feminist scholarship and colonial discourses. Boundary 2, 12(3), 333–358.
21.
Mukherjee, M. (2000). The perishable empire: Essays on Indian writing in English. Oxford
University Press.
22.
Nair, J. (1996). Women and law in colonial India: A social history. Kali for Women.
23.
Said, E. W. (1978). Orientalism. Pantheon Books.
24.
Sangari, K., & Vaid, S. (Eds.). (1989).
Recasting women: Essays in colonial
history. Kali for Women.
25.
Spivak, G. C. (1988). Can the subaltern
speak? In C. Nelson & L. Grossberg (Eds.), Marxism and the interpretation of culture (pp. 271–313). University
of Illinois Press.
26.
Spivak, G. C. (1993). Outside in the teaching machine. Routledge.
27.
Spivak, G. C. (1999). A critique of postcolonial reason: Toward a history of the vanishing
present. Harvard University Press.
28.
Tharu, S., & Lalita, K. (Eds.).
(1991). Women writing in India: 600 B.C.
to the present (Vol. 1). Feminist Press.
29.
Young, R. J. C. (2001). Postcolonialism: An historical introduction.
Blackwell.