thought. -...

12
ROUTLEDGE CRITICAL THINKERS essential guides for literary studies G AYAT R I Series Editor: Robert Eaglestone, Royal Holloway, University C H f\ K R A ‘f 0 R T ‘i’ of London s i vi. K Routledge Critical Thinkers is a series of accessible introductions to key figures in contemporary critical thought. With a unique focus on historical and intellectual contexts, each volume examines a key theorist’s: significance motivation key ideas and their sources impact on other thinkers Concluding with extensively annotated guides to further reading, Routledge Critical Thinkers are the literature student’s passport to today’s most exciting critical thought. Stephen Morton Already available: Roland Barthes by Graham Allen Jean Baudrillard by Richard J. Lane Simone de Beauvoir by Ursula Tidd Maurice Blanchot by Ullrich Haase and William Large Judith Butler by Sara Salih Gilles Deleuze by Claire Colebrook Jacques Derrida by Nicholas Royle Michel Foucault by Sara Mills Sigmund Freud by Pamela Thurschwell Stuart Hall by James Procter Martin Heidegger by Timothy Clark FredricJameson by Adam Roberts Julia Kristeva by NoEfle McAfee Jean-Francois Lyotard by Simon Malpas Paul de Man by Martin McQuillan Friedrich Nietzsche by Lee Spinks Paul Ricoeur by Karl Simms Edward Said by Bill Ashcroft and Pal Ahiuwalia Jacques Lacan by Sean Homer Routledge Slavoj Ziek by Tony Myers Taylor &Francis Group For further details on this series, see www . literature. routledge. corn / ret LONDON AND NEW YORK

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‘TH

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Spiv

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the

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and

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the

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ting

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med

the

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dfo

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ist

thou

ght.

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ost

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utio

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atSp

ivak

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rary

fem

inis

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man

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‘Thi

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’w

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unt

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les

agai

nst

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essi

on.

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ak’s

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ribu

tion

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min

fst

thou

ght

also

incl

udes

essa

yson

cont

empo

rary

Fren

chfe

min

ist

theo

ry,

nine

teen

th-c

entu

ryE

nglis

hw

omen

’sw

riti

ng,

Mar

xist

fem

inis

man

dfe

min

ist

criti

ques

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litic

alec

onom

y.Sp

ivak

’sea

rlie

stes

says

onfe

min

ism

wer

epu

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hed

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ngth

eI9

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ew

hen

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idea

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Fren

chfe

min

ist

thin

kers

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asJu

liaK

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Irig

aray

and

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eC

ixou

sw

ere

firs

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com

ing

avai

labl

eto

the

Eng

lish-

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ldng

wor

ld.

Ines

says

such

as‘F

renc

hFe

min

ism

inan

Inte

rnat

iona

lFr

ame’

(198

1)an

d‘F

emin

ism

and

Cri

tical

The

ory’

(198

6)Sp

ivak

offe

rsor

igin

alan

den

gagi

ngco

mm

enta

ries

onth

ese

thin

kers

.Y

etSp

ivak

also

rais

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port

ant

and

chal

leng

ing

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ctio

nsto

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reti

cal

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ting

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ench

fem

inis

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rtic

ular

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ivak

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ms

offe

min

ism

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eak

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all

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en.

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ethe

rw

ith

the

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nial

fem

inis

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ty,

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ajan

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awal

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ari J

ayaw

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akha

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ted

anim

port

ant

reth

inki

ngof

fem

inis

t tho

ught

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cha

reth

inki

ngha

sch

alle

nged

the

assu

mpt

ion

that

all

wom

enar

eth

esa

me,

and

emph

asis

edth

eim

port

ance

ofre

spec

ting

diff

eren

ces

inra

ce,

clas

s,re

ligio

n,ci

tizen

ship

and

cult

ure

betw

een

wom

en.

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sis

not

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gges

tth

atSp

ivak

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mpl

yag

ains

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inis

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orth

atSp

ivak

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ist,

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ntra

ry,

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ak’s

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ist

ent

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que

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este

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min

ist

thou

ght

aim

sto

stre

ngth

enth

ear

gu

men

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gent

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ical

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ms

offe

min

ist

thou

ght.

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sch

apte

rw

illbe

gin

byas

sess

ing

the

limita

tions

and

blin

dsp

ots

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este

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min

ist

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ry.

Focu

sing

initi

ally

onSp

ivak

’scr

itiqu

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chfe

min

ist

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ry,

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chap

ter

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then

mov

eto

exam

ine

how

Spiv

akha

sch

alle

nged

the

polit

ical

clai

ms

ofea

rly

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mer

ican

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inis

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erar

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itici

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omth

ecr

itica

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rspe

ctiv

eof

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rdW

orld

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omen

.Fo

llow

ing

onfr

omth

is,

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final

sect

ion

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ech

apte

rco

nsi

ders

Spiv

ak’s

argu

men

t tha

t wom

enar

eth

ene

wso

urce

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eap

labo

uran

dsu

per-

expl

oita

tion

bym

ultin

atio

nal

corp

orat

ions

,ba

sed

inth

e‘T

hird

Wor

ld’.

Byfo

cusi

ngon

the

plig

htof

thes

ew

omen

,Sp

ivak

has

help

edto

rede

fine

the

criti

cal

term

san

dfu

ture

goal

sof

fem

inis

t pol

itics

.B

efor

eco

nsid

erin

gex

actly

how

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ak’s

wor

kha

sco

ntri

bute

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wes

tern

fem

inis

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ough

t,it

isim

port

ant

firs

tof

all

tosi

tuat

ehe

rw

ork

inre

latio

nto

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deba

tes

inea

rly

fem

inis

tth

ough

t.

FE

MIN

ISM

AN

DT

HE

QU

ES

TIO

NO

FD

IFF

ER

EN

CE

Dur

ing

the

latte

rha

lfof

the

twen

tiet

hce

ntur

y,ea

rly

fem

inis

tso

cial

and

polit

ical

stru

ggle

sha

dce

rtai

nly

adva

nced

the

dem

ocra

ticri

ghts

and

free

dom

sof

wom

enin

Eur

ope

and

Nor

thA

mer

ica,

but

they

had

done

soin

the

wes

tern

philo

soph

ical

trad

ition

oflib

eral

hum

anis

m.

Hum

anis

mba

sica

llyre

fers

toth

eid

eath

atal

l hum

anbe

ings

are

the

sam

e;th

atth

eysh

are

the

sam

eva

lues

;an

dsh

ould

,in

theo

ry, h

ave

the

sam

eba

sic

hum

anri

ghts

.Fo

rE

urop

ean

fem

inis

tth

inke

rssu

chas

Sirn

one

deB

eauv

oir

(190

8—86

),ho

wev

er,

liber

alhu

man

ist

thou

ght

had

trad

ition

ally

defi

ned

wom

enas

‘Oth

er’,

orin

feri

orto

the

univ

ersa

l hum

anis

t sub

ject

or‘M

an’.

The

poli

tic

alta

skof

earl

y,so

-cal

led

‘firs

t-an

dse

cond

-gen

erat

ion’

fem

inis

mth

usfo

cuse

don

goal

ssu

chas

the

wom

en’s

fran

chis

e,eq

ual p

ay,

repr

oduc

tive

righ

ts,

and

equa

lity

inth

ew

ork

plac

e.T

hetr

adit

ion

ofun

iver

sal

hum

anis

tth

ough

tha

dfu

rthe

rde

fine

dth

edi

ffer

ence

betw

een

men

and

wom

enas

ana

tura

lfa

ct,

grou

nded

ina

ES

SE

NT

IAL

ISM

Inph

ilos

ophy

,th

ete

rmes

sent

iali

smis

com

mon

lyun

ders

tood

asa

beli

efin

the

real

,tr

uees

sen

ceof

thin

gs,

the

inva

riab

lean

dfi

xed

prop

erti

esw

hich

defi

neth

e‘w

hatn

ess’

ofa

give

nen

tity

(Fus

s19

89:

i).M

ore

spec

ific

ally

,in

Ang

lo-A

mer

ican

fem

inis

tth

eory

,an

ti-r

acis

tth

eory

and

gay/

lesb

ian

theo

ry

duri

ngth

e19

80s

and

earl

y19

90s,

the

wor

des

sent

iali

smca

me

toha

ve

incr

easi

ngly

nega

tive

conn

otat

ions

bec

ause

itde

fine

dca

tego

ries

like

gend

er,

race

orse

xual

ity

inte

rms

offi

xed

hum

anes

sence

s,ba

sed

onpr

ior

biol

ogic

alex

plan

atio

ns.

Suc

ha

theo

ryof

hum

anid

enti

tyis

prob

lem

atic

beca

use

itru

nsth

eri

skof

igno

ring

part

icul

arcu

ltur

aldi

ffer

ence

sin

race

,

clas

s,se

xual

ity,

reli

gion

,et

hnic

ity

orid

enti

ty.

For

this

reas

on,

crit

ical

thou

ght

inth

e19

80s

and

earl

y19

90s

gene

rall

ysh

ifte

dto

anan

ti-e

ssen

tial

ist

posi

tion

,w

hich

reje

cted

all

stab

leca

tego

ries

ofid

enti

ty.

Hen

cefo

rth

ean

ti-

raci

stth

inke

rH

enry

Lou

isG

ates

,ra

cew

asre

defi

ned

asa

pern

icio

us

met

apho

rra

ther

than

asc

ient

ific

trut

hcl

aim

:an

dfo

rfem

inis

t the

oris

tJu

dith

But

ler,

sexu

alit

yan

dg

end

erw

ere

reth

ough

tas

soci

alan

dli

ngui

stic

cons

truc

tsra

ther

than

stab

lebi

olog

ical

foun

dati

ons.

Inst

ead

offi

xed

hum

an

esse

nce

san

did

enti

ties

,an

ti-e

ssen

tial

ist

thou

ght

take

sup

mor

efl

exib

le

posi

tion

ings

orpo

siti

onal

itie

sin

soci

al,

poli

tica

lan

dcr

itic

alth

ough

t.

biol

ogic

alfo

unda

tion

that

ispr

ior

toso

cial

and

cultu

ral

infl

uenc

e.

Sim

one

deB

eauv

oir

had

disc

redi

ted

this

view

with

the

asse

rtio

nth

at

‘one

isno

tbo

rna

wom

an,

one

beco

mes

aw

oman

’.Fo

rde

Bea

uvoi

r,

the

cate

gory

ofge

nder

iden

tity

was

not

dete

rmin

edby

one’

sbi

olog

ical

sex;

rath

erge

nder

isa

soci

alco

nstr

uct,

whi

chca

nbe

resi

sted

thro

ugh

soci

alan

dpo

litic

alst

rugg

le.

For

rece

nt‘a

nti-

esse

ntia

list’

fem

inis

tth

inke

rs,

Sim

one

deB

eauv

oir’

s

mod

elof

sex/

gend

erdo

esno

tgo

far

enou

gh.

By

leav

ing

the

biol

ogic

al

cate

gory

ofse

xun

exam

ined

,B

eauv

oir

had

faile

dto

ques

tion

the

very

scie

ntif

icex

plan

atio

n(w

omen

’sbi

olog

ical

diff

eren

cefr

omm

en)

that

was

used

toju

stif

yw

omen

’sop

pres

sion

and

disc

rim

inat

ion.

As

Judi

th

But

ler

argu

esin

Gen

der

Trou

ble

(199

0),

the

pred

omin

ant

unde

rsta

ndin

g

ofse

xas

abi

olog

ical

cate

gory

,w

hich

ispr

ior

toso

cial

and

cultu

ral

infl

u

ence

,ig

nore

sho

wse

xca

non

lybe

mad

ein

telli

gibl

eth

roug

hth

edo

min

ant

disc

ours

esof

med

icin

ean

dth

ech

urch

,as

wel

las

the

fam

ily

and

educ

atio

nal

inst

itutio

ns.

Wha

tB

utle

rm

eans

bydi

scou

rse

inth

is

.1•1’ I ..i.

TH

IRD

WO

RL

DW

OM

EN

13

74K

EY

IDE

AS

cont

ext

isno

tm

erel

yla

ngua

ge,

but

the

pow

erof

lang

uage

inth

eha

nds

ofdo

min

ant

soci

alin

stitu

tions

toco

nstr

uct

and

dete

rmin

ehu

man

iden

tity.

For

exam

ple,

atth

em

omen

tof

child

birt

h,th

em

idw

ife’

sas

sert

ion

that

‘it’s

agi

rl’

imm

edia

tely

nam

esan

dde

fine

sa

child

acco

rdin

gto

the

rule

san

dno

rms

ofa

patr

iarc

hal

soci

ety.

Like

But

ler,

Fren

chfe

min

ist

inte

llect

uals

such

asL

uce

Irig

aray

(193

9—)

and

Julia

Kri

stev

a(1

94-1

—)

gene

rally

agre

ew

ithde

Bea

uvoi

rth

atth

eca

tego

ryof

fem

inin

eid

entit

yis

aso

cial

cons

truc

t.H

owev

er,

this

does

not m

ean

that

gend

erid

entit

yca

nsi

mpl

ybe

resi

sted

orav

oide

dat

will

.In

deed

,th

edi

scou

rse

ofge

nder

iden

tity

isre

info

rced

and

regu

late

dby

pow

erfu

lpa

tria

rcha

lin

stitu

tions

such

asth

eFa

mily

,th

eSt

ate,

Edu

catio

n,th

eLa

wan

dth

eM

edia

.Fo

rSp

ivak

,th

ew

ork

ofL

uce

Irig

aray

and

Julia

Kri

stev

aha

sbe

enve

ryin

flue

ntia

lin

rede

fini

ngth

ete

rms

ofw

este

rnfe

min

ist

thou

ght.

In‘F

emin

ism

and

Cri

tical

The

ory’

,fo

rex

ampl

e,Sp

ivak

argu

esth

at:

My

own

defi

niti

onof

aw

oman

isve

rysi

mpl

e:it

rest

son

the

wor

dm

an’

asus

edin

text

sth

atpr

ovid

eth

efo

unda

tion

for

the

corn

erof

the

liter

ary

crit

icis

mes

tab

lish

men

t tha

tI i

nhab

it,Y

oum

ight

say

that

this

isa

reac

tion

ary

posi

tion.

Sho

uld

I not

carv

eou

tan

inde

pend

ent

defi

niti

onfo

rm

ysel

fas

aw

oman

?

(Spi

vak

1987

:77

)

Spiv

ak’s

‘def

initi

on’

reca

llsL

uce

Irig

aray

’sar

gum

ent

inTh

isSe

xW

hich

isN

otO

neth

at‘F

orth

eel

abor

atio

nof

ath

eory

ofw

oman

,m

enI

thin

ksu

ffic

e’(I

riga

ray

1985

:12

3).

Like

Irig

aray

,Sp

ivak

sugg

ests

that

‘ind

epe

nden

t’de

fini

tions

ofw

oman

alw

ays

risk

falli

ngpr

eyto

the

very

bina

ryop

posi

tions

that

perp

etua

tew

omen

’ssu

bord

inat

ion

incu

ltur

ean

dso

ciet

y.A

gain

stth

isbi

nary

syst

emof

thin

king

,Sp

ivak

prop

oses

acr

itica

lst

rate

gy,

whi

chm

imes

the

nega

tive

repr

esen

tati

onof

min

orit

ygr

oups

such

asw

omen

,th

esu

balte

rnor

the

wor

king

clas

s.Sp

ivak

refe

rsto

this

criti

cal

stra

tegy

asst

rate

gic

esse

ntia

lism

.Sp

ivak

’sco

ntri

buti

onto

cont

empo

rary

fem

inis

tth

ough

thas

cert

ainl

ybe

enin

form

edby

Fren

chfe

min

ist

thin

kers

such

asL

uce

Irig

aray

and

Hél

ène

Cix

ous.

Yet

Spiv

akha

ssh

ifte

dth

efo

cus

ofth

ees

sent

ialis

t deb

ate

from

aco

ncer

nw

ithse

xual

diff

eren

cebe

twee

nm

enan

dw

omen

toa

focu

son

cultu

ral

diff

eren

ces

betw

een

wom

enin

the

‘Thi

rdW

orld

’an

dw

omen

inth

e‘F

irst

Wor

ld’.

In‘F

renc

hFe

min

ism

inan

Inte

rnat

iona

lFr

ame’

(198

1),

for

inst

ance

,

ST

RA

TE

GIC

ES

SE

NT

IAL

ISM

The

idea

ofst

rate

gic

esse

ntia

lism

acce

pts

that

esse

ntia

list

cate

gori

esof

hum

anid

entit

ysh

ould

becr

itic

ised

,bu

tem

phas

ises

that

one

cann

otav

oid

usin

gsu

chca

tego

ries

atti

mes

inor

der

tom

ake

sens

eof

the

soci

alan

dpo

lit

ical

wor

ld.

Inth

epl

ace

ofan

uncr

itic

alth

eory

ofes

sent

iali

sm,

Spiv

ak’s

earl

yco

ntri

buti

ons

tofe

min

ist

and

post

colo

nial

theo

ry(d

urin

gth

e19

80s)

prop

osed

a‘s

trat

egic

use

ofes

sent

iali

smin

asc

rupu

lous

lyvi

sibl

epo

litic

al

inte

rest

’(S

piva

k19

87:

205)

.Fo

rm

inor

itygr

oups

,in

part

icul

ar,

the

use

ofes

sent

iali

smas

ash

ort-

term

stra

tegy

toaf

firm

apo

litic

alid

entit

yca

nbe

effe

ctiv

e,as

long

asth

isid

entit

ydo

esno

tthe

nge

tfix

edas

anes

sent

ial

cat-

egor

yby

ado

min

ant

grou

p.Fo

rex

ampl

e,th

eaf

firm

atio

nof

quee

rnes

sas

apo

sitiv

ete

rmof

iden

tifi

cati

ondu

ring

Gay

Pri

dem

arch

esca

nbe

anef

fect

ive

polit

ical

stra

tegy

for

resi

stin

gho

mop

hobi

ain

publ

ic,

urba

nsp

ace.

Sim

ilarl

y,

in‘N

ewE

thni

citie

s’(1

988)

Stu

art

Hal

lar

gues

that

the

affi

rmat

ion

ofet

hnic

ity

asa

posi

tive

term

ofid

enti

fica

tion

for

diff

eren

t‘B

lack

Bri

tish’

min

ority

grou

psca

nbe

anef

fect

ive

stra

tegy

for

rede

fini

ngE

ngli

shne

ssan

dE

nglis

hcu

ltur

efr

omth

est

andp

oint

ofdi

ffer

ent

min

ority

grou

ps.

And

in‘U

nder

Wes

tern

Eyes

’C

hand

raT

alpa

deM

ohan

tyde

scri

bes

how

‘Ira

nian

mid

dle-

clas

sw

omen

veile

dth

emse

lves

duri

ngth

e19

79re

volu

tion

[inIr

an]

toin

dica

teso

lidar

ityw

ithth

eir

wor

king

-cla

sssi

ster

s’(M

ohan

ty19

88:

78).

Thi

s

latte

r,co

ntex

t-sp

ecif

icst

rate

gycl

earl

ych

alle

nges

the

com

mon

assu

mpt

ion

that

the

veil

isal

way

sa

sign

ofw

omen

’sop

pres

sion

byre

pres

sive

patr

iarc

hal

Isla

mic

law

s.Y

etas

Spiv

akpo

ints

out

inan

inte

rvie

ww

ithE

llen

Roo

ney

abou

tth

equ

esti

onof

stra

tegi

ces

sent

iali

sma

stra

tegy

suit

sa

situ

atio

na

stra

tegy

isn

ota

theo

ry’

(Spi

vak

1993

:4)

.S

trat

egic

esse

ntia

lism

isth

usm

ost

effe

ctiv

eas

aco

ntex

t-sp

ecif

icst

rate

gy,

but

itca

nnot

prov

ide

alo

ng-t

erm

polit

ical

solu

tion

toen

dop

pres

sion

and

expl

oita

tion.

Spiv

akid

entif

ies

ate

nden

cyin

som

eFr

ench

fem

inis

ttho

ught

tode

scri

beth

eex

peri

ence

sof

‘Thi

rdW

orld

wom

en’

inth

ete

rms

ofw

este

rnfe

mal

esu

bjec

tco

nsti

tuti

on.

Such

anap

proa

chcl

earl

yig

nore

sso

me

very

impo

rtan

tdi

ffer

ence

sin

cult

ure,

hist

ory,

lang

uage

and

soci

alcl

ass.

Spiv

akde

velo

psth

isar

gum

ent

furt

her

inhe

rre

adin

gof

the

shor

tst

ory

‘Bre

ast

Giv

er’

byM

ahas

wet

aD

evi.

InSp

ivak

’sar

gum

ent,

the

exper

ien

ces

ofD

evi’

ssu

balte

rnfe

mal

epr

otag

onis

t,Ja

shod

a,ch

alle

nge

the

assu

mpt

ion

prev

alen

tin

wes

tern

fem

inis

mth

atch

ildbi

rth

isun

wag

ed

I 1-

TH

IRD

WO

RL

DW

OM

EN

75

76K

EY

IDE

AS

dom

estic

labo

ur.

In‘B

reas

t Giv

er’,

Jash

oda

isem

ploy

edas

apr

ofes

sion

alm

othe

rin

anup

per-

clas

sB

rahm

inho

useh

old

tosu

ppor

the

rcr

ippl

edhu

sban

d,K

anga

li.A

sSp

ivak

emph

asis

es,

Jash

oda’

sre

prod

ucti

vebo

dyan

dbr

east

milk

are

valu

able

reso

urce

sw

hich

nour

ish

the

uppe

r-cl

ass

Hal

dar

hous

ehol

d,an

dar

ea

sour

ceof

inco

me

for

Jash

oda’

scr

ippl

edhu

sban

d.Y

etth

eco

ntin

ued

expl

oita

tion

ofJa

shod

a’s

repr

oduc

tive

,m

ater

nal

body

final

lyca

uses

her

tosu

ffer

apa

infu

l dea

thfr

omun

trea

ted

brea

stca

ncer

.Fo

rth

isre

ason

,Sp

ivak

argu

esth

atth

efi

ctio

nal

char

acte

rJa

shod

a‘c

alls

into

ques

tion

that

aspe

ctof

Wes

tern

Mar

xist

fem

inis

mw

hich

,fr

omth

epo

int

ofvi

ewof

wor

k,tr

ivia

lizes

the

theo

ryof

valu

ean

d,fr

omth

epo

int

ofvi

ewof

mot

heri

ngas

wor

k,ig

nore

sth

em

othe

ras

subj

ect’

(Spi

vak

1987

:25

8).

Jash

oda’

sex

peri

ence

sas

apr

ofes

sion

alm

othe

ran

dw

etnu

rse

thus

chal

leng

eth

eun

iver

sal

clai

ms

ofw

este

rnfe

min

ism

tosp

eak

for

all

wom

en.

UN

LE

AR

NIN

GA

ND

TH

EC

RIT

IQU

EO

FW

ES

TE

RN

FE

MIN

ISM

The

lives

and

stru

ggle

sof

‘Thi

rdW

orld

’w

omen

such

asJa

shod

am

ayal

sose

emfa

rre

mov

edfr

omth

epr

actic

eof

read

ing

liter

ary

text

sor

fem

inis

tth

eory

ina

univ

ersi

tycl

assr

oom

.Y

etfo

rSp

ivak

,th

ispr

ivile

ged

dist

ance

from

the

lives

ofop

pres

sed

wom

enin

the

‘Thi

rdW

orld

’do

esno

tm

ean

that

one

shou

ldsi

mpl

yfo

rget

abou

tth

edi

sem

pow

ered

.R

athe

r,Sp

ivak

emph

asis

esho

wan

yac

tof

read

ing

(esp

ecia

llyin

the

wes

tern

univ

ersi

tycl

assr

oom

)ca

nha

veso

cial

and

polit

ical

cons

equ

ence

s.In

‘Pra

ctic

alPo

litic

sof

the

Ope

nE

nd’,

for

exam

ple,

Spiv

akar

gues

that

‘the

man

ipul

atio

nof

Thi

rdW

orld

labo

rsu

stai

n[s]

the

con

tinue

dre

sour

ces

ofth

eU

.S.

acad

emy’

(Spi

vak

1990

:97

).T

his

mat

eria

list

appr

oach

tore

adin

gis

deve

lope

dm

ore

expl

icitl

yin

aco

nver

satio

nbe

twee

nG

ayat

riSp

ivak

,D

eepi

kaB

ahri

and

Mar

yV

asud

eva

abou

tth

elim

itsof

fem

inis

tre

adin

gpr

actic

esw

ithre

gard

toth

eex

ploi

tatio

nof

wom

enw

orke

rsin

hom

ewor

king

econ

omie

s.A

sSp

ivak

stat

es:

The

fem

inis

tan

thol

ogy

[...j

over

look

sco

mpl

etel

yth

isin

cred

ibly

impo

rtan

tis

sue

ofth

em

ost

impo

rtan

tex

ampl

eof

gen

der

ing

inne

o-co

loni

alis

m:

wom

en

inho

mew

orki

ng—

the

wom

enin

expo

rtpro

cess

ing

zone

san

dex

port

-bas

ed

fore

ign

inv

estm

ent

fact

orie

s,su

bco

ntr

acti

ng

area

s.

(Spi

vak

1996

a:12

)

Rat

her

than

igno

ring

the

polit

ical

oppr

essi

onof

dise

mpo

wer

ed

grou

ps,

Spiv

akha

spe

rsis

tent

lych

alle

nged

the

sanc

tione

dig

nora

nce

of

wes

tern

acad

emic

para

digm

sto

war

ds‘T

hird

Wor

ld’

wom

enth

roug

h

wha

tsh

ete

rms,

apr

ojec

tof

‘un-

lear

ning

our

priv

ilege

asou

rlo

ss’

(Spi

vak

1990

:9)

.\T

his

proj

ect

invo

lves

reco

gnis

ing

how

dom

inan

t

repr

esen

tatio

nsof

the

wor

ldin

lite

ratu

re,

hist

ory

orth

em

edia

enco

urag

epe

ople

tofo

rget

abou

tth

eliv

esan

dex

peri

ence

sof

dise

m

pow

ered

grou

ps.

The

conc

ept

ofun

lear

ning

inSp

ivak

’sw

ork

has

also

had

asi

gnif

ican

t

impa

cton

fem

inis

tth

eory

and

criti

cism

.In

‘Und

erW

este

rnEy

es:

Fem

inis

tSc

hola

rshi

pan

dC

olon

ial

Dis

cour

ses’

(198

8)C

hand

raT

alpa

de

Moh

anty

has

criti

cise

da

tend

ency

inw

este

rnfe

min

ist

scho

lars

hip

to

‘col

oniz

eth

em

ater

ial

and

hist

oric

alhe

tero

gene

itie

sof

the

lives

of

wom

enin

the

Thi

rdW

orld

’(M

ohan

ty19

88:

66).

Wha

tis

mor

e,

Moh

anty

argu

esth

at‘a

ssum

ptio

nsof

priv

ilege

and

ethn

ocen

tric

univ

er

salit

yon

the

one

hand

,an

din

adeq

uate

self

-con

scio

usne

ssab

out

the

effe

ctof

wes

tern

scho

lars

hip

onth

e“T

hird

Wor

ld”

inth

eco

ntex

tof

a

wor

ldsy

stem

dom

inat

edby

the

wes

ton

the

othe

r,ch

arac

teri

sea

size

-

able

exte

ntof

wes

tern

fem

inis

tw

ork

onw

omen

inth

e‘T

hird

Wor

ld’

(Moh

anty

1998

:66

).In

Moh

anty

’svi

ew,

thes

e‘a

ssum

ptio

nsof

priv

il

ege

and

ethn

ocen

tric

univ

ersa

lity’

can

have

ada

mag

ing

effe

cton

diff

eren

tw

omen

livin

gin

the

‘Thi

rdW

orld

’.

An

exam

ple

ofth

ispr

oble

mis

also

seen

inM

ohse

nM

akhm

alba

f’s

Kan

daha

r(2

001)

,a

film

whi

chex

plor

esth

epo

sitio

nof

wom

enliv

ing

inA

fgha

nist

anun

der

the

Tal

iban

regi

me.

Thr

ough

out

the

film

,

Mak

hmal

baf

repe

ated

lyem

phas

ises

how

the

wea

ring

ofa

burk

ais

an

uneq

uivo

cal

sign

ofw

omen

’ssu

bjug

atio

n.T

hepr

oble

mw

ith

such

a

cine

mat

icre

pres

enta

tion

isth

atit

can

rein

forc

ea

trag

icst

ereo

type

of

the

‘Thi

rdW

orld

’w

oman

asa

pass

ive

vict

im,

whe

real

lw

omen

who

are

seen

tow

ear

burk

asor

veils

byw

este

rnvi

ewer

sw

illbe

rega

rded

a

prio

rias

anop

pres

sed

grou

p.A

sM

ohan

tyem

phas

ises

,ho

wev

er,

ther

e

are

part

icul

arci

rcum

stan

ces

and

cont

exts

whe

nw

omen

have

deli

ber

atel

ych

osen

tow

ear

the

veil.

As

disc

usse

dab

ove

(see

p.75

),du

ring

the

Iran

ian

revo

luti

onin

1979

,m

iddl

e-cl

ass

wom

enac

tivel

ych

ose

to

wea

rth

eve

ilas

asi

gnof

solid

arity

wit

hth

eir

wor

king

-cla

sssi

ster

s.

Sim

ilarl

y,du

ring

the

Alg

eria

nW

arof

Inde

pend

ence

,A

lger

ian

wom

en

used

the

haik

toco

ncea

lw

eapo

nsan

dsu

pplie

sin

the

stru

ggle

agai

nstt

he

Fren

chco

loni

alad

min

istr

atio

nin

Alg

eria

.Su

chca

ses

are

addr

esse

d

furt

her

inFr

antz

Fano

n’s

book

AD

ying

Col

onia

lism

(197

0)an

dG

illo

L-4. I I I

TH

IRD

WO

RL

DW

OM

EN

77

78K

EY

IDE

AS

Pont

ecor

vo’s

film

The

Bat

tleof

Alg

iers

(196

6),

and

exem

plif

yho

ww

omen

have

activ

ely

part

icip

ated

indi

ffer

ent

anti-

colo

nial

resi

stan

cem

ovem

ents

,an

dar

eno

tsi

mpl

yop

pres

sed.

FR

EN

CH

FE

MIN

ISM

INA

NIN

TE

RN

AT

ION

AL

FR

AM

ES

PIV

AK

ON

KR

IST

EV

A

Like

Cha

ndra

Tal

pade

Moh

anty

,Sp

ivak

has

ques

tione

dth

eun

iver

sal

clai

ms

ofso

me

wes

tern

fem

inis

tsto

spea

kfo

ral

lw

omen

,re

gard

less

ofcu

ltura

ldi

ffer

ence

s.In

‘Fre

nch

Fem

inis

min

anIn

tern

atio

nal

Fram

e’Sp

ivak

trac

esa

narc

issi

stic

tend

ency

inth

eFr

ench

fem

inis

tth

ough

tof

Julia

Kri

stev

a(1

941—

)to

repr

esen

tth

ehi

stor

ies

and

lives

ofC

hine

sew

omen

inth

ete

rms

ofw

este

rnfe

mal

esu

bjec

t con

stit

utio

n.Sp

ivak

pre

fac

esth

isre

adin

gof

Kri

stev

aw

itha

disc

ussi

onof

the

limita

tions

ofw

este

rnac

adem

icfe

min

ism

from

her

own

stan

dpoi

ntas

anup

per-

clas

s,ed

ucat

edIn

dian

wom

an,

who

emig

rate

dto

the

USA

inth

eea

rly

I960

s.Sp

ivak

wri

tes:

The

‘cho

ice’

ofE

ngli

shH

onor

sby

anupper

-cla

ssyo

ung

wom

anin

the

Cal

cutt

aof

the

fiftie

sw

asits

elf

high

lyov

erde

term

ined

,B

ecom

ing

apr

ofes

sor

ofE

nglis

hin

the

US

fitte

din

with

the

brai

ndr

ain’

.In

due

cour

se,

aco

mm

itm

ent

tofe

mi

nism

was

the

best

ofa

colle

ctio

nof

acce

ssib

lesc

enar

ios.

(Spi

vak

1987

:13

6)

As

aned

ucat

edw

oman

,w

hogr

adua

ted

with

afi

rst-

clas

sE

nglis

hho

nour

sde

gree

from

the

Uni

vers

ityof

Cal

cutta

,be

fore

goin

gon

tote

ach

Eng

lish

lite

ratu

rein

the

USA

duri

ngth

eI9

70s

and

1980

s,Sp

ivak

’sde

cisi

onto

com

mit

tofe

min

ism

can

bese

ento

chal

leng

eth

eco

nser

vativ

ism

ofE

nglis

hlit

erar

yst

udie

s,bo

thin

the

USA

and

Indi

a.Y

et,

Spiv

ak’s

self

-cri

tical

emph

asis

isal

soan

atte

mpt

tom

ake

sens

eof

the

hist

oric

alan

dso

cial

cond

ition

sw

hich

led

tohe

rem

igra

tion

toth

eU

SA.

Rec

allin

ga

child

hood

mem

ory

ofhe

rgr

andf

athe

r’s

esta

teon

the

Bih

ar—

Ben

gal

bord

erin

the

195O

s,Sp

ivak

desc

ribe

sov

erhe

arin

ga

conv

ersa

tion

betw

een

two

‘was

herw

omen

’ab

out

the

owne

rshi

pof

the

land

byth

eE

ast

Indi

aC

ompa

ny.

Bec

ause

the

mat

eria

lco

nditi

ons

ofth

ese

wom

en’s

lives

had

rem

aine

dth

esa

me

sinc

eth

eda

ysof

the

Eas

tIn

dia

Com

pany

,it

had

gone

unno

tice

dth

atth

ela

ndow

ners

hip

had

pass

edfr

omth

eE

ast

Indi

aC

ompa

nyto

the

Bri

tish

Raj

and

then

toth

ein

depe

nden

tre

publ

icin

Indi

a.A

tth

etim

e,Sp

ivak

had

conc

lude

dth

at

the

wom

en’s

desc

ript

ion

ofth

ela

ndw

ashi

stor

ical

lyin

accu

rate

,an

dth

atth

ein

depe

nden

tre

publ

icin

Indi

ano

wgo

vern

edth

ela

nd.

Thr

ough

aca

refu

lpr

oces

sof

unle

arni

ng,

how

ever

,th

em

atur

eSp

ivak

real

ises

that

this

initi

al‘p

reco

ciou

s’ju

dgem

ent

ofth

ew

omen

’ssi

tuat

edknow

ledg

eof

the

land

refl

ecte

dSp

ivak

’sow

ncl

ass-

base

das

sum

ptio

nsab

out

the

wom

en.

Such

ape

rson

alan

ecdo

teis

not

mer

ely

auto

biog

raph

ical

,bu

tsi

tuat

esSp

ivak

’scr

itici

smof

wes

tern

fem

inis

min

rela

tion

toth

ehi

stor

ical

ex

peri

ence

san

dev

eryd

ayliv

esof

dise

mpo

wer

edw

omen

inth

e‘T

hird

Wor

ld’.

The

was

herw

omen

’sfe

elin

gth

atth

eyha

veno

tbe

enem

anci

pate

dby

deco

loni

satio

nin

Indi

aal

sose

rves

tohi

ghlig

htth

elim

itatio

nsof

wes

tern

fem

inis

mto

war

ds‘T

hird

Wor

ld’

wom

en.

As

Spiv

akas

sert

s,‘[

t]he

acad

emic

fem

inis

tm

ust

lear

nto

lear

nfr

omth

em’

rath

erth

ansi

mpl

yco

rrec

ting

the

hist

oric

alex

peri

ence

sof

dise

mpo

wer

edw

omen

with

‘our

supe

rior

theo

ryan

den

light

ened

com

pass

ion’

(Spi

vak

1987

:13

5).

Spiv

akth

usca

utio

nsag

ains

tth

eun

iver

sal

clai

ms

ofw

este

rnfe

mi

nism

,an

dem

phas

ises

inst

ead

how

the

spec

ific

mat

eria

lco

nditi

ons,

hist

orie

san

dst

rugg

les

of‘T

hird

Wor

ld’

wom

enar

eof

ten

over

look

edby

wes

tern

fem

inis

m.

For

Spiv

ak,

this

prob

lem

ism

osts

trik

ingl

yex

empl

ifie

din

Julia

Kri

stev

a’s

book

Abo

utC

hine

seW

omen

(197

7).

Spiv

ak’s

criti

que

ofJu

liaK

rist

eva

focu

ses

initi

ally

onK

rist

eva’

sse

lf-co

nsci

ous

desc

ript

ion

ofa

scen

ein

Hux

ian,

avi

llage

that

isfo

rty

kilo

met

res

away

from

Xi’

an,

the

firs

tcap

italo

fChi

naaf

ter

itw

asun

ifie

din

the

seco

ndce

ntur

ysc

(Kri

stev

a19

77:

11).

Inth

isea

rly

sect

ion

ofth

ebo

ok,

Kri

stev

ade

scri

bes

anen

coun

ter

betw

een

hers

elf

and

agr

oup

ofC

hine

sepe

asan

tsin

the

villa

ge-s

quar

e:

An

enorm

ous

crow

dis

sitt

ing

inth

esu

n:th

eyw

ait

for

usw

ordl

essl

y,pe

rfec

tly

still

.C

alm

eyes

,no

tev

encu

riou

s,bu

tsl

ight

lyam

use

dor

anxi

ous:

inan

yca

se,

pier

cing

,an

dce

rtai

nof

belo

ngin

gto

aco

mm

unit

yw

ith

whi

chw

ew

illne

ver

have

anyt

hing

todo

.

(Kri

stev

a19

77:

11)

From

this

initi

alde

scri

ptio

nof

afa

ce-t

o-fa

ceen

coun

ter

with

avi

llage

com

mun

ityin

Chi

na,

itm

ight

appe

arth

atK

rist

eva

isco

ncer

ned

toen

gage

wit

han

dle

arn

from

the

hist

oric

alan

dcu

ltura

lex

peri

ence

sof

the

villa

gers

.B

utas

Spiv

akem

phas

ises

,K

rist

eva

seem

sm

ore

conc

erne

dw

ithho

whe

row

nid

entit

yas

aw

este

rnw

oman

isqu

estio

ned

inth

efa

ceof

the

sile

ntw

omen

inH

axia

n.

TH

IRD

WO

RL

DW

OM

EN

79

80K

EY

IDE

AS

Such

afo

cus

onth

ecr

isis

that

enco

unte

rsw

ithdi

ffer

ent

cultu

res

brin

gto

the

wes

tern

self

ishi

ghlig

hted

inK

rist

eva’

ssu

bseq

uent

ques

tion,

‘Who

issp

eaki

ng,

then

,bef

ore

the

star

eof

the

peas

ants

atH

uxia

n?’

(Kri

stev

a19

77:

15).

For

Spiv

ak,

Kri

stev

a’s

ques

tions

exem

plif

ya

tend

ency

inth

ew

ork

ofso

me

wes

tern

post

stru

ctur

alis

tin

telle

ctua

lsto

invo

keot

her

cultu

res

asa

way

ofch

alle

ngin

gth

eau

thor

ityof

wes

tern

know

ledg

ean

dsu

bjec

tivity

.A

sSp

ivak

stat

es:

Insp

ite

ofth

eir

occa

sion

alin

tere

stin

touch

ing

the

othe

rof

the

Wes

t,of

met

a

phys

ics,

ofca

pita

lism

,th

eir

repea

ted

ques

tion

isob

sess

ivel

yse

lf-c

entr

ed:

ifw

e

are

not

wha

tof

fici

alhi

stor

yan

dph

ilos

ophy

say

we

are,

who

then

are

we

(not

),

how

are

we

(not

)?

(Spi

vak

1987

:13

7)

Inth

ese

ctio

nen

titl

ed‘W

hois

Spea

king

?’K

rist

eva

isan

xiou

sto

dist

ance

her

own

proj

ect

from

earl

ier

anth

ropo

logi

cal

disc

ours

esw

hich

repr

esen

tno

n-w

este

rncu

lture

sas

prim

itive

orba

ckw

ard.

Such

dist

anci

ngta

kes

plac

ein

part

thro

ugh

are

vers

alof

the

lens

that

plac

esno

n-w

este

rncu

lture

sin

the

wes

tern

anth

ropo

logi

st’s

field

ofvi

sion

.R

athe

rth

anfo

cusi

ngon

the

villa

gers

asth

eob

ject

ofan

thro

polo

gica

lin

quir

y,K

rist

eva

initi

ally

reca

llsho

wth

evi

llage

rspe

rcei

vehe

ras

anou

tsid

er,

ora

fore

igne

r.Y

etde

spite

Kri

stev

a’s

appa

rent

com

mit

men

tto

touc

h‘t

heot

her

ofth

eW

est’

,Sp

ivak

argu

esth

atK

rist

eva’

spr

ojec

tre

mai

ns‘o

bses

sive

lyse

lf-c

entr

ed’

(Spi

vak

1987

:13

7).

Inde

ed,

Kri

stev

aab

ando

nshe

rco

mm

itm

ent

toen

gage

ina

dial

ogue

with

the

wom

enat

Hux

ian

whe

nsh

ere

alis

esth

atan

yat

tem

ptto

defi

neth

ega

zeof

the

peas

ants

isfu

tile

(Kri

stev

a19

77:

13),

and

does

noth

ing

tosu

rmou

ntth

e‘a

byss

oftim

ean

dsp

ace’

(Kri

stev

a19

77:

11)

that

she

perc

eive

sto

sepa

rate

the

part

yof

Fren

chin

telle

ctua

lsfr

omth

eH

uxia

nvi

llage

rs.

Kri

stev

aal

soid

entif

ies

how

her

subj

ectiv

ityas

aned

ucat

ed,

mid

dle-

clas

sFr

ench

-edu

cate

dw

oman

is‘m

ould

ed[.

..]

byun

iver

sal

hum

anis

m,

prol

etar

ian

brot

herh

ood,

and

(why

not?

)fa

lse

colo

nial

civi

lity’

(Kri

stev

a19

77:

13).

Such

clas

san

dcu

ltura

lde

term

inan

tsm

ayap

pear

tost

ifle

the

poss

ibili

tyof

acr

oss-

cultu

ral

dial

ogue

with

the

Hux

ian

villa

gers

.Y

et,

bytu

rnin

gto

the

hist

oric

allo

catio

nof

wom

enin

anci

ent

Chi

nese

soci

ety,

Kri

stev

aim

plie

sth

atan

unde

rsta

ndin

gof

wom

en’s

role

inC

hine

sehi

stor

yw

illof

fer

som

eac

cess

toth

eliv

esof

the

wom

enpe

asan

tsin

Hux

ian.

Kri

stev

ais

attr

acte

dto

the

anci

ent

mat

riar

chal

orig

ins

ofC

hina

beca

use

they

seem

topr

ovid

ean

alte

rnat

ive

fem

inis

tut

opia

that

con

trast

sw

ithth

epa

tria

rcha

lm

onot

heis

mof

wes

tern

thou

ght.

As

Spiv

ak

cont

ends

,ho

wev

er,

Kri

stev

a’s

emph

asis

onC

hine

sew

omen

and

anci

ent

mat

rilin

ear

soci

alst

ruct

ures

extr

apol

ates

the

cate

gory

ofw

oman

from

othe

rim

port

ant

soci

alan

dcu

ltura

lfa

ctor

sin

cont

empo

rary

Chi

na.

By

doin

gso

,K

rist

eva

shif

tsth

efo

cus

away

from

the

hist

oric

ally

spec

ific

expe

rien

ces

and

prac

tices

ofw

omen

inC

hina

todi

scus

sion

sab

outw

est

ern

wom

en.

For

Spiv

ak,

Kri

stev

a’s

self

-cen

tred

disc

ussi

onof

Chi

nese

wom

enis

furt

her

exem

plif

ied

byth

eus

eof

swee

ping

gene

ralis

atio

nsab

out

wom

en’s

hist

oric

alpo

sitio

nin

Chi

na.

For

inst

ance

,K

rist

eva

trac

esa

sign

ifica

ntbr

eak

‘inth

eru

les

ofki

nshi

p’in

Chi

naw

hich

took

plac

e

arou

nd10

00B

C(K

rist

eva

1977

:46

).T

his

brea

kos

tens

ibly

mar

ked

a

grad

ual

tran

sitio

nfr

oma

mat

rilin

ear

soci

alst

ruct

ure,

inw

hich

econ

omic

,te

rrit

oria

lan

dso

cial

rela

tions

wer

ere

gula

ted

byth

e

stro

nges

tw

oman

inth

eco

mm

unity

(Kri

stev

a19

77:

48),

toa

pat

ri

arch

alan

dfe

udal

syst

em.

As

Kri

stev

apu

tsit

:‘T

heO

rder

ofth

eFa

ther

s

repl

aces

the

Ord

erof

the

Mot

hers

,an

dth

eim

port

ance

ofth

em

ater

nal

uncl

em

aybe

seen

asa

tran

sitio

nal

step

tow

ards

the

patr

iline

ar—

and

late

rpa

tria

rcha

l—

inst

itut

ion

ofC

onfu

cian

ism

’(K

rist

eva

1977

:58

—9)

.

Byre

turn

ing

toth

ism

omen

tin

anci

ent

Chi

nese

hist

ory,

Kri

stev

a

emph

asis

esho

wth

etr

ansi

tion

from

am

atri

line

arso

cial

syst

emto

a

patr

iarc

hal,

feud

alec

onom

yw

asne

ver

com

plet

ed,

and

that

earl

ier

elem

ents

ofth

isan

cien

tmat

rilin

ear

stru

ctur

eha

vepe

rsis

ted

thro

ugho

ut

the

hist

ory

ofC

hina

.Fo

rSp

ivak

,w

hat

ispr

oble

mat

icab

out

this

re-r

eadi

ngof

Chi

nese

hist

ory

isth

ew

ayth

atan

cien

tm

atri

linea

lki

nshi

pst

ruct

ures

inC

hina

are

lifte

dto

supp

ort

Kri

stev

a’s

mor

ege

nera

lth

eory

ofth

e‘f

emin

ine’

.

Kri

stev

ain

voke

sth

ean

cien

tChi

nese

mat

riar

chto

coun

tera

ctth

ere

pre

s

sion

ofw

omen

’sbo

dies

inth

eE

urop

ean

psyc

hoan

alyt

icw

riti

ngof

Sigm

und

Freu

d(1

856—

1939

)an

dJa

cque

sL

acan

(190

1—81

).A

sI

will

now

brie

fly

sugg

est,

the

real

polit

ical

conc

ern

inK

rist

eva’

sA

bout

Chi

nese

Wom

enis

not

the

lived

,m

ater

ial

real

ities

ofpe

asan

tw

omen

inC

hina

,

but

the

theo

reti

calr

epre

ssio

nof

wom

en’s

bodi

lyex

iste

nce

inE

urop

ean

cultu

re.

As

Spiv

akar

gues

in‘F

renc

hFe

min

ism

inan

Inte

rnat

iona

lFr

ame’

Kri

stev

ais

not

prim

arily

conc

erne

dw

ithth

ehi

stor

ical

posi

tion

that

wom

enoc

cupy

with

inC

hine

secu

ltur

ean

dso

ciet

ype

rS

e.Sp

ivak

TH

IRD

WO

RL

DW

OM

EN

81

82K

EY

IDE

AS

cont

ends

that

Kri

stev

a’s

utop

ian

view

ofth

ean

cien

tC

hine

sem

atri

arch

effe

ctiv

ely

igno

res

the

cont

empo

rary

cultu

ral

prac

tices

ofw

omen

inC

hina

:‘t

he“c

lass

ical

”Ea

stis

stud

ied

with

prim

itivi

stic

reve

renc

e,ev

enas

the

“con

tem

pora

ry”

Eas

tis

trea

ted

with

real

polit

ikal

cont

empt

’(S

piva

k19

87:

138)

.C

iting

the

exam

ple

ofth

eFa

llfr

omth

eG

arde

nof

Ede

nin

Gen

esis

,K

rist

eva

asse

rts

how

,in

the

Juda

eo-C

hris

tian

wes

t,‘m

onot

heis

ticun

ityis

sust

aine

dby

ara

dica

l sep

arat

ion

ofth

ese

xes’

(Kri

stev

a19

77:

19).

For

Kri

stev

a,th

isea

rly

exam

ple

ofse

xual

diff

eren

tiatio

nin

wes

tern

civi

lisa

tion

form

sth

eba

sis

for

subs

eque

ntm

odel

sof

wom

en’s

oppr

essi

on.

From

this

brie

f com

pari

son,

itm

ight

appe

arth

atK

rist

eva’

sfo

cus

onw

omen

inC

hina

offe

rsa

pow

erfu

l,ut

opia

nco

unte

rpoi

ntto

wes

tern

theo

ries

offe

min

inity

inw

este

rncu

ltur

e.A

sSp

ivak

emph

asis

es,

how

ever

,K

rist

eva’

sA

bout

Chi

nese

Wom

enill

ustr

ates

ate

nden

cyof

som

ew

este

rnfe

min

ist

thou

ght

tode

fine

the

very

part

icul

arex

peri

ence

sof

‘Thi

rdW

orld

’w

omen

inth

ege

nera

lte

rms

ofw

este

rnw

omen

’sse

xual

righ

tsan

dpo

litic

also

vere

ignt

y.N

otin

gK

rist

eva’

sut

opia

npr

edic

tion

for

the

‘sex

ual

free

dom

’of

Chi

nese

wom

en,

Spiv

akcr

itici

ses

this

‘pre

dic

tion

abou

tC

hina

’on

the

grou

nds

that

itis

‘sym

ptom

atic

ofa

colo

nial

ist

bene

vole

nce’

(Spi

vak

1987

:1 3

8).

Inde

ed,

Spiv

akis

scep

tical

ofw

heth

erK

rist

eva’

sm

odel

can

actu

ally

bene

fit t

heliv

esof

Chi

nese

wom

enat

all,

whe

nth

ecr

itica

l foc

usre

mai

nsce

ntre

don

the

‘inv

estig

ator

assu

bjec

t’(S

piva

k19

87:

150)

.A

sSp

ivak

argu

es,

‘Ins

titut

iona

lch

ange

sag

ains

tse

xism

(inth

eU

SA]

orin

Fran

cem

aym

ean

noth

ing,

orin

dire

ctly

,fu

rthe

rha

rmfo

rw

omen

inth

eT

hird

Wor

ld’

(Spi

vak

1987

:15

0).

To

coun

ter

this

impo

sitio

n,Sp

ivak

prop

oses

anad

ditio

nal

focu

sto

the

ques

tions

Kri

stev

aas

ksin

Hux

ian

Squa

re.

Such

afo

cus

wou

ldas

kth

efo

llow

ing

ques

tions

:‘N

otm

erel

yw

hoam

I?B

utw

hois

the

othe

rw

oman

?H

owam

Ina

min

ghe

r?H

owdo

essh

ena

me

me?

’(S

piva

k19

87:

150)

.W

itho

utth

ese

cruc

ial

ques

tions

,Sp

ivak

insi

sts

that

the

‘“co

loni

zed

wom

an”

assu

bjec

t’in

Kri

stev

a’s

mod

elw

ill‘s

ee“f

emin

ism

”as

havi

nga

vang

uard

ist

clas

sfix

,th

eli

ber

ties

itfig

hts

for

aslu

xuri

es,

final

lyid

entif

iabl

ew

ith

“fre

ese

x”of

one

kind

oran

othe

r’(S

piva

k19

87:

150)

.Fo

rSp

ivak

,K

rist

eva’

sre

volu

tion

ary

char

acte

risa

tion

ofw

omen

’sse

xual

desi

reis

too

stra

ight

forw

ard,

and

igno

res

impo

rtan

tcu

ltura

lan

dcl

ass

diff

eren

ces

betw

een

wom

en.

Inst

ead,

Spiv

aktr

ies

toch

art

am

ore

soph

istic

ated

map

or‘g

eogr

aphy

offe

mal

ese

xual

ity’.

TH

EG

EO

GR

AP

HY

OF

FE

MA

LE

SE

XU

AL

ITY

In‘F

renc

hFe

min

ism

inan

Inte

rnat

iona

lFr

ame’

Spiv

akqu

estio

nsw

heth

erth

eva

lori

satio

nof

wom

en’s

non-

repr

oduc

tive

sexu

alpl

easu

rein

Fren

chfe

min

ist t

houg

htis

anef

fect

ive

polit

ical

goal

for

‘Thi

rdW

orld

’w

omen

.In

voki

ngth

epr

actic

eof

clit

orid

ecto

my

ince

rtai

npa

rts

ofSu

dan,

Spiv

akqu

estio

nsth

eE

uroc

entr

icas

sum

ptio

nth

atcl

itor

idec

tom

yis

excl

usiv

ely

ari

tual

impo

sed

on‘T

hird

Wor

ld’

wom

en‘in

rem

ote

and

prim

itive

soci

etie

s’(S

piva

k19

87:

151)

.Sp

ivak

emph

asis

esin

stea

dth

at‘s

ymbo

liccl

itor

idec

tom

y’,

orth

ere

pres

sion

offe

mal

ese

xual

ity,

‘has

alw

ays

been

the

“nor

mal

”ac

cess

ion

tow

oman

hood

and

the

unac

know

ledg

edna

me

ofm

othe

rhoo

d’(S

piva

k19

87:

151)

.By

re-d

efin

ing

clito

ride

ctom

yas

the

sym

bolic

repr

essi

onof

all

fem

ale

sexu

alpl

easu

re,

Spiv

akth

ussu

gges

tsth

atcl

itor

idec

tom

yis

the

gene

ral

cond

ition

ofw

omen

’sso

cial

and

econ

omic

oppr

essi

on.

Wha

tis

atst

ake

inSp

ivak

’sdi

scus

sion

ofcl

itor

idec

tom

yis

how

the

‘eff

acem

ent

ofth

ecl

itori

s,of

wom

en’s

sexu

alpl

easu

re[.

..]

can

beco

nsid

ered

am

eton

ymy

ofw

omen

’sso

cial

and

sexu

alst

atus

’(G

rosz

inSp

ivak

1990

:10

).Pu

tm

ore

sim

ply,

the

dom

inan

ceof

patr

iarc

hal

soci

alre

latio

nsde

pend

son

the

defi

nitio

nof

wom

en’s

repr

oduc

tive

bodi

esas

the

lega

lob

ject

s,or

priv

ate

prop

erty

,of

men

.C

lito

ride

ctom

yth

usre

fers

toth

esy

mbo

licef

face

men

tof

wom

en’s

non-

repr

oduc

tive

sexu

alde

sire

asa

way

ofre

prod

ucin

gpa

tria

rcha

ldo

min

ance

.A

gain

stth

isef

face

men

tof

wom

en’s

non-

repr

oduc

tive

sexu

alde

sire

,Sp

ivak

prop

oses

the

follo

win

gcr

itica

lta

sk:

Inve

stig

atio

nof

the

effa

cem

ent

ofth

ecl

itor

is—

wh

ere

clit

orid

ecto

my

isa

met

onym

for

wom

ens

defi

niti

onas

‘leg

alo

bje

ctas

subje

ctof

repr

oduc

tion

’—

wou

ldpe

rsis

tent

lyse

ekto

de-n

orm

aliz

eut

erin

eso

cial

orga

niza

tion

.

(Spi

vak

1987

:15

2)

Byin

vest

igat

ing

the

‘eff

acem

ent

ofth

ecl

itori

s’Sp

ivak

trie

sto

dem

onst

rate

how

patr

iarc

hal

soci

alre

latio

nsha

veob

ject

ifie

dw

omen

’sre

prod

ucti

vebo

dies

.Y

etin

doin

gso

,Sp

ivak

reco

gnis

esth

atth

ere

isa

dang

erth

atfe

min

ism

will

bepe

rcei

ved

asan

excl

usiv

ely

wes

tern

mov

em

ent,

whi

chdo

esno

tre

cogn

ise

the

plig

htof

wom

enin

the

‘Thi

rdW

orld

’.A

gain

stth

ispe

rcep

tion

,Sp

ivak

deve

lops

am

ore

situ

ated

fram

ew

ork

that

focu

ses

onth

edi

ffer

ent

way

sth

atw

omen

’sre

prod

ucti

vebo

dies

are

obje

ctif

ied

onbo

thsi

des

ofth

egl

obal

polit

ical

econ

omy.

TH

IRD

WO

RL

DW

OM

EN

83

84K

EY

DE

AS

Inth

e‘F

irst

Wor

ld’,

‘the

uter

ine

norm

ofw

oman

hood

’pr

ovid

esth

e

supp

ort

for

‘the

entir

ead

vanc

edca

pita

list

econ

omy’

whi

ch‘h

inge

son

hom

ebu

ying

’an

d‘t

hesa

nctit

yof

the

nucl

ear

fam

ily’

(Spi

vak

1987

:

153)

.In

the

‘less

deve

lope

dco

untr

ies’

,Sp

ivak

argu

esth

atth

e‘r

epre

s

sion

ofth

ecl

itori

sas

the

sign

ifie

rof

the

sexe

dsu

bjec

t[.

..]o

pera

tes

the

spec

ific

oppr

essi

onof

wom

en,

asth

elo

wes

tlev

elof

the

chea

pla

bor

that

the

mul

ti-na

tiona

l cor

pora

tion

sem

ploy

byre

mot

eco

ntro

lin

the

extr

ac

tion

of(p

rofi

t]’

(Spi

vak

1987

:15

3).

One

ofSp

ivak

’scl

eare

stac

coun

tsof

the

geog

raph

yof

fem

ale

sexu

ality

isse

enin

her

read

ing

oflD

evi’

ssh

ort

stor

y‘B

reas

tG

iver

’,w

hich

has

alre

ady

been

men

tion

edse

vera

ltim

es.

Aai

nst

Fren

chfe

min

ist

theo

rist

sw

hova

lori

sew

omen

’sno

n-re

prod

ucti

vese

xual

plea

sure

asa

univ

ersa

lst

rate

gyfo

rw

omen

’spo

litic

alre

sist

ance

,Sp

ivak

argu

esth

at

in‘B

reas

tG

iver

’‘w

ese

eca

ncer

rath

erth

anth

ecl

itora

lor

gasm

asth

e

exce

ssof

the

wom

an’s

body

’(S

piva

k19

93:

90).

‘Bre

ast

Giv

er’

dram

ati

the

expl

oita

tion

and

grue

som

ede

ath

ofJa

shod

a,a

suba

ltern

wom

an

char

acte

rin

Dev

i’s

hist

oric

alfi

ctio

n,w

hois

empl

oyed

asa

prof

essi

onal

mot

her

and

aw

etnu

rse

inth

eup

per-

clas

sho

useh

old

ofth

eH

alda

r

fam

ilyin

post

-ind

epen

denc

eB

enga

l.Sp

ivak

care

fully

follo

ws

Dev

i’s

desc

ript

ions

ofJa

shod

a’s

canc

erou

sbo

dyin

the

clos

ing

sequ

ence

ofth

e

stor

y,es

peci

ally

the

phra

se,

‘The

sore

son

her

brea

stke

ptm

ocki

nghe

r

with

ahu

ndre

dm

outh

s,a

hund

red

eyes

’(S

piva

k19

87:

260)

.Fo

r

Spiv

ak,

the

Sans

krit

root

ofth

eB

enga

liw

ord

for

moc

kery

(bya

ngo)

is

defo

rmed

(Spi

vak

1987

:26

0).

Inth

isre

adin

g,th

em

ater

ialit

yof

Jash

oda’

sca

ncer

ous

mat

erna

lbo

dyis

thus

seen

tom

ock

and

defo

rmth

e

bour

geoi

sna

tiona

list

met

apho

rof

Mot

her

Indi

a.‘W

hat

ism

ore,

Jash

oda’

sre

volt

ing

and

canc

erou

sm

ater

nal

body

offe

rsa

pow

erfu

lan

d

situ

ated

coun

terp

oint

toth

eun

iver

sal

valo

risa

tion

ofth

ecl

itora

lor

gasm

asa

spac

efo

rw

omen

’sem

bodi

edre

sist

ance

and

polit

ical

stru

ggle

by

som

eFr

ench

fem

inis

tth

eori

sts.

‘TH

RE

EW

OM

EN

’ST

EX

TS

’A

ND

AC

RIT

IQU

EO

FF

EM

AL

EIN

DIV

IDU

AL

ISM

Spiv

ak’s

dem

and

for

age

ogra

phy

offe

mal

ese

xual

ityis

deve

lope

d

furt

her

in‘T

hree

Wom

en’s

Tex

tsan

da

Cri

tique

ofIm

peri

alis

m’

(198

5),

anes

say

that

was

publ

ishe

din

the

US

jour

nal

Cri

tical

Inqu

iry.

Thi

ses

say

may

seem

tode

part

from

Spiv

ak’s

earl

ier

criti

que

ofFr

ench

fem

inis

tth

eory

(pub

lishe

din

1982

),an

dhe

rco

mm

enta

ries

on

The

stud

yof

disc

ours

ew

asor

igin

ally

deve

lope

dby

the

Fre

nch

phil

osop

her

Mic

hel

Fou

caul

t(1

926—

84).

InF

ouca

ult’

svi

ew,

disc

ours

esn

ot

sim

ply

abo

dy

ofw

ords

and

sen

ten

ces,

but

the

very

stru

cture

inw

hich

the

soci

alw

orld

is

cons

truc

ted

and

cont

roll

edas

anob

ject

ofkn

owle

dge.

Wha

tis

mor

e,

Fou

caul

tar

gued

that

‘itis

indi

scou

rse

that

pow

eran

dkn

owle

dge

are

join

ed

toge

ther

’(F

ouca

ult

1978

:10

0).

The

stud

yof

disc

ours

eis

thu

sin

sepa

rabl

e

from

the

stud

yof

inst

itut

iona

lpo

wer

,di

scip

line

and

dom

inat

ion

inw

este

rn

soci

etie

s.In

Ori

enta

lism

(197

8)E

dwar

dS

aid

expa

nds

Fou

caul

t’s

anal

ysis

of

regi

mes

ofdi

scou

rse,

pow

eran

dkn

owle

dge

inw

este

rnso

ciet

ies

byap

plyi

ng

this

mod

elto

wha

the

call

sor

ient

alis

m,

orco

lon

ial

dis

cou

rse.

Like

Fou

caul

t,S

aid

emp

has

ises

how

the

will

tokn

owan

dun

ders

tand

the

non-

wes

tern

wor

ldin

colo

nial

disc

ours

eis

inse

para

ble

from

the

will

topo

wer

over

that

wor

ld.

For

Sai

d,w

este

rnco

loni

alpo

wer

over

the

non-

wes

tern

,‘O

rien

tal’

wor

ldis

mai

ntai

ned

inan

dth

roug

hth

edis

cours

esof

the

arts

,hu

man

itie

s

and

soci

alsc

ienc

es,

asw

ell

asth

roug

hm

ore

dire

ctfo

rms

ofdo

min

atio

n

such

aspo

liti

cal

rule

and

mili

tary

repr

essi

on.

As

Rob

ert

You

ngas

sert

sin

a

com

men

tary

onS

aid’

sus

eof

the

wor

ddi

scou

rse:

Sai

d’s

depl

oym

ent

ofth

eco

ncep

tof

a‘d

isco

urse

’fo

rhi

san

alys

isof

Ori

enta

lism

enab

led

him

tode

mon

stra

tea

cons

iste

ntdi

scur

sive

regi

ster

for

part

icul

arpe

rcep

tion

s,vo

cabu

lari

esan

dm

odes

ofre

pres

enta

tion

com

mon

toa

wid

eva

riet

yof

text

sex

tend

ing

acro

ssth

ehu

man

itie

san

dso

cial

scie

nces

—fr

omtr

avel

acco

unts

tohi

stor

y,fr

omli

tera

ture

tora

cial

theo

ry,

from

econ

omic

sto

auto

biog

raph

y,fr

omph

iloso

phy

tolin

guis

tics.

All

thes

e

text

sco

uld

bean

alys

edas

shar

ing

aco

nsis

tent

colo

nial

ideo

logy

inth

eir

lang

uage

asw

ell

asth

eir

subj

ect

mat

ter,

afo

rmof

know

ledg

eth

atw

as

deve

lope

dsi

mul

tane

ousl

yw

ithits

depl

oym

ent

and

utili

zatio

nin

ast

ruct

ure

ofpo

wer

,na

mel

yco

loni

aldo

min

atio

n.

(You

ng20

01:

388)

Col

onia

ldi

scou

rse

anal

ysis

thu

sdi

ssol

ves

the

neat

dist

inct

ion

betw

een

cult

ural

text

san

din

stit

utio

nal

orpo

liti

cal

disc

ours

es,

emph

asis

ing

inst

ead

how

all

text

sth

atre

pre

sent t

he

colo

nial

wor

ldar

eim

plic

ated

ina

stru

cture

ofco

loni

alpo

wer

and

know

ledg

e.

DIS

CO

UR

SE

AN

DC

OL

ON

IAL

DIS

CO

UR

SE

ST

UD

IES

TH

IRD

WO

RL

DW

OM

EN

85

86K

EY

IDE

AS

Mah

asw

eta

Dev

i,be

caus

eit

focu

ses

onni

nete

enth

-cen

tury

Bri

tish

fict

ion.

Yet

,th

ere

are

som

eim

port

ant

sim

ilari

ties

betw

een

thes

ees

says

,as

Iw

illdi

scus

sin

am

omen

t.T

he‘t

hree

text

s’to

whi

chth

etit

lere

fers

incl

ude

Cha

rlot

teB

ront

ë’s

nove

lJan

eEy

re(1

848)

,Je

anR

hys’

sno

vel

Wid

eSa

rgas

soSe

a(1

966)

and

Mar

ySh

elle

y’s

nove

lFr

anke

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in(1

818)

.Iw

ill

say

mor

eab

out

Spiv

ak’s

read

ing

ofW

ide

Sarg

asso

Sea

inth

ecl

osin

gch

apte

rof

this

book

.Fo

rth

epu

rpos

eof

this

chap

ter,

how

ever

,I

wan

tto

cons

ider

how

Spiv

ak’s

read

ing

ofJa

neEy

retr

aces

ahi

dden

impe

rial

ist

sub-

text

inJa

neE

yre’

sna

rrat

ive

ofbo

urge

ois

fem

ale

indi

vidu

alis

m.

By

trac

ing

this

hist

ory,

Spiv

akch

alle

nges

Ang

lo-A

mer

ican

fem

inis

tre

adin

gsof

Jane

Eyre

,w

hich

cele

brat

eJa

ne’s

hero

icna

rrat

ive

ofse

lf-d

eter

min

atio

nto

the

excl

usio

nof

Ber

tha

Mas

9n’s

colo

nial

gene

alog

y.Sp

ivak

read

sth

ese

thre

elit

erar

yte

xts

aspa

rtof

ala

rger

syst

emof

colo

nial

disc

ours

e;a

criti

cal

appr

oach

whi

chis

taci

tlyin

form

edby

the

thou

ght

ofM

iche

lFo

ucau

ltan

dE

dwar

dSa

id.

Like

Said

,Sp

ivak

appr

oach

esJa

neEy

re,

Fran

kens

tein

and

Wid

eSa

rgas

soSe

aas

exam

ples

ofco

loni

aldi

scou

rse,

and

colla

pses

the

boun

dari

esbe

twee

nfi

ctio

nal

disc

ours

ean

dth

edi

scou

rse

ofin

stitu

tiona

lan

dp

oli

tic

alpo

wer

.‘T

hree

Wom

en’s

Tex

ts’

initi

ally

cons

ider

sth

ew

ayin

whi

chB

ritis

hlit

erar

ycl

assi

cssu

chas

Cha

rlot

teB

ront

e’sJ

ane

Eyre

(184

8)ha

vega

ined

cult

stat

usin

cont

empo

rary

Ang

lo-A

mer

ican

fem

inis

tlit

erar

ycr

itici

smbe

caus

eth

ete

xtpr

ivile

ges

the

indi

vidu

alna

rrat

ive

ofits

mai

nfe

mal

epr

otag

onis

t,Ja

neE

yre.

Exa

mpl

esof

such

are

adin

gof

Jane

Eyre

incl

ude

Sand

raG

ilbe

rtan

dSu

san

Gub

ar’s

text

The

Mad

wom

anin

the

Atti

c(1

979)

and

Nan

cyA

rmst

rong

’sD

esire

and

Dom

estic

Fict

ion

(198

7).

Byfo

cusi

ngon

the

narr

ativ

eof

Jane

Eyr

e,A

nglo

-Am

eric

anfe

min

ist

liter

ary

criti

cism

repe

ats

the

narr

ativ

ere

pres

enta

tion

ofJa

neE

yre

asa

liber

ated

wes

tern

fem

ale

indi

vidu

al.

As

Spiv

akem

phas

ises

,ho

wev

er,

this

tend

ency

tofo

cus

excl

usiv

ely

onJa

ne’s

firs

t-pe

rson

narr

ativ

eov

erlo

oks

the

hist

oric

alsi

gnif

ican

ceof

Ber

tha

Mas

on,

the

whi

teJa

mai

can

Cre

ole

wom

an,

who

isim

port

edin

toth

eno

vel’

sgo

thic

sub-

plot

asJa

ne’s

mon

stro

usdo

uble

(the

‘mad

’fi

rst

wif

eof

Roc

hest

er,

the

man

Jane

will

late

rm

arry

),an

dde

nied

exis

tenc

eas

ahu

man

indi

vidu

al.

Ala

rmin

gly,

this

repr

esen

tati

onof

Ber

tha

Mas

onas

anun

know

able

Oth

erw

hois

‘not

yet

hum

an’

(Spi

vak

1985

:24

7)re

calls

Kri

stev

a’s

desc

ript

ion

ofth

eun

know

able

star

eof

the

peas

ants

atH

uxia

nsq

uare

inA

bout

Chi

nese

Wom

en.

Like

the

Chi

nese

wom

enK

rist

eva

desc

ribe

s,B

erth

aM

ason

isde

nude

dof

any

cultu

ral

orhi

stor

ical

bein

g,

oper

atin

gin

stea

das

anO

rien

tal

Oth

erw

hore

flec

tsth

est

abili

tyof

Jane

’sw

eern

fem

ale

self.

InSp

ivak

’sac

coun

t,bo

thof

thes

ete

xts

repr

oduc

eth

est

ereo

type

sof

colo

nial

disc

ours

ein

the

repr

esen

tati

onof

wes

tern

fem

ale

indi

vidu

alis

m.

Ano

ther

conn

ectio

nbe

twee

n‘F

renc

hFe

min

ism

inan

Inte

rnat

iona

lFr

ame’

and

‘Thr

eeW

omen

’sT

exts

and

aC

ritiq

ueof

Impe

rial

ism

’is

the

patr

iarc

hal

defi

nitio

nof

wom

en’s

repr

oduc

tive

bodi

es.

In‘F

renc

hFe

min

ism

inan

Inte

rnat

iona

lFr

ame’

,‘c

litor

idec

tom

yst

ands

asa

met

ony

mfo

rw

omen

’sde

fini

tion

as“l

egal

obje

ctas

subj

ect

ofre

prod

ucti

on”

(Spi

vak

1987

:15

2).

Inth

eni

nete

enth

-cen

tury

Vic

tori

anse

tting

ofJa

neEy

re,

the

prac

tice

of‘c

hild

bear

ing’

(Spi

vak

1985

:24

-4)

isfr

amed

with

ina

dom

estic

ideo

logy

that

plac

esw

omen

ina

soci

ally

and

econ

omic

ally

dise

mpo

wer

edpo

sitio

n.T

his

defi

nitio

nof

the

wom

anas

anob

ject

ofpr

ivat

epr

oper

tyw

asle

gitim

ated

inth

ete

rms

ofE

nglis

hco

mm

onla

w,

asw

ell

asH

indu

Law

(as

we

saw

inC

hapt

er3)

.It

isag

ains

tth

isdo

mes

ticid

eolo

gyth

atJa

nest

rugg

les

tode

term

ine

her

repro

duct

ive

body

inth

eno

vel.

Mor

eove

r,Ja

ne’s

hero

icna

rrat

ive

ofse

lf-de

term

inat

ion

ina

patr

iarc

hal

wor

ldha

sle

dm

any

subs

eque

ntfe

min

ist

criti

csin

the

twen

tiet

hce

ntur

yto

invo

keJa

neEy

reas

apr

oto-

fem

inis

tlit

erar

yte

xt.

Such

re-r

eadi

ngs

have

been

cruc

ial

for

the

deve

lopm

ent

ofw

este

rnfe

min

ist

liter

ary

criti

cism

,bu

tth

eyon

lyte

llon

esi

deof

the

stor

y.A

sSp

ivak

emph

asis

es,

the

indi

vidu

alri

ghts

arid

free

dom

sth

atar

eaf

ford

edto

Jane

Eyr

ein

Bro

ntë’

sno

vel

are

atth

esa

me

time

deni

edto

Ber

tha

Mas

on:

As

the

fem

ale

indi

vidu

alis

t,no

tqu

ite/

not

mal

e,ar

ticu

late

she

rsel

fin

shif

ting

rela

tion

ship

tow

hat

isat

stak

e,th

e‘n

ativ

efe

mal

e’as

such

(wit

hin

dis

cou

rse,

asa

sign

ifie

r)is

excl

uded

from

any

shar

ein

this

emer

gin

gno

rm.

(Spi

vak

1985

:24

5)

Spiv

ak’s

read

ing

ofJa

neEy

relo

cate

sth

ena

rrat

ive

of‘f

emin

ist

ind

ivi

dual

ism

inth

eag

eof

impe

rial

ism

’(S

piva

k19

85:

244)

.In

sodo

ing,

Spiv

akis

able

toac

coun

tfo

rth

efu

ndam

enta

lge

nder

ineq

ualit

ies

betw

een

Ber

tha

and

Jane

.W

here

asJa

ne’s

narr

ativ

eof

fem

ale

indi

vidu

alis

mis

code

din

the

dom

estic

term

sof

mar

riag

ean

dch

ildbe

arin

g,B

erth

ais

defi

ned

byth

e‘a

xiom

atic

sof

impe

rial

ism

’(S

piva

k19

85:

247)

.In

othe

rw

ords

,B

erth

aM

ason

isde

nied

acce

ssto

the

cate

gory

offe

mal

ein

divi

dual

inth

eno

vel

beca

use

ofhe

rJa

mai

can

Cre

ole

linea

ge.

1•

TH

IRD

WO

RL

DW

OM

EN

81

88K

EY

IDE

AS

For

Spiv

ak,

Ber

tha’

spr

edic

amen

till

ustr

ates

how

nine

teen

th-c

entu

ryfe

min

isti

ndiv

idua

lism

was

not

conf

ined

tow

omen

’sst

rugg

les

forre

pro

duct

ive

righ

tsw

ithin

the

‘clo

sed

circ

leof

the

nucl

ear

fam

ily’

(Spi

vak

1985

:24

8),

but

also

cont

ribu

ted

toa

‘sou

l-m

akin

g’en

terp

rise

inB

rita

in’s

colo

nise

dte

rrit

orie

s(S

piva

k19

85:

244)

.W

hat

Spiv

akm

eans

byth

isph

rase

(‘so

ul-m

akin

g’)

isth

atth

een

light

ened

mor

ality

ofth

ew

este

rnfe

mal

ein

divi

dual

inth

edo

mes

ticsp

here

sim

ulta

neou

sly

defi

ned

the

non-

wes

tern

wom

anas

a‘n

ot-y

et-h

uman

Oth

er’

(Spi

vak

1985

:24

7).

To

situ

ate

this

mor

epr

ecis

ely

with

inth

eV

icto

rian

wor

ldof

Jane

Eyre

,Ja

nest

ands

asa

para

gon

offe

min

ine

virt

ue,

agai

nst

who

mB

erth

aM

ason

isde

fine

das

mon

stro

us,

orbe

stia

l,be

caus

eof

her

mix

ed-r

ace

gene

alog

yan

dw

ild,

sexu

alis

edpa

ssio

n.T

his

othe

ring

ofth

eno

n-w

este

rnw

oman

has

cont

ribu

ted

toth

ela

rger

just

ific

atio

nof

Bri

tish

impe

rial

ism

asa

soci

alm

issi

on,

ora

soul

-mak

ing

ente

rpri

se,

beca

use

it

impl

icitl

yde

fine

sB

ritis

hcu

ltura

lva

lues

asm

ore

enlig

hten

edan

dci

vilis

edth

anth

ose

ofth

eco

loni

alw

orld

.It

isno

tin

sign

ific

ant

that

the

soci

alm

issi

onof

Bri

tish

impe

rial

ism

conc

entr

ated

onth

ege

nder

codi

ngof

non-

wes

tern

wom

ensu

chas

Ber

tha

Mas

on.

As

Spiv

akpo

ints

out,

the

form

atio

nof

gend

ered

iden

tity

inth

eni

nete

enth

cent

ury

isre

-wor

ked

byco

loni

aldi

scou

rse,

soth

atth

ew

hite

Eur

opea

nfe

mal

ein

divi

dual

isde

fine

das

soci

ally

and

cultu

rally

supe

rior

toth

eno

n-w

este

rnw

oman

.Fo

rSp

ivak

,th

isso

cial

ineq

ualit

ybe

twee

nw

omen

isbr

ough

tto

the

fore

fron

tin

the

rela

tion

ship

betw

een

Jane

Eyr

ean

dB

erth

aM

ason

.If

Jane

stru

ggle

sto

defi

nehe

rin

divi

dual

auto

nom

yw

ithin

the

narr

owdo

mes

ticsp

here

ofV

icto

ria

nB

rita

in,

Ber

tha

Mas

on’s

iden

tity

isde

term

ined

byth

ele

gal

term

sof

her

mar

riag

eto

Roc

hest

eran

dsu

bseq

uent

dom

estic

conf

inem

ent

inth

eat

ticof

Tho

rnfi

eld

Hal

l.Fo

rit

ison

lyw

hen

Ber

tha

atte

mpt

sto

tran

sgr

ess

the

subj

ect

posi

tion

of‘g

ood

wif

e’th

atsh

eis

cast

asa

mon

stro

usin

hum

anfi

gure

.A

sSp

ivak

poin

tsou

t,th

isun

ders

tand

ing

ofB

erth

a’s

subj

ectiv

ityis

late

ntin

Jane

Eyre

,bu

tit

ism

ade

man

ifes

tin

Jean

Rhy

s’s

rew

riti

ngof

Jane

Eyre

from

Ber

tha’

spo

int-

of-v

iew

inW

ide

Sarg

asso

Sea:

‘InR

hys’

rete

llin

g,it

isth

edi

ssim

ulat

ion

that

Ber

tha

disc

erns

inth

ew

ord

“leg

ally

”—

not

anin

nate

best

ialit

y—

that

prom

pts

her

viol

entr

eac

tion

[toR

oche

ster

]’(S

piva

k19

85:

250)

.T

his

lega

lde

fini

tion

ofB

erth

a’s

repr

oduc

tive

body

asth

epr

ivat

epr

oper

tyof

Roc

hest

erpr

efig

ures

Spiv

ak’s

late

r19

88di

scus

sion

ofsa

tiin

‘Can

the

Suba

ltern

Spea

k?’

(dis

cuss

edat

leng

thin

Cha

pter

3).

Inde

ed,

Spiv

akac

tual

lyal

lude

sto

this

essa

yat

the

end

of‘T

hree

Wom

en’s

Tex

tsan

da

Cri

tique

ofIm

peri

alis

m’.

To

reca

p,in

‘Can

the

Suba

ltern

Spea

k?’

Spiv

akar

gues

that

nin

ete

enth

-cen

tury

Bri

tish

colo

nial

adm

inis

trat

ors

ince

rtai

npa

rts

ofIn

dia

rede

fine

dth

eH

indu

prac

tice

ofsa

tias

wid

owse

lf-i

mm

olat

ion,

rath

erth

ango

odw

ifel

yco

nduc

t.By

pres

enti

ngsa

tias

aba

rbar

iccu

ltura

lpra

ctic

e,B

ritis

hco

loni

alad

min

istr

ator

sw

ere

thus

able

toju

stif

yim

peri

alis

mas

aso

cial

mis

sion

.T

hesi

gnif

ican

ceof

sati

inJa

neEy

rebe

com

escl

ear

whe

non

eco

nsid

ers

that

the

lega

ldef

initi

onof

wom

en’s

repr

oduc

tive

bodi

esas

priv

ate

pro

per

tyis

the

gene

ral

cond

ition

offe

mal

esu

bjec

tco

nsti

tuti

onin

man

ypa

tria

rcha

lso

ciet

ies.

Like

Hin

duL

aw,

anid

eolo

gyof

good

wif

ely

cond

uct w

asal

sopr

eval

ent i

nB

ritis

hso

ciet

y,un

der

the

term

sof

Eng

lish

com

mon

law

.Fo

rSp

ivak

,th

isid

eolo

gyis

cove

red

over

inJa

neEy

re,

but

itis

fore

grou

nded

inW

ide

Sarg

asso

Sea.

By

com

pari

ngth

esc

ene

inJa

neEy

rew

here

Ber

tha

viol

ently

atta

cks

Ric

hard

Mas

onan

dth

epa

ralle

l sce

nein

Wid

eSa

rgas

soSe

a,Sp

ivak

emph

asis

esho

win

Rhy

s’s

rete

llin

g,B

erth

aM

ason

’svi

olen

tre

acti

onag

ains

tR

icha

rdM

ason

ispr

ompt

edby

her

brot

her’

sin

voca

tion

ofth

ele

gally

bind

ing

mar

riag

eco

ntra

ctbe

twee

nB

erth

aan

dhe

rhu

sban

dR

oche

ster

,w

hich

defi

nes

Ber

tha

asR

oche

ster

’spr

ivat

epr

oper

ty.

InW

ide

Sarg

asso

Sea,

the

mar

riag

eof

Ber

tha

Mas

onto

the

Bri

tish

land

owne

r,R

oche

ster

,ill

ustr

ates

how

the

viol

ence

ofth

isid

eolo

gyof

‘goo

dw

ifel

yco

nduc

t’w

asal

som

anif

est

inth

eni

nete

enth

-ce

ntur

yV

icto

rian

wor

ldof

Jane

Eyre

(Spi

vak

1985

:25

0).

Sign

ific

antly

,th

ele

gisl

ativ

ede

fini

tion

ofB

erth

aM

ason

asth

epr

ivat

epr

oper

tyof

her

husb

and

also

reca

llsSp

ivak

’sea

rlie

r(1

981)

disc

ussi

onof

sym

bolic

clit

orid

ecto

my

in‘F

renc

hFe

min

ism

inan

Inte

rnat

iona

lFr

ame’

(dis

cuss

edab

ove)

.Ju

stas

the

Bri

tish

colo

nial

adm

inis

trat

ion

inIn

dia

repr

esen

ted

sati

asa

sign

ofth

ees

sent

ial

barb

aris

mof

Hin

ducu

ltur

ein

orde

rto

just

ify

Bri

tish

colo

nial

rule

,so

som

ew

este

rnfe

mi

nist

sha

vere

pres

ente

dcl

itor

idec

tom

yas

aba

rbar

icri

tual

whi

chis

conf

ined

topr

imiti

vepa

tria

rcha

lso

ciet

ies

inth

e‘T

hird

Wor

ld’.

By

trac

ing

ahi

stor

ical

rela

ybe

twee

nni

nete

enth

-cen

tury

bour

geoi

sfe

mal

ein

divi

dual

ism

and

twen

tiet

h-ce

ntur

yw

este

rnfe

min

ism

,Sp

ivak

thus

argu

esth

atth

ehi

stor

yof

wes

tern

fem

inis

mis

com

plic

itin

the

proj

ect

ofim

peri

alis

tex

pans

ion.

TH

IRD

WO

RL

DW

OM

EN

89

90K

EY

IDE

AS

MA

TE

RIA

LIS

MA

ND

VA

LU

E

As

Isu

gges

ted

inth

epr

evio

usch

apte

r,Sp

ivak

’sth

ough

tha

sge

nera

ted

are

thin

king

ofw

este

rnfe

min

ist t

houg

htfr

omth

epe

rspe

ctiv

eof

wom

enin

the

post

colo

nial

wor

ld.

One

ofth

ece

ntra

lw

ays

that

Spiv

ak’s

wor

kha

sen

able

dth

issh

ifti

nfo

cus

isby

show

ingh

odi

serr

ipow

ered

wo

m’,

inth

epo

stco

loni

alw

orld

are

the

‘new

focu

sof

supe

rexp

loita

tion’

(Spi

vak

1987

:16

7).

l’o

acco

unt

for

this

cont

empo

rary

form

ofw

omen

’sec

onom

icop

pres

sion

,Sp

ivak

rew

orks

the

trad

ition

alM

arxi

stvo

cabu

lary

ofth

edi

visi

onof

labo

urbe

twee

nth

ew

orke

ran

dth

eca

pita

list,

and

situ

ates

wom

en’s

econ

omic

expl

oita

tion

inre

latio

nto

the

inte

rnat

iona

ldi

visi

onof

labo

urbe

twee

nth

e‘T

hird

Wor

ld’

and

the

‘Fir

stW

orld

’.By

invo

king

this

argu

men

t,Sp

ivak

dem

ands

that

read

ers

are

fam

iliar

wit

hde

bate

sin

mat

eria

list

thou

ght,

asw

ell

asfe

min

ist

theo

ry.

Mor

esp

ecif

ical

ly,

this

aspe

ctof

Spiv

ak’s

thou

ght

assu

mes

akn

owle

dge

ofth

eec

onom

icw

ritin

gsof

the

nine

teen

th-c

entu

ryG

erm

anph

iloso

pher

Kar

lM

arx

(181

8—83

).T

his

chap

ter

begi

nsby

situ

atin

gSp

ivak

’sen

gage

men

tw

ith

Mar

xin

rela

tion

toco

ntem

pora

rycr

itiqu

esof

Mar

x.T

hen,

the

chap

ter

cons

ider

sho

wSp

ivak

’sso

phis

ticat

edre

thin

king

ofM

arx’

sw

ritin

gson

valu

e,la

bour

and

capi

talis

mha

str

ansf

orm

edth

eco

ntem

pora

ryun

ders

tand

ing

ofm

ater

ialis

tth

ough

t.Fi

nally

,I

will

argu

eth

atSp

ivak

’sre

-rea

ding

ofM

arx

dem

onst

rate

sth

eco

ntin

uing

impo

rtan

ceof

Mar

x’s

criti

que

of5S

UM

MA

RY

As

Spiv

akar

gues

in‘F

renc

hF

emin

ism

inan

Inte

rnat

iona

lFr

ame’

and

Thr

eeW

omen

’sT

exts

and

aC

riti

que

ofIm

peri

alis

m’,

the

hist

ory

ofw

este

rnfe

mi

nism

isim

plic

ated

inth

ela

rger

hist

ory

ofE

urop

ean

colo

nial

ism

.A

sa

cons

eque

nce,

cont

empo

rary

wes

tern

fem

inis

mis

ind

ang

erof

repe

atin

gth

eco

loni

alat

titu

des

ofni

nete

enth

-cen

tury

bour

geoi

sfe

mal

ein

divi

dual

ism

tow

ards

‘Thi

rdW

orld

’w

omen

.T

his

argu

men

t—

that

wes

tern

fem

inis

mha

sbe

enhi

stor

ical

lyco

mpl

icit

inth

epr

ojec

tof

impe

rial

ist

expa

nsio

n—

ison

eof

the

mos

tdi

ffic

ult

and

trou

blin

gas

pec

tsof

Spi

vak’

sco

ntri

buti

onto

fem

inis

tth

ough

t.T

oco

unte

rth

ispr

oble

m,

Spiv

akre

peat

edly

emp

has

ises

the

foll

owin

gpo

ints

:

•th

eim

port

ant

poli

tica

lan

din

tell

ectu

altr

ansf

orm

atio

nsth

atw

este

rnfe

min

ism

has

achi

eved

;

•th

ecr

ucia

lne

edto

chal

leng

eth

eun

iver

sal

hum

anis

tas

sum

ptio

n,pr

eval

ent

inso

me

wes

tern

fem

inis

ttho

ught

,th

atal

lw

omen

’sliv

esan

dhi

stor

ies

are

the

sam

e;•

the

impo

rtan

ceof

stra

tegi

ces

sent

iali

smfo

rre

thin

king

fem

inis

tth

ough

tfr

omth

epe

rspe

ctiv

eof

diff

eren

tno

n-w

este

rnw

omen

’sliv

esan

dhi

stor

ies;

•th

eon

goin

gne

edto

guar

dag

ains

tco

loni

alth

inki

ngin

cont

empo

rary

fem

inis

tsc

hola

rshi

pan

dth

eim

port

ance

ofle

arni

ngto

lear

nfr

ombe

low

;

•th

eim

port

ance

ofa

glob

alpo

liti

cal

awar

enes

sof

the

loca

lec

onom

ic,

poli

tica

l,so

cial

and

cult

ural

cond

itio

nsth

atst

ruct

ure

wom

en’s

op

pre

ssi

onin

diff

eren

tpa

rts

ofth

ew

orld

.