Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and Postcolonial Theory: Subalternity, Marginalized Voices, and Inclusive Representation in Selected Writings of Arundhati Roy, Neel Mukherjee, and Meena Kandasamy with Reference to Special Education

Abstract

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, an influential postcolonial theorist, literary critic, and feminist thinker of Indian origin, occupies a distinctive position in the contemporary literary and cultural studies. She brought considerable critical attention through her English translation of the French philosopher- Jacques Derrida’s of Grammatology (1967), accompanied by an intellectually conscientious and theoretically formidable introduction that produced deconstructive thought into dialogue with questions of language, representation, and subjectivity. Spivak’s critical practice is informed by a complex commitment with Deconstruction, Marxism, Feminism, Psychoanalysis, and Postcolonial theory, through which she interrogates the structures of colonial power and the conceptual production of the marginalized subject. Her sustained concern with the voices of “Third World Women” further exposes the limitations of universalist feminist frameworks that overlook historical, cultural, economic, and geopolitical differences. Her seminal essay Can the Subaltern Speak? (1988) raises a fundamental question concerning the possibility of marginalized subjects attaining an independent and audible voice within dominant structures of knowledge and representation. The concept of the subaltern consequently becomes central to Spivak’s critique of epistemic violence, ideological domination, and the politics of representation. Spivak’s theory of subalternity provides a critical framework for understanding marginalized voices and promoting inclusive representation, participation, and dignity in special education. This paper explores Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak as a significant postcolonial theorist, focusing on her critical insights into subalternity, marginality voice, representation, and epistemic exclusion. Drawing upon her theoretical perspectives, the study examines the selected writings of Arundhati Roy, Neel Mukherjee, and Meena Kandasamy to illuminate how marginalized subjects negotiate structures of power, knowledge, identity, and social segregation. It investigates the ways in which dominant discourses shape, silence, or mediates marginalized voices and considers the implications of such representational practices for inclusive education. With particular reference to special education, the study extends Spivak’s critique of subalternity and representation to questions of visibility, participation, recognition, and educational inclusion. It highlights the enduring relevance of Spivak’s thought in fostering more equitable, sensitive, and inclusive forms of illustration for learners and communities positioned at the margins of dominant educational structures