Voices from the Margins: A Subaltern Reading of Indian English Literature

Abstract

This theoretical article explores the complex dynamics of subalternity, representation, and resistance within Indian
English Literature (IEL). Drawing upon the foundational formulations of Antonio Gramsci, the historical
interventions of Ranajit Guha and the Subaltern Studies Collective, and the critical deconstructions of Gayatri
Chakravorty Spivak, Homi K. Bhabha, and Edward Said, this paper investigates how marginalized identities
navigate the elite contours of the English language. By examining a diverse spectrum of literary works by authors
such as Mulk Raj Anand, Raja Rao, Bama, Arundhati Roy, Mahasweta Devi, and Rohinton Mistry, the study
analyzes the structural representation of caste oppression, tribal disenfranchisement, gendered subalternity, and
rural marginalization.