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September 10, 2025

Application of Spivak’s Subalternity in Roy’s novel, 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness’

Key Points

The novel explores the voices of marginalized groups, showing that their struggles remain largely unheard.
A significant focus is on subaltern identities like Hijras, who face both social and political exclusion.
Through Roy's narrative, the work illustrates the continuing segregation and abuse faced by Dalits and others.
The paper discusses the concept of agency and how it is often stripped away from these marginalized communities.

Abstract

This paper examines Gayatri Spivak's postcolonial theory, "Can the Subaltern Speak?" in the latest novel by Arundhati Roy, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. The novel was published in 2017, which is possessed by the number of 'subalterns': Hijras, women, political revolutionaries, and poor people facing silence. The sexual, social, and religious minorities are equal to 'Dalits' in experiencing segregation and abuse by the dominant indigenous groups. They are considered 'Untouchable' and pushed into the circle of 'Others'. Even though they are fighting segregation and marginalisation, they cannot truly speak. The research aims to discover how the agency of 'subalterns' is snatched in India by those who are phrased as the 'elite'.

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Application of Spivak’s Subalternity in Roy’s novel, 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness’

Key Points

Abstract

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