"Can the Subaltern Speak?" (essay)

"Can the Subaltern Speak?" is an essay by scholar Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak that examines whether marginalized groups (the subaltern) can truly have their voices heard within dominant power structures. It questions if their perspectives can be understood or expressed without being filtered or co-opted by those in power. Spivak argues that often, these voices are silenced or misunderstood due to existing social, political, and cultural hierarchies. The essay encourages us to consider the ways in which language, representation, and systemic barriers prevent the subaltern from truly speaking or being heard on their own terms.