Ambivalence of Subaltern Consciousness in Somaly Mam’s The Road of Lost Innocence
Date
2018-02
Authors
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faculty of Art in English
Abstract
An attempt has been made to analyze Somaly Mam’s The Road of Lost
Innocence through the perspective of gender subaltern in which she calls for
collective activism to empower sexual slave girls’ position and status in the society.
She raises voice against dominant social force to establish own space and other sexed
women space in the society. She depicts unspeakable acts of brutality of sexual slave
girls in brothels. Through writing, she appeals all people in the world to take issue of
sexuality and girl trafficking seriously which is horrible in these days. Despite being
an orphan, domestic and sexual slave girl, she succeeds to be an activist and
reformist through her personal struggle. Her activism plays important role in the field
of sexual slavery and girl trafficking. Mam requests for collective activism to
eradicate women exploitation from the world. Her focus on NGO activism instead of
political and national activism is questionable. Mam’s NGO rescues slave girls from
brothels and provides them shelter and skills to re-start new life. Her activism looks
contributory but paradoxical. Therefore, this paper will emphasize on Mam’s
subaltern consciousness which is ambivalent consciousness.
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Keywords
Subaltern consciousness, Solidarity, Activism, Domination