Politics Of Silencing The Subaltern In Rober Haris's Conclave

Abstract

This research project probes into why and how,Robert Harris represents the Subalterns in his novel Conclave.Harris chooses the subject of subaltern for the characterization of his female and non-white male characters in order to argue that the politics of silencing the Subalterns by the those in power through the means of hegemony aims at maintaining their supremacy. The characters representing the Subalterns are given a lower position of power whereas the minor roles are assigned to the female characters as they perform manual works and serve the male members in Church. On the other hand, the writer deploys the African and Asian, more importantly middle East Asian characters, and Muslim characters who are stereotyped as savage, barbaric and uncivilized in the world of white-controlled Church. In order to strengthen the argument that the subalterns are always subordinated and excluded at the marginalized position by the powerful ones via discourse of hegemony, there search incorporates the theoretical insight on hegemony proposed by Antonio Gram sci and notion of sub-alternity is proposed by Depesh Chakarvarty,Amin Shahid and Ranjit Guha. On the basis of these insights, the study shows the working of hegemonic power and voiceless conditions of subalterns over on the part of the female nuns and non-white candidate for the post of Pope.The paper finally reveals how the subalterns are always subordinated and excluded from the mainstream discourse.