RO
UT
LE
DG
EC
RIT
ICA
LT
HIN
KE
RS
ess
enti
al
gu
ides
for
lite
rary
stu
die
sG
AY
AT
RI
Ser
ies
Edi
tor:
Rob
ert
Eag
lest
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Roy
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kers
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ucti
ons
toke
yfi
gure
sin
__________________
cont
empo
rary
Cri
tical
thou
ght.
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ha
uniq
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cus
onhi
stor
ical
and
inte
llec
tual
Con
text
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chvo
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eex
amin
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ake
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ican
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Con
clud
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with
exte
nsiv
ely
anno
tate
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ides
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rthe
rre
adin
g,R
outle
dge
Cri
tical
Thin
kers
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the
lite
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uden
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pass
port
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day’
sm
ost
exci
ting
criti
cal
thoug
ht.S
tep
hen
Mort
on
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eady
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labl
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and
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drill
ard
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sR
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hel
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und
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arl
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omer
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ony
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rsT
aylo
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ranc
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roup
For
furt
her
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onth
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ries
,se
ew
ww
.lit
erat
ure
.routl
edge.
com
/rct
LO
ND
ON
AN
DN
EW
YO
RK
24K
EY
IDE
AS
2
SE
TT
ING
DE
CO
NS
TR
UC
TIO
NT
OW
OR
K
As
sugg
este
din
the
prev
ious
chap
ter,
one
ofth
em
ost
impo
rtan
tco
nce
ptua
lso
urce
sfo
rth
ede
velo
pmen
tof
Spiv
ak’s
idea
sis
the
wor
kof
the
Alg
eria
n-bo
rnFr
ench
philo
soph
er,
Jacq
ues
Der
rida
(193
0—).
From
the
outs
et,e
rrid
aha
squ
estio
ned
the
trut
hcl
aim
sof
wes
tern
philo
soph
yby
emph
asis
ing
how
the
cohe
renc
ean
dst
abili
tyof
trad
ition
alph
iloso
phic
alco
ncep
tssu
chas
cons
ciou
snes
s,be
ing
orkn
owin
gde
pend
ona
syst
emof
diff
eren
ces
orbi
nary
oppo
sitio
ns.
The
seop
posi
tions
mig
htin
clud
epr
esen
ce/a
bsen
ce,
spee
ch/w
riti
ng,
orse
lf/o
ther
,fo
rex
ampl
e.T
his
chap
ter
will
look
quite
clos
ely
atSp
ivak
’sre
adin
gsof
Der
rida
and
will
also
touc
hup
onot
her
criti
cs’
resp
onse
sto
his
wor
kin
orde
rto
plac
eSp
ivak
’sre
adin
gsin
ace
rtai
nin
telle
ctua
lan
dpo
litic
alco
ntex
t.T
his
emph
asis
shou
ldno
tin
any
way
sugg
est
that
Spiv
akis
only
impo
rtan
tas
a‘r
eade
rof
Der
rida
’.H
erw
ork
onD
erri
da—
notl
east
her
tran
slat
ion
ofan
dpr
efac
eto
his
OfG
ram
mat
olog
y—
has
cert
ainl
ypl
ayed
avi
tal
role
inpr
esen
ting
his
thou
ght
toan
Eng
lish-
spea
king
audi
ence
.H
owev
er,
wha
tis
mos
tim
port
ant
inth
isch
apte
r,an
dth
roug
hout
the
rest
ofth
ebo
ok,
isth
eor
igin
alw
ayin
whi
chSp
ivak
expa
nds
Der
rida
’sde
cons
truc
tive
thin
king
beyo
ndth
efr
amew
ork
ofw
este
rnph
iloso
phy,
and
sets
itto
wor
kin
dive
rse
field
sra
ngin
gfr
om‘T
hird
Wor
ld’
wom
en’s
polit
ical
mov
emen
tsto
post
colo
nial
liter
ary
stud
ies
and
deve
lopm
ent
stud
ies.
Bef
ore
turn
ing
toSp
ivak
’sde
ploy
men
tof
deco
nstr
ucti
on,
itis
impo
rtan
tto
exam
ine
the
‘bas
ics’
ofD
erri
da’s
deco
nstr
uctiv
est
rate
gies
.
SU
MM
AR
Y
The
frag
men
tary
and
prov
isio
nal
styl
eof
Spi
vak’
sth
eore
tica
lw
riti
ng
can
bese
enas
arh
etor
ical
stra
tegy
whi
chis
empl
oyed
tohi
ghli
ght
the
lim
itat
ions
and
open
ings
that
are
spec
ific
toth
epo
litic
alpr
ogra
mm
es
ofM
arxi
sm,
fem
inis
man
dna
tion
alis
m.
Spi
vak’
srh
etor
ical
stra
tegy
can
bese
ento
expa
ndan
dde
velo
pea
rlie
r
deb
ates
abou
tth
ere
leva
nce
and
prag
mat
icva
lue
ofw
este
rnpo
liti
cal
thou
ght
inth
eco
ntex
tof
Thi
rdW
orld
’li
bera
tion
stru
ggle
s,an
din
thei
r
afte
rmat
h.
Spi
vak’
sap
proa
chto
styl
edi
ffer
sst
riki
ngly
from
that
ofth
epost
colo
nial
inte
llec
tual
Edw
ard
Sai
d,w
hoar
gu
esth
atth
e‘d
iffi
cult’
styl
eor
jarg
onof
cont
empo
rary
lite
rary
theo
ry‘o
bscu
res
the
soci
alre
alit
ies
that
[...]
enco
ura
ge
asc
hola
rshi
pof
“mod
esof
exce
llen
ce”
very
far
from
daily
life’
(Sai
d19
83:
4).
By
cont
rast
,S
piva
ksu
gg
ests
that
the
styl
eof
theo
reti
cal
com
posi
tion
shou
ldbe
com
plex
and
flex
ible
enou
ghto
reve
alth
eco
mpl
ex,
cont
radi
ctor
yan
dsh
ifti
ngst
atu
sof
soci
alan
d
geop
olit
ical
rela
tion
s.
Spiv
ak’s
styl
em
ight
also
bere
gard
edas
asi
gnof
Spi
vak’
sow
nw
orl
d
line
ss:
asa
theo
rist
who
occu
pies
the
para
doxi
cal
posi
tion
of
cham
pion
ing
the
voic
esan
dst
rug
gle
sof
the
oppr
esse
din
the
‘Thi
rd
Wor
ld’
ina
nece
ssar
ily
com
plex
theo
reti
cal
voca
bula
ry,
and
from
a
rela
tive
lypr
ivil
eged
loca
tion
insi
deth
ew
este
rnac
adem
y.
26K
EY
IDE
AS
DE
RR
IDA
AN
DD
EC
ON
ST
RU
CT
ION
Dec
onst
ruct
ion
isa
stra
tegy
ofcr
itica
lan
alys
isde
velo
ped
byth
eFr
ench
phil
osop
her
Jacq
ues
Der
rida
indi
alog
uew
ithth
ehi
stor
yof
wes
tern
ph
ilos
ophy
.T
ypic
ally
,co
mm
enta
tors
have
stru
ggle
dto
defi
nede
cons
truc
tion
beca
use
itca
nnot
bere
duce
dto
am
etho
d,or
defi
ned
asa
theo
ryw
itha
clea
rse
tof
obje
ctiv
es.
Thi
spo
int
isre
iter
ated
inD
erri
da’s
Let
ter
toa
Japa
nese
Frie
nd’:
‘Dec
onst
ruct
ion
isno
ta
met
hod
and
cann
otbe
tran
sfor
med
into
one’
(Der
rida
1991
:4).
Nev
erth
eles
s,th
ere
are
key
poin
tsan
dm
omen
tsth
roug
hout
Der
rida
’sw
ork
whe
reth
ecr
itica
lst
rate
gies
ofde
cons
truc
tion
can
betr
aced
.O
neof
the
firs
tin
stan
ces
ofde
cons
trij
ctio
nis
seen
inD
erri
da’s
essa
y‘D
iffé
ranc
e’(1
967)
.Fo
llow
ing
the
wor
kof
the
Swis
sli
ngui
stF
erdi
nand
deS
auss
ure
(185
7—19
13),
Der
rida
argu
esin
this
essa
yth
atth
epr
oces
sof
mak
ing
mea
nin
g(s
igni
fica
tion
)is
stru
ctur
edin
term
sof
how
sign
sdi
ffer
from
othe
rsi
gns:
ath
ing
isde
fine
din
rela
tion
tow
hat
itis
not.
So,
for
exam
ple,
pres
ence
isde
fine
dby
itsdi
ffer
ence
from
non-
pres
ence
;‘m
e’is
defi
ned
byits
diff
eren
cefr
om‘y
ou’;
‘her
e’is
defi
ned
byits
diff
eren
cefr
om‘t
here
’;‘c
ivili
sed’
isde
fine
dby
itsdi
ffer
ence
from
‘sav
age’
;an
d‘W
est’
isde
fine
dby
itsdi
ffer
ence
from
‘Eas
t’.T
akin
gS
auss
ure’
sar
gum
ent
ast
epfu
rthe
r,ho
wev
er,
Der
rida
emp
ha
sise
dth
atm
eani
ngis
alw
ays
perp
etua
lly
defe
rred
acro
ssa
spat
ial
and
tem
pora
lax
is,
soth
ata
fina
lpo
int
ofst
able
mea
ning
and
know
ledg
eis
neve
rre
ache
din
any
sign
ifyi
ngsy
stem
.D
erri
da’s
cont
enti
onth
atm
eani
ngis
rad
ical
lyun
stab
leis
dem
onst
rate
din
the
very
title
wor
dof
his
essa
y‘D
iffé
ranc
e’:
for
the
Fren
chve
rbdi
ffer
erm
eans
both
todi
ffer
and
tode
fer.
Ano
ther
wor
dfo
r‘d
iffé
ranc
e’is
supp
lem
ent.
InD
erri
da’s
view
,lin
guis
tic(a
ndno
n-li
ngui
stic
)si
gns
are
neve
r ful
lyid
enti
cal
with
the
thin
gsth
eyre
fer
to;
inde
ed,
sign
sar
est
ruct
ural
lyin
com
plet
efr
omth
ebe
ginn
ing,
and
thus
requ
ire
addi
tion
alor
supp
lem
enta
ryte
rms
toco
mpl
ete
them
,T
hene
edfo
rsu
pple
men
tati
onto
com
pens
ate
for
the
lack
ofor
igin
alse
lf-i
dent
ity
thus
reve
als
how
all
ling
uist
icor
non-
ling
uist
icsi
gns
are
byde
fini
tion
inco
mpl
ete
and
lack
ing
inid
entit
yor
self
-pre
senc
e,In
this
way
,D
erri
da’s
thou
ght
rad
ical
lyu
nd
ern
irie
sth
eau
thor
ity
and
cent
rali
tyof
the
wes
tern
hum
anis
tsu
bje
ct,
epit
omis
edin
Ren
éD
esca
rtes
’st
atem
ent
that
‘Ith
ink
ther
efor
eI a
m’.
Der
rida
furt
her
emph
asis
esth
atth
ere
pres
sion
,ex
clus
ion
and
eras
ure
ofim
poss
ible
’co
ncep
tssu
chas
diff
érao
cean
dth
esu
pple
men
tfr
omth
ehi
stor
yof
wes
tern
philo
soph
yar
eal
soth
eve
ryco
ndit
ions
ofpo
ssib
ility
whi
chgr
ound
and
cons
titu
teph
ilos
ophi
cal
mea
ning
and
trut
h.A
clea
r
exam
ple
ofth
isis
seen
inD
erri
da’s
disc
ussi
onof
the
expe
rien
ceof
deat
hin
Apo
rias
(199
3)In
this
book
Der
rida
trac
esth
eim
poss
ibili
tyof
repr
esen
ting
the
part
icul
arex
peri
ence
ofde
ath
inth
epo
sitiv
ete
rms
ofla
ngua
gean
d
phil
osop
hica
lco
ncep
tual
ity.
InD
erri
da’s
term
s,th
esi
ngul
arex
peri
ence
of
deat
han
ddy
ing
isan
apor
ia,
ora
doub
lebi
ndw
hich
cann
otbe
pres
ente
d
inth
elo
gica
lte
rms
ofw
este
rnph
iloso
phy.
Yet
atth
esa
me
time,
itis
prec
isel
yth
esi
ngul
arex
peri
ence
ofde
ath
that
defi
nes
the
cont
ours
of
bein
g,ex
iste
nce
and
cons
ciou
snes
s.In
deed
,de
ath
ispr
ecis
ely
that
whi
ch
rem
ains
unth
ough
tin
the
wes
tern
phil
osop
hica
lte
rms
ofbe
ing
and
self
-
pres
ence
.In
othe
rw
ords
,de
ath
can
bere
gard
edas
aco
nsti
tuti
veap
oria
,
beca
use
itpr
ovid
esth
eun
repr
esen
tabl
egr
ound
agai
nstw
hich
bein
g,ex
ist
ence
and
self
-pre
senc
ear
ede
fine
dan
dth
ereb
yco
nsti
tute
d.
Der
rida
’sde
cons
truc
tive
stra
tegi
esha
vebe
enpa
rtic
ular
lyge
nera
tive
for
post
colo
nial
inte
llect
uals
such
asH
omi
Bha
bha,
Rob
ert
You
ngan
dG
ayat
riSp
ivak
beca
use
they
:pro
vide
ath
eore
tica
lvo
cabu
lary
and
conc
eptu
alfr
amew
ork
toqu
estio
nth
eve
ryph
iloso
phic
altr
aditi
onth
atha
sal
soex
plai
ned
and
just
ifie
dth
esu
bjec
tion,
disp
osse
ssio
n,an
dex
ploi
tatio
nof
non-
wes
tern
soci
etie
s.Sp
ivak
has
care
fully
follo
wed
the
traj
ecto
ryof
Jacq
ues
Der
rida
’sth
ough
tfro
mhi
sea
rly
deco
nstr
ucti
onof
wes
tern
philo
soph
yto
mor
ere
cent
disc
ussi
ons
ofet
hics
,ju
stic
e,po
st-
Mar
xist
idea
sof
inte
rnat
iona
lism
,fr
iend
ship
and
hosp
italit
y.In
doin
gso
,Sp
ivak
has
stre
ssed
the
pote
ntia
lus
eful
ness
ofD
erri
da’s
thou
ght
for
mak
ing
effe
ctiv
ecr
itica
lin
terv
entio
nsin
the
disc
ours
eof
colo
nial
ism
,th
eco
ntem
pora
rygl
obal
econ
omy,
and
the
inte
rnat
iona
ldi
visi
onof
labo
urbe
twee
nth
e‘F
irst
Wor
ld’
and
the
‘Thi
rdW
orld
’.
TH
E‘T
RA
NS
LA
TO
R’S
PR
EF
AC
E’
TOO
FG
RA
MM
AT
OL
OG
Y
Spiv
ak’s
‘Tra
nsla
tor’
sPr
efac
e’to
OfG
ram
mat
olog
y(1
976)
was
wri
tten
ata
time
whe
nJa
cque
sD
erri
da’s
wor
kw
asno
tw
idel
ykn
own,
oru
nd
erst
ood,
inth
eE
nglis
h-sp
eaki
ngw
orld
ofph
iloso
phy
and
liter
ary
criti
cism
.In
the
pref
ace,
Spiv
akof
fers
aco
mpr
ehen
sive
acco
unt
ofth
eke
yph
ilo
soph
ical
deba
tes
that
infl
uenc
edD
en-i
da’s
earl
yw
ork,
asw
ell
aspro
vidi
ngan
inte
llect
ual
cont
ext
for
Den
-ida
’sde
cons
truc
tive
philo
soph
y.Sp
ivak
offe
rsre
leva
ntan
dill
umin
atin
gco
mm
enta
ries
onke
yni
nete
enth
-
SE
TT
ING
DE
CO
NS
TR
UC
TIO
NT
OW
OR
K27
28K
EY
IDE
AS
and
twen
tiet
h-ce
ntur
ycr
itica
lin
terv
enti
ons:
Frie
dric
hN
ietz
sche
’scr
itiq
ueof
trut
h,Si
gmun
dFr
eud’
sth
eory
ofm
emor
yan
dth
eun
cons
ciou
s,E
dmun
dH
usse
rl’s
phen
omen
olog
y,M
artin
Hei
degg
er’s
enga
gem
ent
wit
hth
equ
estio
nof
bein
g,an
dE
mm
anue
lL
evin
as’s
reth
inki
ngof
ethi
cs,
asw
ell
asth
est
ruct
ural
lingu
istic
sof
Ferd
inan
dde
Saus
sure
,R
olan
dB
arth
esan
dC
laud
eL
vi
Stra
uss,
the
psyc
hoan
alys
isof
lacq
ues
Lac
anan
dth
edi
scou
rse
anal
ysis
ofM
iche
lFo
ucau
lt.B
ydo
ing
so,
Spiv
akch
alle
nges
the
conv
entio
nsan
dex
pect
atio
nsof
a‘T
rans
lato
r’s
Pref
ace’
topr
oduc
ea
scho
larl
yan
dcr
itica
lin
trod
ucti
onto
Der
ricl
a’s
deco
nstr
uctiv
ephil
osop
hyth
atis
equa
lto
man
yof
the
subs
eque
ntph
iloso
phic
alco
mm
enta
ries
that
have
been
publ
ishe
dab
out
Der
rida
’sth
ough
t.C
erta
inly
,Sp
ivak
’s‘T
rans
lato
r’s
Pref
ace’
toO
f Gra
inm
atol
ogy
anti
cipa
tes
som
eof
the
ques
tions
and
deba
tes
addr
esse
din
the
criti
cal
scho
lars
hip
abou
tD
erri
da,
inth
ew
ork
ofcu
rren
tcr
itics
and
thin
kers
,su
chas
,fo
rex
ampl
e,G
eoff
rey
Ben
ning
ton,
Sim
onC
ritc
hley
,R
odol
phe
Gas
ché,
Mar
ian
Hob
son
and
Chr
isto
pher
Nor
ris.
Yet
,th
etr
ajec
tory
ofSp
ivak
’ssu
bseq
uent
criti
cal
enga
gem
ent
with
Der
rida
’sth
ough
tdi
ffer
ssi
gnif
ican
tlyfr
omth
em
ore
orth
odox
philo
soph
ical
read
ings
ofD
erri
da,
exem
plif
ied
inth
ew
ork
ofth
ese
thin
kers
.A
sI
goon
tosu
gges
t bel
ow,
Spiv
akha
sm
obili
sed
Den
-ida
’sde
cons
truc
tion
ofw
este
rnph
iloso
phy
toex
pand
and
deve
lop
deba
tes
amon
g‘T
hird
Wor
ld’
inte
llect
uals
abou
tth
ecu
ltura
lle
gacy
ofco
loni
alis
m;
the
abili
tyof
wes
tern
Mar
xism
tode
scri
beth
eco
ntin
ued
expl
oita
tion
of‘T
hird
Wor
ld’
wor
kers
by‘F
irst
Wor
ld’
mul
tinat
iona
lco
rpor
atio
ns;
and
the
ques
tion
ofw
heth
erw
este
rnfe
min
ism
isap
prop
riat
eto
desc
ribe
the
hist
orie
s,liv
esan
dst
rugg
les
ofw
omen
inth
e‘T
hird
Wor
ld’.
DE
CO
NS
TR
UC
TIO
NA
ND
TH
EP
OS
TC
OL
ON
IAL
CO
NT
EX
T
Inan
inte
rvie
ww
ith
Eliz
abet
hG
rosz
,Sp
ivak
situ
ates
her
polit
ical
inte
rest
inD
erri
da’s
thou
ght
inre
latio
nto
her
earl
ier
expe
rien
ceof
the
Bri
tish
colo
nial
educ
atio
nsy
stem
inIn
dia.
Spiv
akw
rite
s:
Whe
reI w
asbro
ught
up—
whe
nfi
rst
read
Der
rida
didn
’tkn
oww
hohe
was
,I w
asve
ryin
tere
sted
tose
eth
athe
was
actu
ally
dis
man
tlin
gth
eph
ilos
ophi
cal
trad
itio
nfr
omin
side
rath
erth
anou
tsid
e,b
ecau
seof
cours
ew
ew
ere
bro
ught
upin
aned
uca
tion
syst
emin
Indi
aw
her
eth
ena
me
ofth
ehe
roof
that
ph
ilo
sop
hic
alsy
stem
was
the
univ
ersa
lhu
man
bein
g,an
dw
ew
ere
taught
that
ifw
eco
uld
begi
nto
appro
ach
anin
tern
alis
atio
nof
that
hum
anbe
ing,
then
we
wou
ldbe
hum
an.
Whe
nI
saw
inF
ranc
eso
meo
new
asac
tual
lytr
ying
tod
ism
antl
eth
e
trad
itio
nw
hich
had
told
usw
hat
wou
ldm
ake
ushu
man
,th
atse
emed
inte
r-
esti
ng
too.
(Spi
vak
1990
:7)
Spiv
ak’s
inte
rest
inD
en-i
da’s
inte
llect
ual
proj
ect
isno
tm
erel
yph
ilo
soph
ical
,bu
tis
also
part
lym
otiv
ated
bya
desi
reto
‘dis
man
tle’
the
very
trad
ition
ofw
este
rnth
ough
tth
atha
dpr
ovid
edth
eju
stif
icat
ion
for
Eur
opea
nco
loni
alis
m.
Inde
ed,
asSp
ivak
sugg
ests
,D
en-i
da’s
deco
nst
ruct
ion
ofth
ew
este
rnhu
man
ist
subj
ect
can
also
bepr
oduc
tivel
yem
ploy
edin
the
cont
ext
ofpo
stco
loni
alth
ough
t.Su
chan
argu
men
tis
echo
edin
Rob
ert
You
ng’s
Whi
teM
ytho
logi
es.
InY
oung
’svi
ew,
the
deve
lopm
ent
ofm
any
Fren
chpo
stst
ruct
ural
ist
theo
ries
was
info
rmed
and
infl
uenc
edby
the
Alg
eria
nw
arof
inde
pend
ence
(195
4—62
)(Y
oung
1990
:1)
.Fo
rm
any
Fren
chin
telle
ctua
ls,
incl
udin
gJa
cque
sD
en-i
da,
the
Alg
eria
nw
arof
inde
pend
ence
was
anim
port
antr
emin
der
ofho
wth
efr
eedo
m,
orso
vere
ignt
y,of
the
hum
ansu
bjec
tin
wes
tern
liber
alde
moc
raci
essu
chas
Fran
cew
asse
cure
dth
roug
hco
loni
alex
ploi
tatio
nan
dca
pita
list
expa
nsio
nin
othe
rpa
rts
ofth
ew
orld
.In
shor
t,th
efr
eedo
man
dso
vere
ignt
yof
the
hum
ansu
bjec
tin
the
‘Fir
stW
orld
’w
aspr
edic
ated
onth
eop
pres
sion
and
expl
oita
tion
ofco
loni
alsu
bjec
tsin
the
‘Thi
rdW
orld
’.A
sa
cons
eque
nce,
the
poss
ibili
tyof
univ
ersa
lhu
man
righ
ts,
free
dom
and
equa
lity
asa
polit
ical
goal
,as
wel
las
aph
iloso
phic
alfo
unda
tion,
was
radi
cally
thro
wn
into
ques
tion.
Like
Spiv
ak,
You
ngco
nvin
cing
lyde
mon
stra
tes
how
Den
-ida
’sde
cons
truc
tion
ofw
este
rnth
ough
tcan
bere
late
dto
the
rece
nthi
stor
yof
deco
loni
satio
nan
dan
ti-co
loni
alre
sist
ance
.A
ttim
es,
how
ever
,Y
oung
exag
gera
tes
the
sign
ific
ance
ofD
en-i
da’s
biog
raph
y,as
aFr
anco
-Mag
hreb
ian
Jew
,w
how
asbo
rnin
Alg
eria
,in
orde
rto
stre
ngth
enhi
sar
gum
entt
hat
deco
nstr
ucti
onis
anes
sent
ial
part
ofpo
st-
colo
nial
inte
llect
ual
hist
ory.
Yet
asSp
ivak
emph
asis
es,
the
deta
ilsof
Den
-ida
’sea
rly
life
inA
lger
iaar
eno
t“p
ostc
olon
ial”
inan
ypr
ecis
ese
nse’
(Spi
vak
1999
:43
1).
Inth
epo
stco
loni
alth
eory
ofH
omi
Bha
bha,
Jacq
ues
Den
-ida
’sdis
cuss
ion
ofdf
fran
ceha
spr
ovid
eda
radi
calc
once
ptua
lres
ourc
eto
deco
nst
ruct
the
rhet
oric
ofco
loni
aldi
scou
rse.
Inre
spon
seto
Der
rida
’sdi
scus
sion
ofth
edi
ffer
ing—
defe
rral
ofsi
gns
alon
gan
infi
nite
spac
e—tim
eax
is,
Hom
iB
habh
aha
ssu
gges
ted
that
the
‘str
uctu
re’
ofco
loni
al
SE
TT
ING
DE
CO
NS
TR
UC
TIO
NT
OW
OR
K29
disc
ours
eta
kes
plac
eal
ong
apa
ralle
lax
isof
enun
ciat
ion
(the
cont
ext
ofut
tera
nce)
and
addr
ess
(the
cont
ext o
flis
teni
ng).
In‘S
lyC
ivili
ty’
(199
4),
Bha
bha
exam
ines
asp
eech
deliv
ered
byth
eB
ritis
hth
inke
rJo
hnSt
uart
Mill
(180
6—73
)to
ase
lect
com
mit
tee
ofth
eE
nglis
hH
ouse
ofL
ords
in18
52ab
out
the
Bri
tish
colo
nial
gove
rnm
ent
inIn
dia.
Inth
issp
eech
,M
illst
ates
that
the
mai
nten
ance
ofco
loni
algo
vern
men
tta
kes
plac
ein
and
thro
ugh
wri
ting
,or
the
lett
ers,
docu
men
ts,
reco
rds
and
polic
ies
that
are
exch
ange
dbe
twee
nth
eB
ritis
hgo
vern
men
tin
Lon
don
and
the
colo
nial
adm
inis
trat
ion
inIn
dia
Aga
inst
the
colo
nial
auth
ority
impl
icit
inM
ill’s
spee
ch,
Bha
bha
argu
esth
atth
e‘s
pace
betw
een
enun
ciat
ion
and
addr
ess’
—be
twee
nL
ondo
nan
dIn
dia
—‘o
pens
upa
spac
eof
inte
rpre
tati
onan
dm
isap
prop
riat
ion
that
insc
ribe
san
ambi
vale
nce
atth
eve
ryor
igin
sof
colo
nial
auth
ority
’(B
habh
a19
94:
95).
By
doin
gso
,B
habh
aem
phas
ises
that
the
very
stru
ctur
eof
colo
nial
addr
ess
prov
ides
arh
etor
ical
spac
efo
rpo
tent
ially
subv
ertin
gth
eau
thor
ity
ofco
loni
alru
lein
wri
ting.
Bha
bha’
sin
vent
ive
use
ofD
en-i
da’s
disc
ussi
onof
d!ff
ranc
ein
the
cont
ext
ofni
nete
enth
-cen
tury
Bri
tish
colo
nial
disc
ours
eis
para
llele
dby
his
empl
oym
ent
ofth
ede
cons
truc
tive
conc
ept
ofth
esu
pple
men
tto
rew
rite
the
fixe
dna
rrat
ives
ofco
ntem
pora
ryw
este
rnna
tion
stat
essu
chas
Bri
tain
and
Fran
cefr
omth
epe
rspe
ctiv
eof
post
colo
nial
mig
rant
s.In
‘Dis
sem
iNat
ion’
,B
habh
aus
esD
erri
da’s
‘wit
and
wis
dom
’(1
994:
139)
toch
alle
nge
the
conv
entio
nal
Eur
ocen
tric
narr
ativ
eof
the
wes
tern
natio
n.In
voki
ngH
ands
wor
thSo
ngs,
afil
mm
ade
byth
eB
lack
Aud
ioan
dFi
lmC
olle
ctiv
edu
ring
the
upri
sing
sof
1985
inth
eH
ands
wor
thar
eaof
Bir
min
gham
,E
ngla
nd,
Bha
bha
trac
esa
split
inth
efi
lm’s
narr
ativ
ebe
twee
nth
era
cist
disc
ours
esof
Bri
tish
stat
ein
stitu
tions
inst
atis
tics,
docu
men
tsan
dne
wsp
aper
s,an
d‘t
hepe
rple
xed
livin
g’of
post
colo
nial
mig
rant
sdw
ellin
gin
Bri
tain
whi
chis
expr
esse
din
‘Han
dsw
orth
song
s’(B
habh
a19
94:
156)
.Fo
rB
habh
a,fil
ms
such
asH
ands
wor
thSo
ngs
illu
str
ate
how
the
cohe
rent
,lin
ear
narr
ativ
eof
the
mod
ern
wes
tern
natio
nst
ate
isin
terr
upte
dby
itsow
nco
loni
alhi
stor
y,w
hich
ittr
ies
des
per
atel
yto
disa
vow
and
forg
et.
As
Bha
bha
asse
rts:
The
lim
inal
ity
ofth
ew
este
rnna
tion
isth
esh
adow
ofits
own
fini
tude
:th
eco
lo
nial
spac
epl
ayed
out
inth
eim
agin
ativ
egeo
gra
phy
ofth
em
etro
poli
tan
spac
e;
the
repe
titi
onor
retu
rnof
the
post
colo
nial
mig
rant
toal
ien
ate
the
holi
smof
hist
ory.
The
post
colo
nial
spac
eis
now
supple
men
tary
’to
the
met
ropo
lita
nce
ntr
e;it
stan
ds
ina
subal
tern
,ad
junct
rela
tion
that
does
n’t
aggra
ndiz
eth
e
pres
ence
ofth
eW
est
but
redr
aws
itsfr
onti
ers
inth
em
enac
ing,
agon
isti
c
boun
dary
ofcu
ltur
aldi
ffer
ence
that
neve
rqu
ite
adds
up[.
. (Bh
abh
a19
94:
168)
Inth
ela
stse
nten
ceof
this
quot
edpa
ssag
e,B
habh
aus
esth
ecr
itica
lst
rate
gies
ofde
cons
truc
tion
toem
phas
ise
the
stru
ctur
alin
com
plet
enes
sof
whi
teB
ritis
hna
tiona
lcu
lture
from
the
posi
tion
ofne
wim
mig
rant
popu
latio
nsfr
omA
fric
a,th
eC
arib
bean
and
Sout
hA
sia.
Just
asJa
cque
sD
en-i
da’s
supp
lem
ent h
ighl
ight
sth
eor
igin
alin
com
plet
enes
sof
wes
tern
philo
soph
y,ii
soth
epo
stco
loni
alm
igra
ntfo
regr
ound
san
dch
alle
nges
the
inco
mpl
ete
cultu
ral
iden
tity
ofB
ritis
hna
tionh
ood
from
avu
lner
able
posi
tion
onth
em
arg
ins.
fth
enat
ion
(Bha
bha
1994
:16
8).
Bha
bha’
sde
cons
truc
tion
ofth
edi
scou
rse
ofth
ew
este
rnna
tion
stat
efr
omth
epe
rspe
ctiv
eof
new
imm
igra
nts
has
prov
ided
apo
wer
ful
mod
elfo
rre
thin
king
the
cultu
ral
iden
tity
ofw
este
rnna
tion
stat
essu
chas
Bri
tain
.Y
etB
habh
a’s
gene
ralis
atio
nsab
out
the
expe
rien
ces
ofpo
st-
colo
nial
mig
rant
sof
ten
fail
tota
kein
toac
coun
tth
eim
port
ant
eco
nom
ic,
polit
ical
and
clas
sdi
ffer
ence
sbe
twee
nth
ese
post
colo
nial
mig
rant
s.A
sa
cons
eque
nce,
Bha
bha
ofte
nim
plie
sth
athi
sow
npo
sitio
nas
apr
ivile
ged
post
colo
nial
inte
llect
ual,
who
emig
rate
dfr
omIn
dia
toliv
ein
Bri
tain
and
then
the
USA
,is
inte
rcha
ngea
ble
with
the
mat
eria
lco
nditi
ons
ofot
her
imm
igra
nts,
such
asT
urki
shla
bour
ers
livin
gin
Ger
man
y,or
the
Afr
ican
-Car
ibbe
anco
mm
unity
depi
cted
inH
ands
wor
thSo
ngs.
Inco
ntra
stto
Bha
bha,
Spiv
akac
know
ledg
esth
epr
ivile
ged
mid
dle-
clas
spo
sitio
nth
atsh
eoc
cupi
esas
apo
stco
loni
alin
telle
ctua
lin
the
wes
tern
acad
emy,
but
also
emph
asis
esth
atth
issp
ace
ispr
oduc
edby
wes
tern
high
ered
ucat
iona
lin
stitu
tions
fund
edby
mul
tinat
iona
lca
pita
lism
.
DE
CO
NS
TR
UC
TIO
NA
ND
OT
HE
RW
OR
LD
S
The
artic
ulat
ion
ofde
cons
truc
tion
and
post
colo
nial
theo
ryin
the
wor
kof
You
ngan
dB
habh
ais
pref
igur
edin
Spiv
ak’s
1976
‘Tra
nsla
tor’
sPr
efac
e’to
Of G
ram
mat
olog
y.In
this
pref
ace,
Spiv
akem
phas
ises
that
the
conc
eptu
alor
gani
satio
nof
Den
-ida
’sbo
okha
sa
‘geo
grap
hica
lpa
ttern
’(D
en-i
da19
76:
lxxx
ii),
whe
rein
the
deco
nstr
ucti
onof
wes
tern
phil
oso
phy
(in
the
firs
tpa
rtof
the
book
)is
indi
rect
lyre
late
dto
the
criti
que
ofw
este
rnan
thro
polo
gy(i
nth
ese
cond
part
).T
his
rela
tions
hip
beco
mes
mor
eex
plic
itin
the
seco
ndse
ctio
nof
Den
-ida
’sbo
ok,
entit
led
‘The
30K
EY
IDE
AS
SE
TT
ING
DE
CO
NS
TR
UC
TIO
NT
OW
OR
K31
32K
EY
DE
AS
Vio
lenc
eof
the
Let
ter’
,w
here
Der
rida
care
fully
trac
esth
eet
hno
cent
ric
blin
dsp
ots
in‘A
Wri
ting
Les
son’
,an
essa
yw
ritt
enby
the
Fren
chan
thro
polo
gist
Cla
ude
Lvi
Stra
uss
(190
8—).
Inth
ises
say,
Levi
Stra
uss
desc
ribe
sho
whe
cond
ucte
dde
taile
dan
thro
polo
gica
lfi
eldw
ork
with
the
Nam
bikw
ara,
anor
al-b
ased
trib
also
ciet
yin
Sout
hA
mer
ica.
Aft
erco
mpl
etin
ghi
sfi
eldw
ork,
Levi
Stra
uss
conc
lude
dth
atth
isso
ciet
yre
pres
ente
dan
inno
cent
peop
leun
touc
hed
byci
vilis
atio
nbe
caus
eth
eyw
ere
wit
hout
wri
ting
.Fo
rD
erri
da,
how
ever
,th
isse
ntim
enta
lch
arac
teri
satio
nof
the
Nam
bikw
ara
repr
oduc
esa
cultu
ral
ster
eoty
peof
indi
geno
uspe
ople
asno
ble
sava
ges,
and
ther
eby
igno
res
the
com
plex
and
situ
ated
text
ual
prac
tices
that
had
been
hist
oric
ally
empl
oyed
inth
eN
ambi
kwar
aso
ciet
y.D
erri
da’s
criti
que
ofLe
viSt
raus
sill
ustr
ates
how
the
invo
catio
nof
the
non-
wes
tin
rece
ntw
este
rncr
itica
lth
eory
isof
ten
empl
oyed
asa
rhet
oric
alge
stur
eto
mar
kth
elim
itatio
nsof
wes
tern
know
ledg
e.Su
cha
rhet
oric
alge
stur
eof
ten
port
rays
non-
wes
tern
subj
ects
aspe
trif
ied,
mut
eob
ject
sof
wes
tern
repr
esen
tati
onw
hoar
ede
nude
dof
cult
ure,
lang
uage
and
hist
ory.
Thi
sde
pict
ion
ofno
n-w
este
rnsu
bjec
tsat
the
unre
pres
enta
ble
limits
ofkn
owle
dge
may
guar
dag
ains
tth
eut
opia
ncl
aim
sof
polit
ical
prog
ram
mes
such
asM
arxi
smor
natio
nal
inde
pend
ence
,w
hich
clai
mto
repr
esen
tth
ein
tere
sts
ofdi
sem
pow
ered
orop
pres
sed
grou
ps.
Yet
criti
cal
theo
ry’s
emph
asis
onth
esi
lenc
ean
dpa
ssiv
ityof
non-
wes
tern
subj
ects
inre
latio
nto
wes
tern
know
ledg
eal
sore
-foc
uses
atte
ntio
non
the
conc
eptu
allim
itatio
nsof
wes
tern
know
ledg
eits
elf.
For
the
post
colo
nial
criti
cH
omi
Bha
bha
this
prob
lem
ispa
rtof
wes
tern
theo
ry’s
‘str
ateg
yof
cont
ainm
ent
whe
reth
eO
ther
text
isfo
reve
rth
eex
eget
ical
hori
zon
ofdi
ffer
ence
,ne
ver
the
activ
eag
ent
ofar
ticul
atio
n’(B
habh
a19
94-:
31).
At
times
,Sp
ivak
’sem
phas
ison
the
com
plic
ityof
wes
tern
inte
llec
tual
sin
sile
ncin
gth
evo
ices
ofop
pres
sed
grou
psby
spea
king
for
them
may
also
appe
arto
repe
atth
eve
rysi
lenc
ing
that
Bha
bha
criti
cise
sab
ove.
Inde
ed,
criti
cssu
chas
Ben
itaPa
rry
argu
eth
atSp
ivak
effe
ctiv
ely
wri
tes
out
‘the
evid
ence
ofna
tive
agen
cyre
cord
edin
Indi
a’s
200
year
stru
ggle
agai
nst B
ritis
hco
nque
stan
dth
eR
aj’
(Par
ry19
87:
35)
wit
hph
rase
slik
e,‘T
hesu
balte
rnca
nnot
spea
k’(P
arry
1987
:35
).A
sI
goon
todi
scus
sin
Cha
pter
3,Pa
rry’
sre
adin
gof
Spiv
ak’s
wor
kon
the
suba
ltern
exem
pli
fies
how
man
ycr
itics
have
tend
edto
over
sim
plif
ySp
ivak
’sar
gum
entf
orth
esa
keof
clar
ity.
Far
from
bein
gco
mpl
etel
ype
ssim
istic
abou
tth
ehi
stor
ies
ofsu
balte
rnre
sist
ance
and
the
poss
ibili
ties
ofpo
litic
alag
ency
,
rSp
ivak
’sre
fusa
lto
sim
ply
repr
esen
tno
n-w
este
rnsu
bjec
tsco
mes
from
apr
ofou
ndre
cogn
ition
ofho
wth
eliv
esof
man
ydi
sem
pow
ered
grou
psha
veal
read
ybe
enda
mag
edby
dom
inan
tsy
stem
sof
know
ledg
ean
dre
pres
enta
tion
And
itis
deco
nstr
ucti
onth
atpr
ovid
esSp
ivak
wit
ha
crit
ical
stra
tegy
toar
ticul
ate
this
reco
gnit
ion.
In‘C
anth
eSu
balte
rnSp
eak?
’,fo
rex
ampl
e,Sp
ivak
invo
kes
the
hist
ory
ofB
huba
nesw
ari
Bha
duri
,a
youn
g,m
iddl
e-cl
ass,
Indi
anw
oman
who
took
her
own
life
inhe
rfa
ther
’sap
artm
ent
inN
orth
Cal
cutta
in19
26.
Itw
asla
ter
disc
over
edth
atth
isw
oman
was
a‘m
embe
rof
one
ofth
em
any
grou
psin
volv
edin
the
arm
edst
rugg
lefo
rIn
dian
inde
pen
denc
e’(S
piva
k19
88:
307)
.A
sSp
ivak
goes
onto
poin
tou
t,B
huba
nesw
ari
had
been
‘ent
rust
edw
itha
polit
ical
assa
ssin
atio
n’,
whi
chsh
ew
asun
able
toco
nfro
nt,
and
had
com
mit
ted
suic
ide
toav
oid
capt
ure
byth
eB
ritis
hco
loni
alau
thor
ities
.Sp
ivak
read
sB
huba
nesw
ari’
ssu
icid
eas
anel
abor
ate
atte
mpt
toco
ver
uphe
rin
volv
emen
t with
the
anti
-col
oni
alin
surg
ency
mov
emen
tby
disg
uisi
nghe
rsu
icid
eas
am
oder
nex
ampl
eof
the
anci
ent
prac
tice
ofH
indu
wid
owsa
crif
ice
(dis
cuss
edin
mor
ede
tail
inC
hapt
er3)
.Y
etin
doin
gso
,Sp
ivak
argu
esth
atth
evo
ice
and
agen
cyof
Bhu
bane
swar
iB
hadu
ri,
asa
real
hist
oric
alw
oman
and
anan
ti-co
loni
alfr
eedo
mfi
ghte
r,di
sapp
ear
from
the
offic
ial,
mal
e-ce
ntre
dhi
stor
ical
reco
rds.
Inth
eco
nclu
sion
toth
ere
adin
gof
Bhu
bane
swar
iB
hadu
ri’s
suic
ide,
Spiv
akar
gues
that
Jacq
ues
Der
rida
prov
ides
a‘m
ore
pain
stak
ing
and
usef
ul’
way
ofre
adin
gth
evo
ices
and
stru
ggle
sof
dise
nfra
nchi
sed
subj
ects
such
asB
huba
nesw
ari
Bha
duri
(Spi
vak
1988
:30
8).
Rat
her
than
perp
etua
ting
Bhu
bane
swar
i’s
disa
ppea
ranc
efr
omhi
stor
y,su
cha
read
ing
prac
tice
allo
ws
Spiv
akto
bem
ore
self
-con
scio
us,
self
-sub
vert
ing
and
ethi
cally
resp
onsi
ble
inth
ew
ayth
atsh
eta
lks
abou
tth
esi
ngul
arex
per
ien
ces
and
hist
orie
sof
dise
nfra
nchi
sed
peop
lelik
eB
huba
nesw
ari
inhe
row
nth
eore
tica
ldi
scou
rse.
DE
CO
NS
TR
UC
TIO
NA
ND
MA
ST
ER
WO
RD
S
The
disa
ppea
ranc
eof
Bhu
bane
swar
iB
hadu
rifr
omth
ehi
stor
ical
reco
rds
ofan
ti-co
loni
alin
surg
ency
also
high
light
sa
mor
ege
nera
lpr
oble
mw
ithth
evo
cabu
lari
esof
polit
ical
mov
emen
tssu
chas
anti-
colo
nial
natio
nal
liber
atio
n,fe
min
ism
orso
cial
ism
.T
hese
mov
emen
tsat
tem
ptto
nam
ean
dde
fine
the
part
icul
arhi
stor
ies,
expe
rien
ces
and
stru
ggle
sof
min
ority
grou
psus
ing
abst
ract
mas
ter
wor
dslik
eth
ew
orke
r,th
ew
oman
orth
e
SE
TT
ING
DE
CO
NS
TR
UC
TIO
NT
OW
OR
K33
34K
EY
IDE
AS
CA
TA
CH
RE
SIS
Inth
est
udy
ofrh
etor
ic,
the
term
cata
chre
sis
deno
tes
the
mis
use
orab
use
ofw
ords
tona
me
the
mul
tipl
icit
ies
ofex
peri
ence
and
envi
ronm
ent
unde
rbr
oade
r,si
ngle
sign
s’(W
ales
1989
:57
—8)
.In
Jacq
ues
Der
rida
’sd
eco
nst
ruc
lion
ofw
este
rnph
ilos
ophi
cal
disc
ours
e,ho
wev
er,
cata
chre
sis
isno
tre
stri
cted
toth
epa
rtic
ular
mis
use
ofw
ords
,bu
tre
fers
inst
ead
toth
eor
igin
alin
com
plet
enes
sor
impr
opri
ety
that
isa
gene
ral
cond
itio
nin
all
syst
ems
ofm
eani
ng.
Inth
eE
ngli
shla
ngua
ge,
for
exam
ple,
the
prop
erna
me
‘Jef
fD
erks
enis
supp
osed
toco
rres
pond
with
are
alco
ncre
tepe
rson
,bu
tth
ere
isno
abso
lute
guar
ante
eth
atth
epr
oper
nam
e‘J
eff
Der
ksen
’re
fers
toth
esa
me
pers
on,
orth
atth
epe
rson
isth
esa
me
asth
eyw
ere
two
wee
ksag
o.A
sG
eoff
rey
Ben
ning
ton
note
sin
alu
cid
com
men
tary
onD
erri
da’s
wor
k,th
e‘p
rope
rna
me
ough
tto
insu
rea
cert
ain
pas
sage
betw
een
lang
uage
and
the
wor
ld,
inth
atit
ough
tto
indi
cate
aco
ncre
tein
divi
dual
,w
itho
utam
bi
guity
,w
itho
utha
ving
topa
ssth
roug
hth
eci
rcui
tsof
mea
ning
’(B
enni
ngto
n19
93:
104)
.Y
etas
Ben
ning
ton
goes
onto
poin
tou
t,th
eid
enti
tyof
the
prop
erna
me
with
a‘c
oncr
ete
indi
vidu
al’
isal
sogr
ound
edon
the
repr
essi
onof
non-
iden
tity
,or
impr
opri
ety:
‘[th
e]pr
oper
nam
ean
dpr
oper
mea
ning
are
only
dist
ingu
ishe
din
seco
nd
ary
fash
ion
agai
nst
aba
ckgr
ound
ofor
igin
ary
imp
ropr
iety
orm
etap
hori
city
’(B
enni
ngto
n19
93:1
07).
As
Ben
ning
ton
sug
ges
ts,
the
impr
opri
ety
ofth
epr
oper
nam
ere
fers
toth
em
ore
gene
ral
cond
itio
nof
impr
opri
ety,
whi
chun
derp
ins
all
syst
ems
ofm
eani
ng.
colo
nise
d.Sp
ivak
cont
ends
that
thes
em
aste
rw
ords
are
cata
chre
ses,
orim
prop
erw
ords
,be
caus
eth
eycl
aim
tore
pres
ent
all
wom
en,
all
wor
kers
and
all
ofth
epr
olet
aria
t,w
hen
‘the
rear
eno
“tru
e”ex
ampl
esof
the
“tru
ew
orke
r,”
the
“tru
ew
oman
,”th
e“t
rue
prol
etar
ian”
who
wou
ldac
tual
lyst
and
for
the
idea
lsin
term
sof
whi
chyo
u’ve
mob
ilize
d’(S
piva
k19
90:
104)
.Ja
cque
sD
erri
da’s
deco
nstr
ucti
onof
the
prop
er/i
mpr
oper
dich
otom
yin
wes
tern
philo
soph
ical
disc
ours
eha
sha
da
sign
ific
ant
infl
uenc
eon
Spiv
ak’s
thin
king
,es
peci
ally
inth
ere
wor
king
ofM
arxi
stan
dfe
mi
nist
conc
epts
.In
anin
terv
iew
with
Sara
hH
aras
ym,
enti
tled
‘Pra
ctic
alPo
litic
sof
The
Ope
nE
nd’
(199
0),
Spiv
akac
know
ledg
esth
atD
en-i
da’s
deco
nstr
ucti
onof
wes
tern
met
aphy
sics
‘can
not
foun
da
polit
ical
pro
gram
ofan
yki
nd[.
.•1Y
et,
inits
sugg
estio
nth
atm
aste
rwor
dslik
e“t
he
wor
ker”
,or
“the
wom
an”
have
nolit
eral
refe
rent
sde
cons
truc
tion
is(a
lpo
litic
alsa
fegu
ard’
(Spi
vak
1990
:10
4).
For
Spiv
ak,
the
‘pol
itica
l’va
lue
ofa
deco
nstr
ucti
vere
adin
gpr
actic
eis
that
itgu
ards
agai
nstt
heun
iver
sal
clai
ms
ofM
arxi
sm,
natio
nal
liber
atio
nm
ovem
ents
orw
este
rnfe
min
ism
tosp
eak
for
all
the
oppr
esse
d.In
the
cont
ext
ofpo
litic
alm
obili
satio
n,th
eus
eof
mas
ter
wor
dsis
cata
chre
stic
not
only
beca
use
itis
impr
oper
ingr
amm
atic
alor
logi
cal
term
s,bu
tal
sobe
caus
eit
can
have
anab
usiv
eef
fect
onth
ose
peop
le,
who
seliv
esan
dex
peri
ence
sar
ena
med
and
defi
ned
bysu
chm
aste
rw
ords
.A
sSp
ivak
emph
asis
esin
‘Can
the
Suba
ltern
Spea
k?’
(198
8),
the
voic
eof
‘the
wor
ker’
or‘t
hew
oman
’in
polit
ical
disc
ours
eis
ofte
nre
pres
ente
dby
apo
litic
alpr
oxy,
oran
elec
ted
repr
esen
tati
ve,
who
spea
kson
beha
lfof
thes
eco
nstit
uenc
ies.
Such
polit
ical
disc
ours
este
ndto
repr
esen
tth
ese
dise
mpo
wer
edgr
oups
asif
they
wer
esp
eaki
ngco
llect
ivel
yas
aun
ifie
dpo
litic
alsu
bjec
t.Fo
rSp
ivak
,ho
wev
er,
this
cohe
rent
polit
ical
iden
tity
isal
way
sal
read
yan
effe
ctof
the
dom
inan
tdi
scou
rse
that
repr
esen
tsth
ese
grou
ps,
rath
erth
ana
tran
spar
entp
ortr
ait
ofth
etr
uew
orke
r,or
the
true
wom
an.
(Iw
illre
turn
toth
equ
estio
nof
disc
ours
ein
Cha
pter
3;se
ebo
x,p.
85.)
Spiv
ak’s
rew
orki
ngof
deco
nstr
ucti
onin
the
cont
ext
ofpo
litic
alre
pres
enta
tion
illus
trat
esho
wth
ela
ngua
geof
univ
ersa
lpo
litic
alst
rug
gles
can
have
pote
ntia
llyin
juri
ous
orha
rmfu
lef
fect
son
the
lives
ofdi
sem
pow
ered
grou
ps(t
heco
loni
sed,
wom
en,
orth
ew
orke
rs).
The
exam
ple
ofB
huba
nesw
ari
Bha
duri
,di
scus
sed
abov
e,ill
ustr
ates
how
the
com
plex
lives
,hi
stor
ies
and
stru
ggle
sof
the
dise
mpo
wer
edca
nbe
eras
edby
the
fixe
dte
rms
ofra
dica
lpo
litic
aldi
scou
rses
that
clai
mto
repr
esen
tth
em.
To
coun
ter
this
diff
icul
ty,
Spiv
akar
gues
that
Den
-ida
offe
rsa
mor
efl
exib
lean
dre
spon
sibl
eap
proa
thto
read
ing
the
sing
ular
circ
umst
ance
san
dm
ater
ial
cond
ition
sof
peop
le’s
lives
,w
hich
‘mar
ksra
dica
lcr
itiqu
ew
ith
the
dang
erof
appr
opri
atin
gth
eot
her
byas
sim
ila
tion’
(Spi
vak
1988
:30
8).
As
the
next
sect
ion
cons
ider
s,th
isre
spon
sibl
eap
proa
ch,
whi
chSp
ivak
finds
inD
en-i
da’s
deco
nstr
ucti
onof
wes
tern
philo
soph
y,re
flec
tsa
mor
ege
nera
lco
ncer
nin
Den
-ida
’sla
ter
wor
kto
reth
ink
ethi
csas
are
spon
sibi
lity
tow
ards
the
Oth
er.
DE
CO
NS
TR
UC
TIO
NA
ND
ET
HIC
S
At
aco
nfer
ence
enti
tled
‘The
End
sof
Man
’he
ldat
the
Cen
tre
Cul
ture
lIn
tern
atio
nal
deC
eris
y-L
a-Sa
lle,
Fran
cein
1980
,Sp
ivak
,al
ong
with
SE
TT
ING
DE
CO
NS
TR
UC
TIO
NT
OW
OR
K35
36K
EY
IDE
AS
othe
rke
yco
mm
enta
tors
onD
erri
da’s
thou
ght
incl
udin
gJe
anLu
cN
ancy
,Ph
illip
eL
acou
eha
bart
hean
dSa
rah
Kof
man
,m
etto
disc
uss
the
ques
tion
ofpo
litic
san
dth
est
atus
ofth
epo
litic
alin
Jacq
ues
Der
rida
’sth
ough
t.T
hepr
ocee
ding
sfr
omth
isco
nfer
ence
wer
epu
blis
hed
inF
renc
hun
der
the
titl
e,Le
s fin
sde
l’hom
me:
a par
tir
dutr
avai
lde
jacq
ues
Der
rida
(198
1),
and
have
not
yet
been
tran
slat
ed,
alth
ough
som
eof
the
pres
enta
tion
sha
vebe
endi
scus
sed
insu
bseq
uent
publ
icat
ions
.In
‘Lim
itsan
dO
peni
ngs
ofM
arx
inD
erri
da’,
anes
say
publ
ishe
din
Out
side
inth
eTe
achi
ngM
achi
ne(1
993)
,Sp
ivak
note
sho
wth
eop
enin
gco
nfer
ence
disc
ussi
ons
ofD
erri
da’s
wor
kw
ere
stru
ctur
edar
ound
abi
nary
oppo
siti
onbe
twee
nth
etw
om
ost
com
mon
mea
ning
sof
the
polit
ical
inFr
ench
:le
polit
ique
,or
the
abst
ract
philo
soph
ical
notio
nof
the
polit
ical
,an
dIa
polit
ique
,or
the
mor
eco
nven
tiona
lde
fini
tion
ofpo
litic
sas
aco
ncre
tepo
litic
alev
ent.
InSp
ivak
’sac
coun
t,th
isbi
nary
oppo
sitio
n,or
igin
ally
prop
osed
byJe
an-L
ucN
ancy
and
Phill
ipe
Lac
oue
Lab
arth
e,is
prob
lem
atic
beca
use
itpr
esen
tsde
cons
truc
tion
asan
abst
ract
philo
soph
ical
met
hod
whi
chis
divo
rced
from
the
mat
eria
lco
nditi
ons
ofco
ncre
tepo
litic
alev
ents
.In
stea
dof
sim
ply
fram
ing
the
rela
tions
hip
betw
een
deco
nstr
ucti
onan
dpo
litic
sin
the
redu
ctiv
ete
rms
ofth
isbi
nary
oppo
sitio
nbe
twee
npo
lit
ical
philo
soph
yan
dre
al,
mat
eria
lpo
litic
s,Sp
ivak
sugg
ests
that
we
shou
ldex
amin
eth
edi
ffer
ence
betw
een
Den
-ida
’sea
rly
and
late
rw
ork
mor
eca
refu
lly.
InD
en-i
da’s
earl
yw
ork,
Spiv
akas
sert
sth
atth
ere
is‘a
nec
onom
y[.
..]o
f pro
tect
ing
and
pres
ervi
ng[g
arde
r]th
equ
estio
n’w
here
asin
the
late
rw
ork
ther
eis
a‘t
rans
form
atio
n’of
this
econ
omy
ofpr
otec
tion
and
pres
erva
tion
into
‘the
call
toth
ew
holly
othe
r[t
out
autr
ej’
(Spi
vak
1993
:98
—9)
.In
mor
esi
mpl
ete
rms,
ther
eis
am
ovem
ent
inD
erri
da’s
thou
ght
away
from
maj
orph
iloso
phic
alqu
estio
nsab
out
the
foun
ding
cond
ition
sof
poss
ibili
tyfo
rtr
uth,
bein
g(‘
onto
logy
’)an
dkn
owin
g(‘
epis
tem
olog
y’)
tow
ards
ethi
cal
and
soci
alco
nsid
erat
ions
abou
tvio
lenc
e,ju
stic
e,fr
iend
ship
,an
dho
spita
lity.
As
Igo
onto
disc
uss
belo
w,
Spiv
ak’s
focu
son
this
mov
ein
Den
-ida
’sw
ork
clar
ifie
sth
em
eani
ngof
the
polit
ical
inD
en-i
da’s
thou
ght,
and
reve
als
inst
ead
how
Den
-ida
’sde
cons
truc
tion
ofw
este
rnph
iloso
phy
has
anim
port
ant
ethi
cal
dim
ensi
onth
atpe
rsis
tent
lyqu
estio
nsth
era
tiona
l pro
gram
mes
whi
chst
ruct
ure
all
polit
ical
deci
sion
-mak
ing.
Den
-ida
’spr
eocc
upat
ion
with
ethi
csha
sbe
enim
plic
itin
his
thin
king
from
the
star
tof
his
inte
llect
ual
care
er,
even
thou
gh,
asG
eoff
rey
Ben
ning
ton
(200
0)st
ress
es,
deco
nstr
ucti
onis
not
ethi
cali
nth
eco
nven
tiona
lse
nse
ofth
ete
rm.
Tra
ditio
nally
,et
hics
belo
ngs
toth
ere
alm
ofm
oral
philo
soph
yco
ncer
ned
with
the
calc
ulat
ion
ofju
stic
e.In
this
trad
ition
,et
hics
isbo
und
upw
ithth
etr
ansc
ende
nt,
univ
ersa
lpr
inci
ples
ofw
este
rnm
etap
hysi
cs;
the
very
prin
cipl
esth
atde
cons
truc
tion
seek
sto
deco
nstr
uct
(Ben
ning
ton
2000
:64
-).In
stea
dof
artic
ulat
ing
aco
here
ntm
oral
philo
soph
y,D
erri
daba
ses
his
unde
rsta
ndin
gof
ethi
cson
the
thou
ght
ofth
eJe
wis
hph
iloso
pher
IEm
man
uel
Lev
inas
(190
6—95
).T
hecl
eare
stst
atem
ent
ofLe
vina
s’s
ethi
cal
posi
tion
can
befo
und
inhi
sbo
okT
otal
ityan
din
fini
ty(1
961)
.In
this
book
,L
evin
asre
defi
ned
ethi
csas
the
mom
ent
inw
hich
the
tran
scen
dent
alse
lfof
wes
tern
philo
soph
ydi
scov
ers
that
itis
alre
ady
inan
ethi
cal
rela
tion
toth
eO
ther
befo
reit
isfu
llya
self
.In
deed
for
Lev
inas
,et
hics
isno
thin
gm
ore
than
the
sing
ular
even
tin
whi
chth
eSe
lfen
coun
ters
itsel
fin
anet
hica
lre
latio
nto
the
face
ofth
eO
ther
.
OT
HE
RN
ES
S
Thr
ough
out
the
hist
ory
ofw
este
rncu
ltur
ean
dth
ough
t,th
ere
are
cert
ain
peop
le,
conc
epts
,an
did
eas
that
are
defi
ned
as‘O
ther
’:as
mon
ster
s,al
iens
orsa
vage
sw
hoth
reat
enth
eva
lues
ofci
vilis
edso
ciet
y,or
the
stab
ility
ofth
e
ratio
nal
hum
anse
lf.
Suc
h‘O
ther
s’ha
vein
clud
edde
ath,
the
unco
nsci
ous
and
mad
ness
,as
wel
las
the
Ori
enta
l,no
n-w
este
rn‘O
ther
’,th
efo
reig
ner,
the
hom
osex
ual,
and
the
fem
inin
e.In
the
stru
ctur
eof
wes
tern
thou
ght,
the
‘Oth
er’
isre
lega
ted
toa
plac
eou
tsid
eof
orex
teri
orto
the
norm
al,
civi
lised
valu
esof
wes
tern
cult
ure;
yet
itis
inth
isfo
undi
ngm
omen
tof
rele
gati
onth
at
the
sove
reig
nty
ofth
eSe
lfor
the
sam
eis
cons
titu
ted.
The
chal
leng
eth
at
othe
rnes
sor
alte
rity
pose
sto
wes
tern
thou
ght
and
cult
ure
has
been
furt
her
deve
lope
dby
Em
man
uel
Lev
inas
.Fo
rL
evin
as,
wes
tern
philo
soph
yha
str
ad
ition
ally
defi
ned
the
Oth
eras
anob
ject
ofco
nsci
ousn
ess
for
the
wes
tern
subj
ect.
Thi
sre
duct
ive
defi
nitio
nha
sef
fect
ivel
yde
stro
yed
the
sing
ular
alte
rity
ofth
eO
ther
.A
gain
stth
isre
duct
ion,
Lev
inas
has
asse
rted
that
the
Oth
eral
way
ses
cape
sth
eco
nsci
ousn
ess
and
cont
rol
ofth
ew
este
rnse
lf.
For
Lev
inas
,the
chal
leng
eth
atth
eal
teri
tyof
the
Oth
erpo
ses
toth
ece
rtai
nty
of
the
Self
inth
efa
ce-t
o-fa
ceen
coun
ter
betw
een
the
Self
and
the
Oth
erop
ens
the
ques
tion
ofet
hics
.
SE
TT
ING
DE
CO
NS
TR
UC
TIO
NT
OW
OR
K37
38K
EY
IDE
AS
The
them
eof
Oth
erne
ssha
sal
sobe
ena
cent
ral
conc
ern
inpo
st-
colo
nial
stud
ies.
Inth
ein
trod
ucti
onto
Ori
enta
lism
,E
dwar
dSa
idar
gued
that
the
Ori
ent
ison
eof
Eur
ope’
s‘d
eepe
stan
dm
ost
recu
rrin
gim
ages
ofth
eO
ther
’(S
aid
1978
:1)
.W
here
asSa
idde
scri
bes
how
Ori
enta
lism
cont
rols
the
non-
wes
tern
wor
ldby
defi
ning
itas
the
Oth
erof
Eur
ope,
Spiv
akha
str
ied
todi
spla
ceth
isfi
xed
SeW
—O
ther
dich
otom
yin
favo
urof
anet
hica
lre
spon
seto
the
lives
and
stru
ggle
sof
oppr
esse
dpe
ople
inth
e‘T
hird
Wor
ld’.
Thi
sin
telle
ctua
len
deav
our
ispa
inst
akin
gan
ddi
ffi
cult,
and
has
led
Spiv
akto
refe
rto
ethi
csas
anex
peri
ence
ofth
eim
poss
ible
(Spi
vak
1995
:xx
v).
For J
acqu
esD
erri
da,
the
prob
lem
with
Lev
inas
’sth
ough
t is
that
ther
eis
nogu
aran
tee
that
anet
hica
lre
latio
nw
illta
kepl
ace
inth
esi
ngul
arev
ent
ofth
efa
ce-t
o-fa
ceen
coun
ter
betw
een
the
Self
and
the
Oth
er.
Aft
eral
l,w
hat
isth
ere
topr
even
tth
ese
lffr
omex
ploi
ting,
inju
ring
,or
even
killi
ngth
eO
ther
?T
his
diff
icul
tyis
furt
her
com
poun
ded
inth
eat
tem
ptto
find
anap
prop
riat
ew
ayto
resp
ond
toth
eO
ther
.A
sSi
mon
Cri
tchl
eyob
serv
esin
aco
mm
enta
ryon
Den
-ida
’sre
thin
king
ofet
hics
,th
e‘a
ttem
ptto
artic
ulat
eco
ncep
tual
lyan
expe
rien
ceth
atha
sbe
enfo
rgot
ten
orex
iled
from
philo
soph
yca
non
lybe
stat
edw
ithin
phil
oso
phic
alco
ncep
tual
ity,
whi
chen
tails
that
the
expe
rien
cesu
ccum
bsto
and
isde
stro
yed
byph
iloso
phy’
(Cri
tchl
ey19
92:
94).
For
Cri
tchl
ey,
the
very
poss
ibili
tyof
resp
ondi
ngto
the
Oth
erin
anet
hica
llyre
spon
sibl
ew
ayis
alw
ays
thre
aten
edby
the
risk
that
the
sing
ular
voic
ean
dex
peri
ence
ofth
eO
ther
mig
htbe
dest
roye
d.Y
et,
onth
eot
her
hand
,th
evu
lner
able
proc
ess
ofar
ticul
atin
gsu
chan
expe
rien
cem
ayal
sotr
ans
form
the
stru
ctur
eof
self
-cen
tred
philo
soph
ical
disc
ours
ein
aw
ayth
atre
cogn
ises
Oth
erne
ss.
Thi
sis
one
ofth
ech
ance
sth
atde
cons
truc
tion
take
s.By
ques
tioni
ngth
efo
undi
ngco
nditi
ons
ofpo
ssib
ility
that
mak
ew
este
rnph
iloso
phic
aldi
scou
rse
inte
lligi
ble,
Den
-ida
also
trac
esth
e‘O
ther
’ex
peri
ence
s,hi
stor
ies,
cult
ures
and
peop
leth
atw
este
rnph
iloso
phy
has
atva
riou
spo
ints
trie
dto
excl
ude,
sile
nce
and
dest
roy.
The
prob
lem
faci
ngD
en-i
da,
how
ever
,is
that
ther
ear
eno
guar
ante
esth
atth
iset
hics
ofre
adin
gw
illno
tfa
llpr
eyto
the
very
stru
ctur
esof
viol
ence
that
itat
tem
pts
toes
cape
from
.R
athe
rth
ande
nyin
gth
isri
skof
com
plic
ity,
how
ever
,D
erri
daaf
firm
sth
isri
skat
the
fore
fron
tof
his
inte
rven
tions
.A
sD
en-i
dast
ates
inO
f Gra
mm
atol
ogy:
Ope
rati
ngn
eces
sari
lyfr
omth
ein
side
,bo
rrow
ing
all
the
stra
teg
ican
dec
onom
icre
sourc
esfr
omth
eol
dst
ruct
ure
,bo
rrow
ing
them
stru
ctur
ally
,th
atis
tosa
yw
itho
utbe
ing
able
tois
olat
eth
eir
elem
ents
and
atom
s,th
een
terp
rise
ofd
eco
nst
ruct
ion
alw
ays
ina
cert
ain
way
fall
spr
eyto
itsow
nw
ork.
(Der
rida
1916
:24
)
For
Der
rida
,an
yat
tem
ptto
defi
neth
efo
undi
ngco
nditi
ons
ofph
ilo
soph
ical
trut
hfr
oma
pure
lyob
ject
ive
posi
tion
outs
ide
ofph
iloso
phic
aldi
scou
rse
isne
cess
arily
doom
edto
fail.
Inst
ead,
Den
-ida
conc
entr
ates
onth
em
ore
mod
est
task
ofin
habi
ting
the
stru
ctur
esof
philo
soph
ical
text
sin
orde
rto
trac
eth
ose
figu
res,
hist
orie
san
dpe
ople
who
have
been
excl
uded
from
wes
tern
philo
soph
ical
disc
ours
eas
itsfo
undi
ngco
nditi
onof
poss
ibili
ty.
DE
CO
NS
TR
UC
TIV
ER
EA
DIN
GIN
SP
IVA
K’S
TH
OU
GH
T
For
Spiv
ak,
deco
nstr
uctio
n’s
affi
rmat
ion
ofth
&co
mpl
icity
ofth
eory
with
itsob
ject
ofcr
itiq
ueis
the
‘gre
ates
tgift
’of
deco
nstr
ucti
onbe
caus
eit
‘que
stio
n[sl
the
auth
ority
ofth
ein
vest
igat
ing
subj
ect
wit
hout
par
aly
sing
him
’(S
piva
k19
87:
201)
.Fo
rth
isre
ason
,Sp
ivak
repe
ats
Der
rida
’sst
rate
gyof
read
ing
with
liter
ary
and
hist
oric
aldi
scou
rses
totr
ace
the
foun
ding
excl
usio
nsin
here
ntin
radi
cal
polit
ical
prog
ram
mes
such
asM
arxi
sm,
deco
loni
satio
nor
fem
inis
m.
For
exam
ple,
in‘A
Lite
rary
Rep
rese
ntat
ion
ofth
eSu
balte
rn’
(198
8),
Spiv
akqu
estio
nsth
eso
cial
ist,
dem
ocra
ticpr
omis
esm
ade
toth
epe
ople
byle
ader
sof
the
anti-
colo
nial
resi
stan
cem
ovem
ent
duri
ngth
est
rugg
lefo
rna
tiona
lin
depe
nden
cein
Indi
a.M
ore
spec
ific
ally
,Sp
ivak
sugg
ests
that
the
myt
holo
gyof
Mot
her
Indi
ath
atw
asin
voke
dby
anti-
colo
nial
insu
rgen
ts(i
nclu
ding
Gan
dhi)
duri
ngan
daf
ter
the
stru
ggle
for
natio
nal
inde
pend
ence
perp
etua
ted
the
rigi
dcl
ass
syst
emes
tabl
ishe
dun
der
the
Bri
tish
Em
pire
,an
dig
nore
dth
epl
ight
oflo
wer
-cas
te,
suba
ltern
wom
en.
To
chal
leng
eth
ecl
ass-
base
dst
ruct
ure
ofth
isna
tiona
list
myt
holo
gy,
Spiv
akpe
rfor
ms
ate
xtua
lan
alys
isof
‘Bre
ast
Giv
er’,
ash
ort
stor
yby
the
Ben
gali-
lang
uage
fict
ion
wri
ter,
Mah
asw
eta
Dev
i.In
this
stor
y,th
efe
mal
epr
otag
onis
t,Ja
shoc
la,
asu
balte
rnw
oman
,is
hire
dby
aw
ealth
yB
rahm
infa
mily
asa
prof
essi
onal
mot
her.
The
stor
yna
rrat
esth
esu
bseq
uent
grot
esqu
epu
tref
actio
nof
Jash
oda’
sm
ater
nal
body
afte
rbr
east
-fee
ding
seve
ral
high
-cas
te,
Bra
hmin
child
ren.
For
Spiv
ak,
SE
TT
ING
DE
CO
NS
TR
UC
TIO
NT
OW
OR
K39
40E
YID
EA
S
Jash
oda’
sdi
seas
ed,
expl
oite
dan
dlo
wer
-cas
tem
ater
nal
body
high
light
sth
elim
itatio
nsof
the
Mot
her
Indi
am
ytho
logy
asa
bour
geoi
sid
eolo
gica
lco
nstr
uct.
Aga
inst
the
dem
ocra
ticpr
omis
esof
the
anti-
colo
nial
nati
onal
ist
mov
emen
tto
tran
sfor
mth
eri
gid
clas
sst
ruct
ure
inIn
dia,
Spiv
akem
phas
ises
that
low
er-c
aste
wom
enlik
eJa
shod
aha
vebe
enef
fect
ivel
yex
clud
edfr
omth
efo
unda
tions
ofna
tiona
lin
depe
nden
ce.
Inth
edec
on
stru
ctiv
ete
rms
ofSp
ivak
’sar
gum
ent,
the
expl
oita
tion
ofJa
shod
a’s
low
er-c
aste
,m
ater
nal
body
emph
asis
esho
wde
colo
nisa
tion
falls
prey
toan
dre
plic
ates
the
very
colo
nial
stru
ctur
esof
clas
san
dge
nder
oppr
essi
onit
clai
ms
toop
pose
.A
noth
erin
stan
cew
here
Spiv
akem
ploy
sa
deco
nstr
uctiv
eap
proa
chto
polit
ical
prog
ram
mes
isin
the
essa
y‘I
mpe
rial
ism
and
Sexu
alD
iffe
renc
e’(1
986)
.In
this
essa
y,Sp
ivak
criti
cise
sso
me
wes
tern
fem
inis
tsfo
rig
nor
ing
the
spec
ific
expe
rien
ces
of‘T
hird
Wor
ld’
wom
enw
hen
they
con
stru
cta
univ
ersa
l fem
inis
tsu
bjec
t.It
isin
this
cont
ext
that
Spiv
akas
sert
sth
at‘v
arie
ties
offe
min
ist
criti
cism
and
prac
tice
mus
tre
ckon
with
the
poss
ibili
tyth
at,
like
any
othe
rdi
scur
sive
prac
tice,
they
are
mar
ked
and
cons
titu
ted
by,
even
asth
eyco
nsti
tute
,th
efie
ldof
thei
rpr
oduc
tion’
(Spi
vak
1986
:22
5).
Put
mor
esi
mpl
y,w
este
rnfe
min
ist
criti
cism
has
tend
edto
focu
son
the
excl
usio
nof
wom
enfr
omth
e‘m
ascu
list
trut
h-cl
aim
toun
iver
salit
yor
acad
emic
obje
ctiv
ity’
(Spi
vak
1986
:22
6).
Yet
this
focu
sre
peat
sth
eun
iver
salis
ter
rors
ofm
ascu
line-
cent
red
trut
hcl
aim
sor
obje
ctiv
ekn
owle
dge
bysu
gges
ting
that
all
wom
enth
ew
orld
over
suff
erfr
omth
esa
me
sort
ofop
pres
sion
sim
ply
beca
use
they
are
wom
en.
Inde
ed,
Spiv
akco
nten
dsth
atw
este
rnfe
min
ism
has
itsel
ffal
len
prey
toits
own
wor
kby
clai
min
gto
spea
kfo
ral
lwom
en,
whe
nit
ofte
nex
clud
esth
eex
peri
ence
sof
‘Asi
an,
Afr
ican
[and
]A
rab’
wom
en(S
piva
k19
86:
226)
.A
gain
stth
is‘li
e’of
‘glo
bals
iste
rhoo
d’,
Spiv
akha
sth
uscr
itic
ised
wes
tern
fem
inis
mfo
rig
nori
ngth
epl
ight
of‘T
hird
Wor
ld’
wom
en(S
piva
k19
86:
226)
.A
gain
,th
iscr
itiqu
eof
wes
tern
fem
inis
mde
mon
stra
tes
the
valu
eof
deco
nstr
ucti
onas
anet
hica
lre
adin
gpr
actic
e,w
hich
emph
asis
esth
eri
skof
polit
ical
com
plic
ityw
ithdo
min
ant
soci
alan
dpo
litic
alst
ruct
ures
asa
nece
ssar
ypa
rtof
all
inte
llect
ual
prac
tices
.So
me
criti
csof
Spiv
ak’s
wor
kar
esc
eptic
alof
whe
ther
Spiv
ak’s
deco
nstr
ucti
vere
adin
gst
rate
gies
achi
eve
anyt
hing
othe
rth
ana
theo
ret
ical
para
lysi
sof
effe
ctiv
epo
litic
alin
terv
enti
on.
Ina
criti
cal
read
ing
ofSp
ivak
’sw
ork,
Ash
aV
arad
hara
jan
has
argu
edth
atSp
ivak
’s‘u
nrem
ittin
gex
posu
reof
com
plic
ity’
(Var
adha
raja
n19
95:
89)
actu
ally
prev
ents
Spiv
akfr
omar
ticul
atin
gm
omen
tsof
polit
ical
resi
stan
ce.
Invo
king
Spiv
ak’s
disc
ussi
onof
Bhu
bane
swar
iB
hadu
ri’s
suic
ide
in‘C
anth
eS
ubal
tern
Spea
k?’
(dis
cuss
edab
ove
onp.
33),
Var
adha
raja
nco
nten
dsth
atSp
ivak
’sac
coun
tof
Bha
duri
’sst
rugg
leis
encu
mbe
red
bya
relia
nce
onD
erri
dian
deco
nstr
ucti
on.
Inst
ead,
Var
adha
raja
nsu
gges
tsth
atSp
ivak
’sth
inki
ngca
nbe
‘red
eem
ed’
thro
ugh
afo
cus
onth
ew
ork
ofth
etw
enti
eth-
cent
ury
Ger
man
philo
soph
erT
heod
orA
dorn
o(1
903—
69).
InV
arad
hara
jan’
sar
gum
ent,
Ado
rno’
sre
sist
ance
toth
etr
ansp
aren
tpr
esen
tati
onof
philo
soph
ical
conc
epts
inw
riti
ngha
sgi
ven
way
toa
mod
eof
com
posi
tion
that
stru
ggle
sto
pres
ent
soci
alre
latio
nsin
frag
men
ts,
apho
rism
san
dpa
rata
ctic
phra
ses
(whe
reon
epr
opos
ition
ispl
aced
afte
ran
othe
r,w
itho
utin
dica
ting
rela
tions
ofco
ordi
natio
nor
subo
rdin
atio
nbe
twee
nth
em)
(Var
adha
raja
n19
95:
78).
Fur
ther
mor
e,A
dorn
o’s
use
ofch
iasm
us,
orth
egr
amm
atic
alfi
gure
whe
reby
the
orde
rof
wor
dsin
one
clau
seis
inve
rted
ina
seco
ndcl
ause
,ai
ms
topr
ovid
ere
ader
sw
itha
glim
pse
ofth
eco
ncre
tehi
stor
ical
cond
ition
san
dm
ater
ial
rela
tions
whi
char
edi
stor
ted
byw
este
rnkn
owle
dge
and
cogn
ition
.Fo
rex
ampl
e,th
est
atem
ent,
‘the
subj
ect
isth
eob
ject
,th
eob
ject
isth
esu
bjec
t’de
mon
stra
tes
how
the
obje
ctof
thou
ght
isde
term
ined
byth
ein
vest
igat
ing
subj
ect.
Inth
eca
seof
wes
tern
know
ledg
epr
oduc
edab
out
the
non-
wes
tern
wor
ldth
eob
ject
ofth
ough
tdi
sapp
ears
unde
rth
ew
eigh
tof
wes
tern
repr
esen
tati
on.
For
Var
adha
raja
n,A
dorn
o‘s
thou
ght
prov
ides
aw
ayou
tof
this
dile
mm
abe
caus
eit
can
diff
eren
tiate
betw
een
the
‘con
cret
enes
sof
the
suba
ltern
’an
dth
e‘u
ntho
ught
limit
ofw
este
rnep
iste
mol
ogy’
(Var
adha
raja
n19
95:
94-).
InV
arad
hara
jan’
sar
gum
ent,
Ado
rno’
sap
proa
chdi
ffer
ssi
gnif
ican
tlyfr
omth
atof
Der
rida
beca
use
‘it
seek
sto
rede
emth
eob
ject
inits
alte
rity
’(V
arad
hara
jan
1995
:79
).V
arad
hara
jan’
sdi
stin
ctio
nbe
twee
nth
eco
ncre
te,
mat
eria
lliv
esof
the
oppr
esse
dan
dth
elim
itsof
wes
tern
know
ledg
eis
illum
inat
ing,
but
the
conc
lusi
ondr
awn
from
this
dist
inct
ion
cruc
ially
igno
res
the
sim
ilari
ties
betw
een
the
ethi
cal
dim
ensi
ons
ofD
erri
da’s
deco
nstr
uctio
nan
dA
dorn
o’s
criti
cal p
hilo
soph
y.By
doin
gso
,V
arad
hara
jan
mis
ses
the
poin
tth
atth
ede
cons
truc
tive
emph
asis
onco
mpl
icity
also
cont
ains
anim
port
ant
ethi
cal
agen
da.
For
Spiv
ak’s
affi
rmat
ion
ofco
mpl
icity
does
not
sim
ply
para
lyse
orde
rail
the
prac
tice
ofcr
itica
lor
polit
ical
thin
king
from
the
star
t.R
athe
r,Sp
ivak
’sac
know
ledg
emen
tof
com
plic
itypr
ovid
esa
cruc
ial
star
ting
poin
tfr
omw
hich
tode
velo
pa
mor
ere
spon
sibl
ein
telle
ctua
lpr
actic
e.In
aco
mm
enta
ryon
Spiv
ak’s
thou
ght,
Rob
ert
You
ng(1
990)
sim
ila
rly
mis
read
sth
iset
hica
lre
thin
king
ofpo
litic
sas
asi
gnof
Spiv
ak’s
SE
TT
ING
DE
CO
NS
TR
UC
TIO
NT
OW
OR
K41
42K
EY
IDE
AS
‘res
idua
lcl
assi
cal
Mar
xism
[whi
ch]
isin
voke
dfo
rth
efo
rce
ofits
po
lit
ical
effe
cts
from
anou
tsid
eth
atdi
savo
ws
and
appa
rent
lyes
cape
sth
est
rict
ures
that
the
rest
ofhe
rw
ork
esta
blis
hes’
(You
ng19
90:
173)
.T
here
isce
rtai
nly
am
ove
inSp
ivak
’sw
ork
toin
terr
upt
the
narr
ow,
disc
iplin
ary
fram
ewor
kof
deco
nstr
ucti
onth
roug
han
ethi
cal
enga
gem
ent
wit
hsp
ecif
icpo
litic
alco
ncer
ns.
In‘R
espo
nsib
ility
’(1
994)
,fo
rex
ampl
e,Sp
ivak
inte
rrup
tsa
met
icul
ous
disc
ussi
onof
Der
rida
’san
alys
isof
Mar
tinH
eide
gger
’sph
iloso
phy
todi
scus
sth
elim
itatio
nsof
the
Wor
ldB
ank’
s19
93Fl
ood
Act
ion
Plan
inB
angl
ades
h.A
ndin
‘The
Setti
ngto
Wor
kof
Dec
onst
ruct
ion’
(199
9)Sp
ivak
inte
rrup
tsa
sum
mar
yof
Jacq
ues
Der
rida
’sth
ough
tw
ith
anan
alys
isof
coun
ter-
glob
alis
tde
vel
opm
ent
activ
ism
.Su
cha
mod
eof
wri
ting
clea
rly
brea
ksw
ith
the
stri
ctdi
scip
linar
yco
des
and
conv
entio
nsof
wes
tern
criti
cal
theo
ry.
Yet
tofr
ame
this
brea
kin
the
clas
sic
mat
eria
list
term
sof
ari
gid
divi
sion
betw
een
theo
ryan
dpr
actic
eig
nore
sho
wSp
ivak
has
rew
orke
dth
eet
hica
l dim
ensi
ons
ofcr
itic
alth
eory
(esp
ecia
llyde
cons
truc
tion
),as
wel
las
the
theo
reti
cal
assu
mpt
ions
info
rmin
gpo
litic
alpr
actic
e.
ET
HIC
S,
PO
LIT
ICS
AN
D‘T
HE
SE
TT
ING
TOW
OR
KO
FD
EC
ON
ST
RU
CT
ION
’
In‘T
heSe
tting
toW
ork
ofD
econ
stru
ctio
n’(1
999)
,Sp
ivak
brill
iant
lyel
abor
ates
the
ethi
cal-
polit
ical
posi
tion
ofhe
row
nw
ork
thro
ugh
aca
refu
lsu
rvey
ofJa
cque
sD
erri
da’s
thou
ght.
Star
ting
with
adi
scus
sion
ofke
yE
urop
ean
philo
soph
ical
infl
uenc
esin
Der
rida
’sea
rly
wor
k,Sp
ivak
trac
esa
grad
ual
mov
ein
Der
rida
’sw
ork
from
the
conc
eptu
allim
itsof
wes
tern
philo
soph
ical
disc
ours
eto
‘agr
eate
rem
phas
ison
ethi
csan
dits
rela
tions
hip
toth
epo
litic
al’
(Spi
vak
1999
:42
6).
Spiv
akre
fers
toD
erri
da’s
enga
gem
ent
with
Lev
inas
and
the
ethi
cal
enco
unte
rw
ith
the
Oth
eras
affi
rmat
ive
deco
nstr
ucti
onbe
caus
eit
embr
aces
or‘a
ffirm
s’th
ein
evita
ble
risk
offa
lling
prey
ina
cert
ain
way
toth
eol
dst
ruct
ure
that
itse
eks
tocr
itici
se. A
tthe
sam
eti
me,
this
affi
rmat
ion
offa
lling
prey
ispe
rfor
med
inth
eho
peth
atth
eol
dst
ruct
ure
will
even
tual
lybe
alte
red
byth
eO
ther
atso
me
inde
term
inat
epo
int
inth
efu
ture
. Thi
sde
cons
truc
tion
ofet
hics
ispa
inst
akin
gbe
caus
eit
take
sa
long
time
toth
ink
and
toex
plai
n.W
hat i
sm
ore,
ther
ear
eno
guar
ante
esth
atth
eca
refu
lth
ough
tan
dar
ticul
atio
nof
deco
nstr
ucti
onw
illm
ake
any
dif
fere
nce
inre
al,
polit
ical
term
s.
Des
pite
thes
edi
ffic
ultie
s,Sp
ivak
has
prod
uctiv
ely
enga
ged
with
Der
rida
’sdi
scus
sion
sof
ethi
cal t
hem
essu
thas
resp
onsi
bilit
y,fr
iend
ship
,in
tern
atio
nalis
man
dde
moc
racy
,an
dre
wor
ked
them
inth
efie
ldof
‘Thi
rdW
orld
’co
unte
r-gl
obal
ist
deve
lopm
ent
activ
ism
.In
the
‘Tra
nsla
tor’
sPr
efac
e’to
imag
inar
yM
aps,
aco
llect
ion
ofsh
ort
stor
ies
byM
ahas
wet
aD
evi,
Spiv
akde
scri
bes
the
‘pai
nsta
king
labo
ur’
requ
ired
‘toes
tabl
ish
ethi
cal
sing
ular
ityw
ithth
esu
balte
rn’
(Dev
i19
95:
xxv)
.T
hepa
rado
xof
this
sing
ular
ethi
cal
rela
tions
hip
isth
atth
ere
isno
prio
rex
ampl
eth
atca
nde
mon
stra
teth
iset
hica
lap
proa
ch;
itde
pend
son
the
cont
ext.
Inde
ed,
Spiv
akch
arac
teri
ses
this
ethi
cal
rapp
ort
asan
‘exp
eri
ence
ofth
eim
poss
ible
’be
caus
eit
isim
poss
ible
toen
gage
with
ever
yop
pres
sed
pers
onin
the
sam
ew
ay.
Nev
erth
eles
s,Sp
ivak
does
find
anal
lego
ryof
this
ethi
calr
elat
ion
in‘P
tero
dact
yl,
Pirt
haan
dPu
ran
Saha
y’,
ash
ort
stor
yby
Mah
asw
eta
Dev
i.In
ase
quen
cew
here
the
fict
iona
lpr
otag
onis
t,Pu
ran
(abe
nevo
lent
,m
iddl
e-cl
ass
jour
nali
st),
sees
aca
vedr
awin
gof
apt
erod
acty
ldr
awn
bya
low
erca
ste
trib
albo
y,Sp
ivak
argu
esth
at‘P
uran
beco
mes
part
ofth
etr
ibe’
son
goin
ghi
stor
ical
reco
rd’
(Spi
vak
1995
b:25
6).
For
Spiv
ak,
this
even
t in
the
text
appr
oxim
ates
anet
hica
lres
pons
ebe
caus
ePu
ran
reco
gnis
esth
esi
ngul
arco
nditi
onof
rura
ltr
ibal
soci
etie
sin
Indi
a,an
dho
w‘t
heal
ibis
ofD
evel
opm
ent
[are
used
]to
expl
oit t
hetr
ibal
san
dde
stro
yth
eir
life-
syst
em’
(Spi
vak
I995
b:25
6).
Mor
ere
cent
ly,
in‘A
Not
eon
the
New
Inte
rnat
iona
l’(2
001)
Spiv
akha
sde
scri
bed
her
own
long
-ter
min
volv
emen
tin
teac
her
trai
ning
prog
ram
mes
toen
cour
age
liter
acy
for
poor
,un
derp
rivi
lege
dch
ildre
nin
rura
lsc
hool
sba
sed
inIn
dia
and
Ban
glad
esh.
Ech
oing
Der
rida
‘on
anot
her
regi
ster
’,Sp
ivak
emph
asis
esth
at‘r
eal,
min
d-ch
angi
ngfo
rma
tions
ofco
llect
ivity
,th
atw
illw
ithst
and
and
surv
ive
vict
ory,
isin
cred
ibly
slow
and
time-
cons
umin
gw
ork,
wit
hno
guar
ante
es’
(Spi
vak
2001
:15
).In
voki
ngD
erri
da’s
‘ple
afo
rsl
owre
adin
g,ev
enat
atim
eof
polit
ical
urge
ncy’
,Sp
ivak
mak
esa
sim
ilar
‘ple
afo
rth
epa
tien
tw
ork
ofle
arni
ngto
lear
nfr
om’
the
oppr
esse
dra
ther
than
spea
king
for
them
(15)
.In
The
Eth
ics
ofD
econ
stru
ctio
n,Si
mon
Cri
tchl
eyid
entif
ies
anim
pass
ein
deco
nstr
ucti
on,
whe
reD
erri
da’s
inte
rmin
able
trac
ing
ofth
eun
deci
dabi
lity
that
stru
ctur
esal
lpo
litic
alde
cisi
on-m
akin
gac
tual
lypr
even
tsth
e‘p
assa
gefr
omun
deci
dabi
lity
toth
ede
cisi
on’
or‘f
rom
ethi
csto
polit
ics’
(Cri
tchl
ey19
92:
236—
7).
For
Cri
tchl
ey,
deco
nstr
ucto
nis
inda
nger
ofbe
com
ing
afo
rmal
abst
ract
ion
that
isem
pty
ofan
yde
term
inat
epo
litic
alco
nten
t(2
37).
Spiv
ak’s
emph
asis
onth
ese
tting
tow
ork
ofde
cons
truc
tion
may
appe
arto
repe
atth
isfo
rmal
abst
ract
ion
to
SE
TT
ING
DE
CO
NS
TR
UC
TIO
NT
OW
OR
K43
44K
EY
IDE
AS
the
exte
ntth
atit
isco
nsis
tent
with
Der
rida
’stu
rnto
war
dsaf
firm
ativ
ede
cons
truc
tion
.B
utw
hat
cruc
ially
dist
ingu
ishe
sSp
ivak
’sem
ploy
men
tof
affi
rmat
ive
deco
nstr
ucti
onfr
omth
ew
ork
ofD
en-i
dais
the
way
that
Spiv
akal
soin
terr
upts
the
stri
ctth
eore
tical
and
philo
soph
ical
term
sof
Der
rida
’sar
gum
ent
with
‘pol
itica
l’ex
ampl
esfr
omth
ehi
stor
ies
ofsu
balte
rnag
ency
and
resi
stan
cein
the
‘Thi
rdW
orld
’.In
‘Str
ateg
y,Id
entit
y,W
ritin
g’(1
990)
,fo
rex
ampl
e,Sp
ivak
emph
asis
esho
wth
isaf
firm
ativ
em
ode
ofde
cons
truc
tion
oblig
esyo
uto
‘say
yes
toth
atw
hich
inte
rrup
tsyo
urpr
ojec
t’,
toth
e‘p
oliti
cal’
that
inte
rrup
ts‘t
heor
y’(S
piva
k19
90:
47).
Den
-ida
emph
asis
esth
em
adne
ssof
unde
cida
bilit
yth
atne
cess
arily
stru
ctur
esal
lpo
litic
alde
cisi
on-m
akin
g,bu
the
neve
rac
tual
lym
akes
any
polit
ical
deci
sion
sin
his
wri
ting.
By
cont
rast
,Sp
ivak
grou
nds
the
siow
and
pain
stak
ing
mov
emen
tfr
omet
hics
topo
litic
sin
the
conc
rete
,ev
eryd
ayst
rugg
les
ofsu
balte
rnco
mm
uniti
esto
beco
me
lite
rate
,po
litic
alci
tizen
sin
thei
row
nte
rms.
SU
MM
AR
Y
Spi
vak’
sth
ou
gh
tha
sbe
enpr
ofou
ndly
shap
edby
the
crit
ical
stra
teg
ies
ofde
cons
truc
tpon
,as
wel
las
mak
ing
the
earl
yw
ork
ofJa
cques
Der
rida
acce
ssib
leto
the
Eng
lish
-spe
akin
gw
orld
.S
piva
k’s
use
ofde
cons
truc
tion
has
ofte
nbe
enin
voke
dto
dem
onst
rate
ape
rcei
ved
cont
radi
ctio
nbe
twee
nS
piva
k’s
mat
eria
list
com
mit
men
tto
eng
age
with
dise
nfra
nchi
sed
suba
lter
ngr
oups
inth
e‘T
hird
Wor
ld’,
and
the
diff
icul
tth
eore
tica
lla
ngua
gean
dm
eth
od
olo
gies
she
empl
oys
toac
hiev
eth
isgo
al.
Yet
,su
chcr
itiq
ues
tend
toov
erlo
okth
efo
llow
ing
impo
rtan
tpo
ints
:
•th
ein
flue
nce
ofD
erri
da’s
deco
nstr
ucti
onof
wes
tern
phil
osop
hica
ltr
uth
and
the
wes
tern
hum
anis
tsu
bje
cton
the
deve
lopm
ent
ofS
piva
k’s
post
colo
nial
thou
ght;
•th
eet
hica
ldi
men
sion
sof
deco
nstr
ucti
onan
dth
ere
leva
nce
ofth
eet
hica
ltu
rnin
deco
nstr
ucti
onto
Spi
vak’
spo
stco
loni
alre
adin
gp
rac
tice
san
dco
unte
r-gl
obal
deve
lopm
ent
acti
vism
;•
the
impe
rati
veto
mov
efr
omet
hics
topo
liti
cs,
and
tose
td
eco
nst
ruc
tion
tow
ork
outs
ide
the
acad
emic
disc
ipli
nary
fram
ewor
kof
liter
ary
crit
icis
man
dph
ilos
ophy
ina
wid
erfi
eld
ofgl
obal
econ
omic
and
poli
tica
lre
lati
ons.
LE
AR
NIN
GF
RO
MT
HE
SU
BA
LT
ER
N
One
ofth
em
ost
impo
rtan
tan
dco
mpl
exas
pect
sof
Spiv
ak’s
thou
ght
ishe
ron
goin
gat
tem
ptto
find
acr
itica
lvo
cabu
lary
that
isap
prop
riat
eto
desc
ribe
the
expe
rien
ces
and
hist
orie
sof
part
icul
arin
divi
dual
san
dso
cial
grou
ps,
who
have
been
hist
oric
ally
disp
osse
ssed
and
expl
oite
dby
Eur
opea
nco
loni
alis
m.
Inth
eco
ntex
tof
polit
ical
stru
ggle
sfo
rna
tiona
lin
depe
nden
ceor
anti-
colo
nial
resi
stan
ce,
the
use
ofm
aste
rw
ords
like
‘the
colo
nise
d’,
‘wom
an’
or‘t
hew
orke
r’m
ayse
emto
prov
ide
aco
here
ntpo
litic
alid
entit
yfo
rdi
sem
pow
ered
indi
vidu
als
and
grou
psto
unite
agai
nst
aco
mm
onop
pres
sor.
As
we
saw
inth
epr
evio
usch
apte
r,ho
wev
er,
for
Spiv
akth
ese
mas
ter
wor
dsdo
not
doju
stic
eto
the
lives
and
hist
orie
sof
thos
epe
ople
who
wer
efr
eque
ntly
igno
red
and
subs
eque
ntly
forg
otte
nby
anti-
colo
nial
natio
nal
inde
pend
ence
mov
emen
ts.
Inth
epl
ace
ofth
ese
polit
ical
mas
ter
wor
ds,
Spiv
akpr
opos
esth
ew
ord
suba
ltern
toen
com
pass
ara
nge
ofdi
ffer
ent
subj
ect
posi
tions
whi
char
eno
tpr
edef
ined
bydo
min
ant
po
lit
ical
disc
ours
es.
For
Spiv
akth
ete
rm‘s
ubal
tern
’is
usef
ulbe
caus
eit
isfl
exib
le;
itca
nac
com
mod
ate
soci
alid
entit
ies
and
stru
ggle
s(s
uch
asw
oman
and
the
colo
nise
d)th
atdo
not
fall
unde
rth
ere
duct
ive
term
sof
‘str
ict
clas
s-an
alys
is’.
As
she
asse
rts
inan
inte
rvie
wpu
blis
hed
inth
eU
Sjo
urna
lPo
lygr
aph:
3