Reina Lewis Sara Mills (eds), "Feminist Postcolonial Theory" (Book Note)

 

In the opening pages of "Feminist Postcolonial Theory: A Reader" by Reina Lewis and Sara Mills, the powerful text "The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House" by poet and activist Audre Lorde serves as a beacon, signaling the triple purpose of the volume. The book strives to facilitate a discussion and critical examination of hierarchical relations and modes of oppression, promote a dynamic dialogue where poetic expression, academic discourses, and activism interact, and remind readers that feminism and postcolonial thought are deeply rooted in political convictions, often emerging from or nurturing activist endeavors aimed at deconstructing the metaphorical "Master's house."

 

The overarching theme of deconstruction and the desire to "decolonize" major theoretical fields within both postcolonial and feminist theories resonate throughout the volume. The opening chapter of "Feminist Postcolonial Theory: A Reader," titled “Gendering Colonialism and Postcolonialism/Racialising Feminism,” reveals the intersectional agenda of the volume. In Chandra Talpade Mohanty's pivotal article, "Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses," she scrutinizes the portrayal of the Third World Woman in certain Western feminist texts, advocating for the decolonization of gender and challenging the universalisms present in mainstream Western feminist discourses. This intersectional perspective is further explored in the second chapter, “Rethinking Whiteness,” featuring contributions from activists like Vron Ware and bell hooks. The chapter delves into the sources of Black feminism in response to inquiries about racial identity and the colonial history of Western countries.

 

The third chapter, “Redefining the Third-World Subject,” builds on Gayatri Spivak’s influential ideas, addressing issues of diversity in experiences and cultures. The volume emphasizes the importance of considering difference as singularity and alternative, enabling the perception of oppression as a cumulative strategy and the development of alternative expressions within this system. Angela Davis, in her article “Racism, Birth Control and Reproductive Rights,” initiates the fourth chapter, “Sexuality and Sexual Rights,” questioning modes of oppression through the lens of birth control in the 1970s and drawing connections to historical practices controlling black women’s sexuality.

 

The fifth chapter aims to decolonize symbols like “the Harem and the veil,” emphasizing the need to historicize diverse veiling practices. The final chapter, “Gender and Post/Colonial Spatial Relationships,” explores the complexity of colonial space, porous geographical and theoretical borders in a diasporic world, and the creation of new hierarchies within feminist thought.

 

The volume advocates for dismantling binaries and hierarchies while emphasizing the historicization of experiences, identities, and modes of thinking. In the context of the current proliferation of feminist and identity discourses, the book remains relevant in its call for reconsideration and its focus on relational identity formation. The editors lament the marginalization of feminist discourses within postcolonial criticism, asserting the need to rediscover the history of feminist thinking and activism in relation to mainstream postcolonial theory. In essence, the volume strives to contribute to the dismantling of the metaphorical "Master’s House."