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."
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