Mapping the subaltern theory in Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel & Nadine Gordimer’s July’s People

Abstract: A person having a low status in a society with social, political, or other hierarchies is called a subaltern. It may also refer to someone who has experienced oppression or marginalization. The word subaltern is made up of the Latin words "sub" (meaning "below") and "alternus" (meaning "all others"), which naturally conveys the idea of being obedient to everyone else. An individual or group of people who lack political or economic authority, such as a poor person residing in a dictatorship, are also described by the word. A variety of themes are reflected in subaltern literature, including the oppression of the lower and working classes, marginalization, gender discrimination, oppression, contempt for women, impoverished classes, and racial and class prejudice. Gender inequality is one of these subjects that is heavily emphasized in subaltern literature. Even though women are revered as Kali, Durga, and Shakthi, child marriages, the sati system, and education denial are still prevalent. Even if we talk about women's empowerment and equality in the twenty-first century, gender prejudice still exists today.

Keywords: Gender, Discrimination, Subaltern, Women, Inequality.