Writing the Self in a Foreign Tongue’: Meena Kandasamy’s Strategic Use of English in The Gypsy Goddess

Writing the Self in a Foreign Tongue’: Meena Kandasamy’s Strategic Use of English in The Gypsy Goddess
M. Sandra Carmel Sophia

Abstract

This scholarly article investigates Meena Kandasamy’s tactical deployment of the English language, a linguistic medium historically used as an instrument of colonial imposition, as a conscious vehicle for the construction and assertion of her Dalit-feminist identity in The Gypsy Goddess. By composing in English, Kandasamy deftly navigates the inherent contradiction of expressing a subaltern identity through a “foreign” language, thereby transmuting a vehicle of domination into an arena of resistance and self-articulation. By engaging with postcolonial, feminist, and linguistic theoretical frameworks, this research scrutinises how Kandasamy’s choice of English not only empowers her to challenge the dual oppressions of ‘caste’ and ‘gender’ but also situates her narrative within a transnational discourse that elevates marginalised voices beyond regional boundaries. The examination underscores Kandasamy’s capacity to infuse English with local idiomatic expressions, assertive tones, and innovative poetic structures to undermine its colonial heritage and to carve out a space for the identities of the oppressed. This paper contends that Kandasamy’s literary endeavours exemplify the potential for a historically foreign language to be appropriated and reimagined as a formidable instrument for self-representation, communal solidarity, and liberation.