Listening To The Voices Of The Subaltern:An Approach To People Of The Whale From The Perspective Of Subaltern Theory

In the past few decades,Native American literature has gained much more attention than before.Linda Hogan is one of the Native American writers who keep dedicating themselves to the expressions of their traditional value.People of the Whale is a representative of Linda Hogan’s contributions to the revelation of critical issues in today’s society.This thesis aims at the analysis of People of the Whale from the perspective of subaltern theory,for the revelation of the subaltern groups that are under oppression.As an important concept in the theory of postcolonialism,the definition of subaltern was put forward first by an Italian scholar named Antonio Gramsci and further developed by the Subaltern Studies Group in India to refer to the subordinate groups that are silenced by and obedient to the dominant discourse.Besides,the concept of cosmopolitics,advocated by Joni Adamson for both human and nonhuman rights in the cosmos where all beings are interrelated,will also be employed in the thesis.The thesis consists of six chapters.Chapter One demonstrates the research background and the significance of the study,as well as the theoretical basis of the thesis.Chapter Two reviews the previous research of the relevant studies,both at home and abroad.Chapter Three presents the subaltern characters in the novel.Chapter Four analyzes the causes for the subaltern groups’ tragedy from the aspects of race,gender,and species.Chapter Five elucidates the redemption of the subaltern issues through the equality for diverse races,the justice for different genders,and the care for nonhuman species.Chapter Six draws the conclusion of the research and shows the expectation for relevant studies in the future.