The Subaltern Speaks: Ambiguity of Empire in Conrad's "Karain: A Memory"

Abstract

This essay explores the nature of imperialism in Joseph Conrad's story "Karain: A Memory." Unlike many others of its kind in the late 19th century, "Karain" brings to its readers the sense of dual identities common among colonial and post-colonial people. Focusing on both Homi Bhabha's ideas of hybridity and Gayatri Spivak's notions regarding the voice of the Other, this essay is an in-depth textual analysis of how Conrad uses both representatives of the native and representatives of Empire to move us toward a firm understanding of identity. From this perspective, the essay delves into the very question of the native subject and his autonomy.