Investigating the Double Subalternity of the Immigrant Woman in the Novels, A Shawl as Long as the Silk Road and A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers based on Spivak's Theory of Subalternity

The purpose of the present article is to study two novels, A Shawl as Long as the Silk Road by Mahasti Shahrokhi and A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo through Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak's perspective in her "Can the Subaltern Speak?". This descriptive-analytical research adopts a postcolonial approach to view the above mentioned novels comparatively with a view to elements and concepts such as language, marginalized other, Eurocentrism, patriarchy, ignoring female agency, subalternity, impossibility of self-expression for women, female dependency and the need to form a family and gain socio-economic status. The study shows that both protagonists are neglected in their destination country and in their romantic relationships, and their self-confidence is lowered. They cannot obtain a proper social standing, nor are they accepted in the society; they are always reminded of their difference from others in order to establish their subalternity. Despite being encouraged by their lovers to live according to a European lifestyle and their occasional success to follow the advice, Katayoun and Tswang still remain as "others" and outcasts who do not even have the power and voice to express themselves. Although both of these women try to express their opinions, at least in their personal romantic relationships, their condition and people's attitude towards them would not change as a result of this articulateness. In the end, neither of them succeeds completely. At best, they have been able to express how the Subaltern does not have the opportunity to speak out or to be heard. Even if she has gained knowledge about her status and conditions and strives to achieve her goals, the concerns of the Subaltern woman are not of much value- at least- from either the perspective of an imperialist system or that of a patriarchal society.