According to Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, why can’t the subaltern speak?

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, a prominent theorist in postcolonial studies, introduced the concept of the subaltern's inability to speak in her seminal essay "Can the Subaltern Speak?" Here's a step-by-step explanation of her argument:

1. Definition of Subaltern: Spivak uses the term "subaltern" to refer to the populations that are socially, politically, and geographically outside of the hegemonic power structure of the colony and the colonial homeland. In other words, these are the people who have no voice in the structures of power.

2. Power Structures and Representation: Spivak argues that the subaltern cannot speak because they are not given a platform or the means to express themselves within these power structures. They are excluded from these structures and thus, their voices are not heard.

3. The Role of Intellectuals: Spivak criticizes the intellectuals of the West who claim to "speak for" the subaltern, arguing that they, in fact, further silence the subaltern by assuming their voice. She suggests that these intellectuals, in their attempt to help, are actually perpetuating the status quo of silence and oppression.

4. The Subaltern's Voice: Spivak suggests that even when the subaltern makes an attempt to speak, their voice is co-opted, translated, and filtered through the perspectives and biases of those in power, thus distorting and erasing the subaltern's original voice and meaning.

5. Conclusion: Therefore, according to Spivak, the subaltern cannot speak because they are silenced by the structures of power and representation that deny them a voice, and even when they do speak, their voices are not truly heard or understood.