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294202

Hunger and Subalternity in Tawfiq Al-Hakim's Food for Every Mouth

Article

Last updated: 05 Jan 2025

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Abstract

Drawing on Gayatri Spivak's theory of subalternity, this paper attempts to culturally read the Egyptian modern playwright Tawfiq Al-Hakim's play Food for Every Mouth. It examines how the play universally exposes the problem of hunger by diminishing the bourgeois hegemonic control of the food market. In addition, it sheds light on food as a cultural element that mirrors traditions and subalternity by focusing on the interplay of food and power and examining how food policies of meat and coffee reflect power relations between the elite and the subaltern. This paper also sheds light on class and gender subalternity for it examines the reasons behind the subalterns' silence, lack of domination, and representation. Further, it investigates Al-Hakim's meta-theatrical technique of a-play-within-a-play, its definition, functions, characteristics, and how they are applied in the play. The paper endeavors to answer the following questions: to what extent can food shortage be a powerful lens on subalternity and social injustice? How can the interplay between food insecurity and power expose subalternity? How can the play be culturally read via food? Can cultural studies of food provide solutions to hunger and help to make the dream to free food come true? How can metatheatre in the form of a play-within-a-play technique affect social change and reform on Al-Hakim's stage?

DOI

10.21608/ejlt.2023.182958.1025

Keywords

al-Hakim, Food for Every Mouth, Spivak, Hunger, Subalternity

Authors

First Name

Rachel

Last Name

Zaki

MiddleName

Raffat

Affiliation

Department of English Language, Faculty of Al-Alsun, Minia University, Minia city, Egypt.

Email

bassemrocha@yahoo.com

City

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Orcid

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Volume

10

Article Issue

1

Related Issue

39397

Issue Date

2023-01-01

Receive Date

2022-12-24

Publish Date

2023-01-01

Page Start

108

Page End

132

Online ISSN

2314-6699

Link

https://ejlt.journals.ekb.eg/article_294202.html

Detail API

https://ejlt.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=294202

Order

294,202

Type

Research in linguistic and literary studies

Type Code

2,266

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Egyptian Journal of Linguistics and Translation

Publication Link

https://ejlt.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Hunger and Subalternity in Tawfiq Al-Hakim's Food for Every Mouth

Details

Type

Article

Created At

28 Dec 2024