Third Space Theory – Homi K Bhabha

Simplified (Lecture Notes)

From My Desk – Anil Awad

Let me share three different trivial stories…My stories, your stories, anyone’s stories…

First Story - At 7.30 a.m. I went to my college, as usual, took my lectures as per the timetable. One of my colleagues came to me and asked to submit the marks of the assignments of M A Part II students. I was not teaching the paper, so I denied. He went to Principal and told his problem. Principal called me and inquired. My answer was that if I was not teaching the paper, how should I assign the students? Principal accepted my argument and called my HoD Dr. R Y Shinde, who was on leave on that day, and asked to submit the marks. I left the cabin and after 12.30 pm, I signed out the biometric and returned to my home. The first story ends here.

Second Story – I returned to my home on bike. My Big Brother and his wife were at home. He was sitting on sofa. As soon as I entered in the house, he asked me whether I brought Basundi (some kind of sweet made of milk). I said I forgot to bring it but I would bring it. Then he told his plan that all of them (including me) would like to visit Balaji. I showed my disagreement strongly. First, I had very few casual leaves at my credit for the whole year, and secondly it is unfair to visit any temple deliberately before the first death anniversary of mother. So Nooo. My elder sister also supported me in that matter and there was little argument in between my sister and my brother’s wife. But my brother finally told that I was right. So it’s better to drop the plan. But my younger brother was so upset. He wanted to go for Balaj. Since he is the youngest of all, we all allowed him to go to Balaji, with his friends. After few minutes my brother turned to me and asked, “The Shravan Month is over now, why don’t you go and shave? You are looking chaotic, just like Devdas…ha ha ha.” I replied, “But I havn’t seen any beard to any of the two Devdas – Dilip Kumar and Shaharuk Khan.One can be Devdas without beard also. Just need some Paroooo..ha ha ha” I assured that at the evening I would surely go for shaving and moved out of the house to bring the Basundi. The second story ends here.

Third Story – At the evening, I went for shaving in a Barber’s shop wearing burmuda and a T-shirt. Many customers waiting…so I had to wait. TV was on, hairs were scattered there and so the newspapers. On TV, the news about the upcoming election in Maharashtra and Harayana was going on…and one man started to criticize the present government…corruption, Adarsh Scam, Road scams, ‘eating of money’ etc etc. But another person from the same party tried to resist it…and said that the Local MLA is doing better, although he belongs to the same party. Then another person interfered and said that the discussion is about the overall performance of the state government. Then again there was discussion. Everyone was putting their views. As per my knowledge, they people participating in the discussion were not well-acquainted to each other. But causally putting their views, without fear and sharing the others’ views without much trouble. Soon the discussion led to India and China relations to the quality of Chines materials…then to America and its denial of Visa to Modi and later inviting him…then to the development of the Shopping centre in the present city…then the ongoing shooting of a Hindi Film…etc etc. Some of them left after the barber completed his work, other new members came there and then continued the discussion. I too put my views there liberally, and went off after shaving…to let them continue their discussion…with new-comers. I just thanked the barber and said, “I am no more Devdas now, ha ha ha.” He too smiled. And I left the shop…the story continued….

Now such stories are very usual to me…you…anybody…has such experiences every day. Instead, say it is the part of our daily routine. But this is the base of the literary theory of Bhabha – Space Theory…Now read the three stories again and see the space…first one is college, second is home and third is barber’s shop. In College and Home there are certain norms to follow… Now alter the First two stories with space…in college I am taking about my family matter in the Cabin of Principal and arguing with Brother for assignment evaluation. THE TWO SPACES DO NOT MATCH THE CONTENT HERE. But include the first two stories in the THIRD SPACE…perhaps it would get some space there and also little bit importance. Perhaps, some customers in the barber shop should have given their opinions liberally and freely on these matters, I am confident. This third place is free from any kind of bondage…no obligations, no norms, liberty of thoughts, freedom of speech etc etc.

So what is THE SPACE and how the content is related to the space is the part of the Space Theory…

First Space – Formal Space like institute, business centre, offices etc.

Second Space – Home, family, farm, relative’s house etc.

Third Space – Barber’s shop, College Katta, Market, Hostel Room, Social Clubs etc.

For the first and second space there are certain limitations…but the THIRD SPACE…provides scope for any kind of informal discussion…sharing views…without any obligations or conditions….In context…it is larger than the two spaces…

NOW TAKE SOME DIVERSION…and move to COLONIALISM AND POST-COLONIALISM -

The Western Countries ruled many countries in Asia as well as Africa. Colonialism means “the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.” Although economic exploitation was the main motive, it also affected the other areas like society, literature, habits, views etc. After getting the independence a trend of resistance appeared in literature which is called ‘post-colonialism’

NOW ONE MORE DIVERSION…THE WORLDS

First World - the industrialized capitalist countries of Western Europe, North America, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

Second World - the former communist block consisting of the Soviet Union and some countries in Eastern Europe.

Third World - the developing countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. (Including India)

Now to the theory formation…THIRD SPACE THEORY…PROCESSING…consider the following steps and you will reach the THIRD SPACE...

1) The colonizer countries have their own literature…e.g. England…Shakespeare is the Crown Jewel of their literature. (say first kind of literature) They inculcated their literature in the syllabus and still now we consider it is authentic…if we have to learn English.

2) The COLONIZER (RULER) forced the COLONIZED (RULED) to study their literature and see the literary development from their view point. The colonized wrote literature…but not without neglecting the colonizers’ literature (say second kind of literature) Take example of Raja Rao’s novels like ‘The Serpent and The Rope’ or ‘Kantapura’

3) The colonized countries got freedom…and tried to resist the dominance by their own literature. (Say third kind of literature) Take example of Rushdie, R K Narayan, Arundhati Roy etc.

4) Most of the colonized countries are from third world…India, Pakistan, Bangaladesh, Africian Countries etc.

5) First World (Developed Countries) have their hegemony (dominance) over the world and they are trying to regulate the third world by one or another means…For example..still we consider Noble prize is the highest prize for literature in the world.

6) So, the ‘subalterns’, although have specific ‘voice’, it comes through the tunnel of the developed countries…the first world…and they decides which is proper voice and which is not. They have blocking system for ‘undue voices’ and can increase the volume as per their views (or say need) of ‘favourable voices’. Gayatri Chakarborty Spivak rightly questions, ‘Can Subaltern Speak?’ Obviously the answer is in negation. Take example from the indigenous writers of any language of India…I prefer Namdev Dhasal or Anna Bhau Sathe or Kusumagraj in Marathi…their literature is equal to any other Western Writers…but still far away from Noble prize…so is with many indigenous writers from third world.

7) First Space is represented by the First World…formal, disciplined, authorized etc etc.

8) Second Place is the same…our family…may be the local world of literature...indigenous world of literature…of any country…developed, developing, under-development or undeveloped. They have their ethics and norms to follow.

9) Now connect the third space to the literature of third world…

10) Who is in the third world? Former colonized and now resisting through post-colonized way…

11) But due to the blocking system by the First World/First Space/Developed countries…they are able to ‘voice’ properly and the second place..they have to follow certain ethics and norms…Where should they express their literary view? Never mind…we have our choice…we find our space…The Third Space…Here you can talk about literature…here you can compare the Marathi writer Namdev Dhasal with a Black Writer from America or Africa…Here you can appreciate Sir Arbindo and Rabindranath Tagore and criticize Shakespeare for his inhuman treatment to women in his plays…in your own ways…those who are willing to participate can participate freely, put their views, agree or disagree with each other…but still we have one privilege…we are sharing our views… I am from the third world, I was colonized… although unpublished…unauthorised…but I have certain freedom…I prefer to be free from bondage…I LOVE MY SPACE…THE THIRD PLACE…the larger space than the first and second.

Here we reach to the THIRD SPACE THEORY OF HOMI BHABHA.

Bhabha associates and allocates the THIRD SPACE to the third world literature/the post-colonial literature.

NOW ONE MORE DIVERSION – the other terms by Homi Bhabha

1) Hybridity - Hybridity is a cross between two separate races or cultures. A hybrid is something that is mixed, and hybridity is simply mixture. It is a kind of intermixing.

Take example – we usually use English words while speaking to each other with our mother tongue (Code-Switching)…Ye Dil Maange More..Ye Dil Maange (Hindi), More (English).

In Literature although the content is original and indigenous…some writers adopted the forms from Western Countries – for example – Arun Kolatkar’s Jejuri..content is indigenous but the form (impressionism) borrowed from the Western World.  

2) Ambivalence – It’s a kind of confusion…what is right and what is wrong…the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.

Take example from our field – Education Field –The Student - He is learning in a college, going though many advanced books…tries to modify his behaviour according to it…but sometimes not accepted in family(Second Space)…even by his teachers/professors (First Space)…so he is always confused which way is right to follow…so is the ambivalence…

Now example from literature – New, upcoming writers are still confused…what to follow...whom to follow…how to give output to their literary views.

Ambivalence for Homi Bhabha – he just tied the colonial and post-colonial literature to the post-structuralism approach. In post-structuralism, deconstruction of the text, inter-textuality, reader-response theory etc. have some priority. He tries to analyse the colonial literature by applying the post-structural approach…and it results in ambivalence (the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.)

Such kind of ambivalence/confusion is prevalent in every field…

3) Mimicry – It’s a kind of imitation…stepping in the shoes of notions of Western World.

Take example – Tattoo Culture.

In Literature – Directly borrowing the idea/notion from the western world and writing according to it.
Celebrating 14th Feb. as Valentine's Day...an excellent example. Many times I had to issue the posts to my students about St. Valentine and his contribution for humanity. But students just follow - Red - Yellow - White Rose. Red roses have more demand...ha ha ha...Keep it up. 
  

4) Enunciation – It means mis-spelling…opposite to pronunciation.

Take example – Take any word from English…it has been differently pronounced in India..State-wise. So is the part of literature…although the idea/notion may be same, borrowed from western world…it has been represented with different aspects in Indian state…suitable to their cultures.
Even great Professors are pray of Enunciation - They scold students -  "Your presenty is essential in the class".  Actually there is no such word like "Presenty" in any dictionary. 'Presence is there'. Instead say, "Your attendance is essential in the class". 

'The Presenty shit' is not available anywhere, get 'Attendance Sheet' from the college clerk.

Don't say, "He is my kid (son) and she is my kidney (daughter)"....ha ha ha. Because enunciation, although allowed in Third Space, it must be ethical and proper. 

These four concepts are the indistinguishable part of the Third Space…here nobody is going to criticize anyone for hybridity, ambivalence, mimicry or enunciation. THEY LOVE THE THIRD SPACE....SO DO I, YOU AND EVERYONE. 

These four concepts – HYBRIDITY, AMBIVALENCE, MIMICRY AND ENUNCIATION…They have many more interpretations. I just simplified here for the purpose to understand the Third Space Theory. Actually they create a kind of complications too in applying the Third Space Theory to the literature.

Now come to the COMPLICATIONS in applying this theory –

1) Can we apply the third space theory to the whole literature of third world?

No. Take example of the third world literature…for example Raj Rao…although the content in his work is very Indian, his work is meant to read by the British readers…so is the content presented in his work.

Now take another example…Arun Kolhatkar’s ‘Jejuri’...his content is very very Indian, but the form is different ‘Impressionism’…which he borrowed from the Western World – can we allow his poem to locate in The third Space.

But in this sense, Mahapatra is more original than the other writers of India…not only the content of his work but the form itself is very indigenous.

2) Is there any third world still exist in the first world or first world in the third world? What is their space?

Yes. Of course. The Black Writers from America can be considered as the third world writers…out of the main stream and still struggling to get ‘voice’.

The countries like India have social hierarchy (Chaturvarnya Vyavastha) since ancient time and still prevalent in the country. So Bhramins had upper hand on the literature of India…since ancient time. It took 1960s to the Dalit/Rural Writing to find some SPACE in India literature…but still struggling to strengthen the PLACE. The first world is regulated by the upper class and the third world although popular in form…still trying to get the ‘voice’

3) What is the space for the Fourth World Literature (The Literature of Aboriginals)?

The question is still not answered by the literary world, properly.

ANYWAY – The Third Space’ term is founded by Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky, a Soviet psychologist, the founder of a theory of human cultural and bio-social development commonly referred to as cultural-historical psychology, and leader of the Vygotsky Circle,  and later developed by Homi K. Bhabha and applied to the literature of the third world…in post-colonized way.

How to remember this theory?

1) The Third Space is associated with the literature of third world/colonized countries.

2) The Third Space may be formal or informal…it gives proper voice to everyone for everything.

3) Hybridity means intermixing of two or more culture (multiculturalism)

4) Mimicry is an imitation…may be consciously (deliberately) or unconsciously of the Western notions/ideas/concepts in literature.

5) Enunciation – means mispronunciation…the term used particularly in language…but for Bhabha in literature – is the mis-representation of the notions/ideas/concepts in literature…it is right to the indigenous writer…but fails to justify as per the Western norms.

THINK –

What kind of World is the Virtual World? We are on Facebook/Twitter/WhatsApp…we are sharing our ideas, concepts, notions freely…we have many options…like to participate in the discussion…reject or accept the ideas…if no way…then to unfriend someone or even block. We have many groups…for many purposes…Don’t you think that the technology and social medias have also provided some scope for the third space…? Think.

Thanks.

Anil Awad
English Net Consultant
anilawad123@gmail.com
09922113364/9423403368

(Inconveniences related to syntax, grammar, punctuation etc. are regretted.)

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