The Subaltern's Voices in the Rupi Kaur's Selected Poems: A Reflection of Multicultural Education

Abstract

Poetry becomes Rupi Kaur’s way of expressing her feelings based on her self-experiences. The young Indian poet girl puts on her life story in poetry books Milk and Honey the Sun and Her Flowers and Home Body. This research tries to reveal the subaltern’s voice portrayed in Kaur’s selected poems as a reflection of multicultural education. The research was a qualitative utilizing Spivak’s Subaltern theory. It was found that Kaur was the victim of hatred by the Sikh tribe who then immigrated to Canada. By living in a new environment, Kaur who previously dominated in her origin country tries to speak up about her bitter experiences and trauma, being raped by her uncle and determined by all men to keep silent in the poem. The poem then becomes media for educating and encouraging people, especially women, to have bravery in facing their trauma and speak to the public to heal the wound. Unfortunately, Kaur’s way of speaking up leads to Western cultural representation. The hegemonic practice of Western culture unconsciously penetrates Kaur’s way of thinking. All in all, the subaltern woman cannot be apart from the determination.