Gramsci’s Writing Body. On Embodiment and Subaltern Knowledge

Abstract

Antonio Gramsci is arguably one of the most influential thinkers in postcolonial theory, particularly due to his notion of the subaltern and his situated perspective, i.e., his emphasis on the terrestrial aspects of culture and politics. This essay explores how Gramsci’s own lived experience may have contributed to his subaltern philosophy. Its focus is especially on his disabled body (embodiedness) and relational needs, arguing that these aspects deserve a central role in his intellectual legacy. From a young age, Gramsci suffered from a weak health; he had a malformation of the spine that left him hunchbacked, and he did not grow taller than 1.5 metres (5 feet). His high voice shrieked and his head seemed too big for his tiny figure. Yet, despite this image, Gramsci was not a case of “mind over matter” at all. Building on Deleuze’s notion of “little health”, this essay suggests that Gramsci did not write despite but thanks to his body. Aiming to counter the neglect of Gramsci’s body and his relationalities in the reception of his contemporaries, the essay investigates his body on the social, the individual, and the affective level. It thereby aims to do justice to Gramsci’s own needs and affects and the gendered support system on which he relied in prison, especially highlighting the role of his sister-in-law, Tatiana Schucht.