Zadie Smith, having a Jamaican mother and an English father, just wanted to write a funny book in which not everybody is white, she did not think much about
multiculturalism in London because it is nothing to talk about, it is normal. However, the book became one of the best novels dealing with multiculturalism.
A multicultural society consists of two or more different cultures which are different in language, religion, traditions and their systems of values. Britain and especially London became multicultural mainly by immigrants who left their countries mostly for political, demographic or economical reasons in the search for freedom and a better standard of living. Some so-called push- factors are political suppression, bad working conditions or natural disasters. Pull- factors are religious and political freedom and better jobs and chances to learn some money, for example.
Britain itself encouraged people from overpopulated and underemployed Commonwealth countries to immigrate because it needed cheap workers to staff the semi-skilled and non-skilled vacancies and to rebuild the war-shattered economy.
Most of the immigrants worked in the National Health Service, public transport or in the manufacturing service. Many of them got only low-paid manual jobs and became victims of discriminatory practices. These immigrants started the transformation of Britain and especially of London into a multicultural society.
White Teeth is the story of three families from three different cultural backgrounds, the English-Jamaican Jones, the Bangladeshi Iqbals and the Jewish Chalfens, told mainly between 1974 and 1992, set in Willesden, a multicultural suburb in North London, where Zadie Smith herself lives.
The novel is told in the tones and structures of Jamaican and Bangladeshi English which makes the novel even more lively.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- White culture
- Archie Jones
- The Chalfen Family
- Black culture
- Clara Bowden-Jones
- Hortense Bowden
- Irie Bowden-Jones
- Islamic culture
- Samad Miah Iqbal
- Alsana Begum
- Neena
- Magid and Millat Iqbal
- The relation between the three different cultures
- White-Black culture
- White-Muslim culture
- Black-Muslim culture
- Conclusion: Multiculturalism in White Teeth
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay aims to analyze the portrayal of multiculturalism in Zadie Smith's novel White Teeth, exploring the interactions between three distinct cultural backgrounds: English-Jamaican, Bangladeshi, and Jewish. The focus is on the characters' experiences, their relationships, and how they navigate a diverse society in London.
- The impact of immigration and cultural diversity on identity formation
- The complexities of interracial relationships and the challenges of integration
- The tensions between tradition and modernity in different cultural contexts
- The role of religion, social class, and family in shaping individual experiences
- The potential for conflict and cooperation between different cultural groups
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: The introduction sets the scene, introducing the concept of multiculturalism in Britain, particularly in London, and discussing the reasons behind immigration from various countries. It highlights the importance of Zadie Smith's novel, White Teeth, as a significant work exploring multiculturalism.
- White culture: This section explores two prominent white characters: Archie Jones, a working-class English man struggling with loneliness and personal issues, and the Chalfen family, representing the Jewish middle class, who strive for assimilation.
- Black culture: This section delves into the lives of the Bowden family, a Jamaican family who have immigrated to Britain. It examines their experiences of racial prejudice and the challenges they face in navigating a predominantly white society.
- Islamic culture: This section focuses on the Iqbal family, a Bangladeshi family who have also settled in Britain. It highlights the challenges faced by Samad, a devout Muslim, in balancing his faith and his desire to succeed in a secular society.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This essay explores the theme of multiculturalism in Zadie Smith's White Teeth, focusing on the representation of different cultural backgrounds, including English-Jamaican, Bangladeshi, and Jewish communities. The analysis examines the characters' experiences of immigration, identity formation, and interracial relationships, highlighting the challenges and opportunities presented by a diverse society in London. The essay draws on key themes such as social class, religion, and family to understand the complexities of multiculturalism in a contemporary setting.
- Quote paper
- Sylvia Hadjetian (Author), 2002, Zadie Smith "White Teeth" and Multiculturalism, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/42823
