Multiculturalism and magic realism? Between fiction and reality

Tesis de Maestría , 2005 , 136 Páginas , Calificación: 2,0

Filología inglesa - Literatura

Since the 1970s, there has been an increasing concern with the impact of colonialism and postcolonialism on British identities and culture and the influence that the former British Empire had and still has on people in the former colonies and in Britain today. Novels like Salman Rushdie’s "Midnight’s Children" or "The Satanic Verses", Hanif Kureishi’s "The Buddha of Suburbia", Meera Syal’s "Anita and Me", Timothy Mo’s "Sour Sweet", Sam Selvon’s "The Lonely Londoners" and Monica Ali’s "Brick Lane" along with films like "Bend it like Beckham" or TV series like "The Kumars at No. 42" and "Da Ali G Show" exemplify this rather new phenomenon and its world-wide success.

They are representative of a large group of multicultural novels and productions created during the last few decades. Although multiculturalism is not new in the media, there has been a special boom of writers of the "empire within" during the last ten years.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Great Britain and Immigration
  • 2.1 Britain and Colonialism
  • 2.2 White Teeth and Immigration
    • 2.2.1 The History of Jamaica
    • 2.2.2 The History of Bangladesh
    • 2.2.3 The History of Jews in Britain
    • 2.2.4 Reasons for Immigration
    • 2.2.5 Effects of Immigration on Britain
• 3. Definitions and Theories
  • 3.1 Postcolonialism
    • 3.1.1 The Development of Postcolonialism
    • 3.1.2 Different Aspects of Postcolonialism
    • 3.1.3 Postcolonialism and Postmodernism
      • 3.1.3.1 What is Postmodernism?
      • 3.1.3.2 The Crisis of Authority
    • 3.1.4 Postcolonialism and White Teeth
  • 3.2 Multiculturalism
    • 3.2.1 Definitions
      • 3.2.1.1 What is Multiculturalism?
      • 3.2.1.2 Prescriptive and Descriptive Multiculturalism
      • 3.2.1.3 Ethnic Minorities and Ethnicity
    • 3.2.2 Origins of Multiculturalism
    • 3.2.3 Implementation of a Multicultural Policy
    • 3.2.4 Multiculturalism: A Blessing or a Curse?
      • 3.2.4.1 Positive Aspects of Multiculturalism
      • 3.2.4.2 Criticism
    • 3.2.5 The Current Situation of Multiculturalism in Britain
    • 3.2.6 Multiculturalism and Postcolonialism
  • 3.3 Magic Realism: Between Fiction and Reality
    • 3.3.1 What is Magic Realism?
    • 3.3.2 The Development of Magic Realism
    • 3.3.3 Features and Effects of Magic Realism
    • 3.3.4 Magic Realism and (Post) Colonialism
      • 3.3.4.1 Special Features of Magic Realism in Connection with (Post)colonialism
      • 3.3.4.2 Magic Realism and Hybridity
    • 3.3.5 Magic Realism and Postmodernism
    • 3.3.6 Hysterical Realism
  • 3.4 Edward Said's Orientalism
    • 3.4.1 Introduction
    • 3.4.2 The Influence of Foucault and Gramsci
    • 3.4.3 Definitions of Said's Orientalism
    • 3.4.4 West versus East
      • 3.4.4.1 Western Attitudes towards the East
      • 3.4.4.2 The Dangerous East
      • 3.4.4.3 Consequences of the East-West Division of the World
    • 3.4.5 The Future of Orientalism
  • 3.5 Homi Bhabha's Concept of Hybridity
    • 3.5.1 Introduction to Hybridity
    • 3.5.2 History of the Term 'Hybridity'
    • 3.5.3 Michail Bakhtin's Influence on Homi Bhabha
    • 3.5.4 Hybridity
      • 3.5.4.1 Third Space
      • 3.5.4.2 Ambivalence
        • 3.5.4.2.1 Otherness
        • 3.5.4.2.2 Colonial Mimicry
    • 3.5.5 Criticism
• 4. Multiculturalism in White Teeth
  • 4.1 The Quest for Identity
    • 4.1.1 Samad Iqbal
    • 4.1.2 Alsana Iqbal
    • 4.1.3 The Twins Magid and Millat
      • 4.1.3.1 Magid Iqbal
      • 4.1.3.2 Millat Iqbal
    • 4.1.4 Irie Jones
    • 4.1.5 The Chalfens
    • 4.1.6 Different Ways of Living in Multicultural Britain
  • 4.2 The Representation of London in White Teeth
    • 4.2.1 Immigrants in Great Britain and its Capital
      • 4.2.1.1 Willesden Green and the North London Borough of Brent
      • 4.2.1.2 Multiculturalism and Hybridity in Willesden Green
    • 4.2.2 White Teeth: The Contemporary London of the 21st Century
  • 4.3 Racism in White Teeth
    • 4.3.1 Stereotypes
      • 4.3.1.1 An Introduction to Stereotypes
      • 4.3.1.2 Characteristics of Stereotypes
      • 4.3.1.3 National Stereotypes
      • 4.3.1.4 Racist Stereotypes
    • 4.3.2 Racism: British People - "Immigrants"
      • 4.3.2.1 Daily Racism
      • 4.3.2.2 Racism at School
      • 4.3.2.3 Racism at Work
    • 4.3.3 Racism amongst "Immigrants"
      • 4.3.3.1 The Chalfen Family
      • 4.3.3.2 Family Iqbal versus Family Jones
    • 4.3.4 The Impact of Racism on the Immigrants‘ Lives
    • 4.3.5 Conclusion: Between Optimism and Pessimism
• 5. Magic Realism - Between Fiction and Reality
  • 5.1 Magic and Unbelievable Elements
  • 5.2 Realistic Elements and Historical Events
  • 5.3 Style of the Novel
    • 5.3.1 Narrator and Narrative
    • 5.3.2 Structure
    • 5.3.3 Language
    • 5.3.4 Humour
    • 5.3.5 Intertextuality
    • 5.3.6 Title
    • 5.3.7 Hysterical Realism
  • 5.4 Conclusion: White Teeth and Magic Realism

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This master's thesis investigates the intersection of multiculturalism and magic realism in Zadie Smith's novel "White Teeth." The thesis aims to analyze how the novel uses magical realism to depict the complexities of multiculturalism in Britain. Key themes explored in the text include:

• The impact of colonialism and immigration on British society
• The challenges and opportunities of navigating multiple cultural identities
• The role of magic realism in exploring the intersections of reality and fiction
• The representation of racism and prejudice in multicultural Britain
• The search for identity and belonging in a diverse and changing world

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Chapter 1: Introduction This chapter introduces the topic of the thesis, which is the intersection of multiculturalism and magic realism in Zadie Smith's novel "White Teeth." It provides context for the study by outlining the historical and literary influences on the novel.
• Chapter 2: Great Britain and Immigration This chapter examines the historical context of immigration in Britain, focusing on the colonial past and the impact of various immigrant groups on British society.
• Chapter 3: Definitions and Theories This chapter provides a theoretical framework for the analysis of "White Teeth" by exploring key concepts such as postcolonialism, multiculturalism, and magic realism. It discusses the development of these theories, their applications, and their relevance to the novel.
• Chapter 4: Multiculturalism in White Teeth This chapter analyzes the representation of multiculturalism in "White Teeth," focusing on the diverse characters and their experiences navigating different cultural identities. It explores themes of identity, belonging, and racism in a multicultural context.
• Chapter 5: Magic Realism - Between Fiction and Reality This chapter examines the use of magic realism in "White Teeth," exploring how it contributes to the novel's themes and narrative structure. It analyzes the magical elements and their connection to the realistic aspects of the story.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This master's thesis focuses on the intersection of multiculturalism and magic realism in Zadie Smith's "White Teeth." The core concepts explored include postcolonialism, hybridity, identity, racism, and the representation of multicultural Britain. The analysis draws on theories of Edward Said's Orientalism and Homi Bhabha's concept of hybridity.

• Universidad: University of Regensburg (Anglistik)
• Calificación: 2,0
• Autor: Sylvia Hadjetian (Autor)
• Año de publicación: 2005
• Páginas: 136
• No. de catálogo: V89208
• ISBN (Ebook): 9783638035996
• ISBN (Libro): 9783638932837
• Idioma: Inglés
• Etiqueta: Multiculturalism, Between