Since the 1970s, the impact of colonialism and post-colonialism on Britain's cultural identity and its current influence on the country is one of the most beloved topic for contemporary British authors. Zadie Smith is not an exception. In White Teeth, we discover the lives of diverse characters, all sharing this non-Britishness in a cosmopolitan London. From the very beginning, this novel deals with multiculturalism. However, one can wonder if White Teeth is more a novel about multicultural Britain or the generation gap between parents and children. This essay will attempt to answer this question by firstly examining in what extent this novel is about Britain's multiculturalism. Then, it will study the generation gap between generations of immigrants and its relevance in Smith's novel.
For Zadie Smith, multiculturalism in London is nothing new but the norm1. She did not want to write about multiculturalism2. Nonetheless, With Teeth became one the most famous novels dealing with this topic. Indeed, Smith's novel is considered as multicultural, mainly because of three aspects : its author, characters and setting3, but also because of the issues it deals with. Multiculturalism is the natural result of the process of migration, the phenomenon of multiple groups …show more content…
White Teeth is mainly a story of immigrants from former British colonies and of Jews from Poland. These immigrants came to Britain after the Second World War for diverse reasons such as having better work conditions or religious and political freedom. Immigration had a strong effect on Britain's structure. Indeed, the former Empire became multicultural thanks to the arrival of immigrants in the seek for freedom and better living standards. They eventually experienced negative reception. Multiculturalism has brought some issues and questions such as nationality, race, identity search and religious
For Zadie Smith, multiculturalism in London is nothing new but the norm1. She did not want to write about multiculturalism2. Nonetheless, With Teeth became one the most famous novels dealing with this topic. Indeed, Smith's novel is considered as multicultural, mainly because of three aspects : its author, characters and setting3, but also because of the issues it deals with. Multiculturalism is the natural result of the process of migration, the phenomenon of multiple groups …show more content…
White Teeth is mainly a story of immigrants from former British colonies and of Jews from Poland. These immigrants came to Britain after the Second World War for diverse reasons such as having better work conditions or religious and political freedom. Immigration had a strong effect on Britain's structure. Indeed, the former Empire became multicultural thanks to the arrival of immigrants in the seek for freedom and better living standards. They eventually experienced negative reception. Multiculturalism has brought some issues and questions such as nationality, race, identity search and religious