White Teeth by Zadie Smith is a satirical glimpse chock-full of characters grappling with their identity. Samad Iqbal and his twin sons, Millat and Magid, are just three of the characters to convey the theme of identity within Smith’s Novel. However, Samad, Millat, and Magid are three obvious characters who’s cultural and familial expectations are major obstacles as they each struggled to establish their identity. Samad Iqbal is an example of a man who struggled with his identity his entire life. Samad is a Muslim from Bengal who clings to his Muslim traditions, yet caves to temptations presented before him in westernized England. His struggle with his identity is seen while he serves in the army in the “Buggered Battalion” (76) with
…show more content…
Although connected with a twin bond, Millat was the polar opposite of his serious and intellectually minded twin, Magid. Millat’s preferences leaned towards name brands, popularity, girls, and he had no interest in academics. Stuck as second fiddle to his brother, because his father believed he would never measure up to Magid, Millat became defiant during his teenage years. He became the revered teen and was accepted and adored in all social circles because of his good looks, charm, leadership, and sex appeal. Yet, he never felt like he fit in anywhere, “Underneath it all, there remained an ever-present anger and hurt, the feeling of belonging nowhere that comes to people who belong everywhere” (225). In addition, in his struggle to define his cultural identity, Millat, joined a gang of “cultural mongrel[s]” (192), attended cultural minded book burnings, and eventually gave up his party lifestyle (for the most part) to become ingratiated in a fanatical Muslim organization, Keepers of the Eternal and Victorious Islamic Nation (KEVIN) in his search for
Although connected with a twin bond, Millat was the polar opposite of his serious and intellectually minded twin, Magid. Millat’s preferences leaned towards name brands, popularity, girls, and he had no interest in academics. Stuck as second fiddle to his brother, because his father believed he would never measure up to Magid, Millat became defiant during his teenage years. He became the revered teen and was accepted and adored in all social circles because of his good looks, charm, leadership, and sex appeal. Yet, he never felt like he fit in anywhere, “Underneath it all, there remained an ever-present anger and hurt, the feeling of belonging nowhere that comes to people who belong everywhere” (225). In addition, in his struggle to define his cultural identity, Millat, joined a gang of “cultural mongrel[s]” (192), attended cultural minded book burnings, and eventually gave up his party lifestyle (for the most part) to become ingratiated in a fanatical Muslim organization, Keepers of the Eternal and Victorious Islamic Nation (KEVIN) in his search for