"White Teeth" and Post-Colonial Identity

Paper Summary:

The paper analyzes the character of Millat Iqbal in Zadie Smith's novel about English and East Asian identity and inter-generational conflict entitled "White Teeth". The paper shows how Millat wants to create an identity that is entirely un-English and is only connected to his Bengal roots abroad. The paper also examines the character of Magid and highlights how both brothers' idea of purity is ironically a product of the West, and so they are both hybrid figures. The paper brings out Smith's view that acknowledging the humanity of the supposed 'other,' whether from the family or from another nation, is the purest anti-colonial act of all.

From the Paper:

"One of the difficulties of constructing an identity through the post-colonial discourse of race, religion and ethnicity is the difficulty of filtering out the discourse of the oppressor, the 'us versus them' binary that defines colonialism. Colonialism is constructed upon a series of binaries, of 'savage versus civilized,' 'English versus native,' 'white versus non-white,' and of course 'good versus bad' and 'pure versus impure.' The logical response for the rebellious colonized peoples of the world who wish to oppose colonialism would seem to be to vow to become everything that colonialism is 'not.' To be against colonialism is to celebrate a pure, native culture, before it was impinged upon by colonialism. However, to do so is impossible--no identity is 'pure.'"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Smith, Zadie. White Teeth. New York: Vintage, 2000.

More papers on "White Teeth" and Post-Colonial Identity:

• Comparison Essay # 89008 : "Critical Race and Post-colonial Theorists"
• Analytical Essay # 130412 : "Modernity and Post-Colonial India"
• Analytical Essay # 142878 : "Gender and Post-Colonial Identities"

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