Zadie Smith's "White Teeth"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Zadie Smith's novel "White Teeth" presents an optimistic vision of race relations in modern England by depicting how friendship and romance can transgress both religious and racial barriers, even though at times these barriers can create rifts between brothers and husbands and wives. The author points out that the younger and older generations in the novel negotiate the rocky terrain of a newly multi-national, multi-ethnic and multi-religious society through the long-standing friendship of the protagonists Samal Iqabal, a Bengali and Archie Jones, a white, living in North London. The paper relates that the ideological excesses of religious, class and other forms of identity that hem individuals in within modern Britain are overcome through human elemental desires to enjoy sensuality and to take delight in the beauty of the flesh.

From the Paper:

"The friendship of Samal and Archie shows how the need for human companionship, to say nothing of sexual desire often transgresses racial intolerance and hatred within the world of the novel "White Teeth". For example, because he sees himself as ugly, Archie Jones proves willing to look outside of his own racial group for happiness in his marriage. Thus he marries a beautiful woman of Caribbean ancestry named Clara. Clara wishes to escape the limits of her own conservative religious upbringing, so she escapes into Archie's arms, despite her loveliness and her youth in comparison to Archie. Her own daughter with Archie, although not beautiful, has her father's soul, and similarly seeks out love and friendship with members of other religions, races, and classes."

More papers on Zadie Smith's "White Teeth":

• Analytical Essay # 139100 : "British Culture in "White Teeth"
• Book Review # 112529 : "White Teeth" and Post-Colonial Identity"
• Analytical Essay # 33992 : "Zadie Smith's "White Teeth"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: