Abstract
This study analytically discusses what defines people as English in the 21st century by asking as to what creates Englishness in the milieu of Zadie Smith’s White Teeth. It also presents the construction or determination of later generation immigrants’ English identities when the limitations of their origins and races are deconstructed. Most importantly, it asks (and tries to answer), whether the second-generation immigrants balance their inherited identities and the ones they choose? The study illustrates by analyzing the events in White Teeth that traditional concepts of identity and the belief that family roots and race alone create a solid base for the children’s identity, are nothing but a fallacy. The novel shows that the factors of nationality, culture, and race are fluid and that they do not provide an airtight framework for the construction of a person’s identity.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: Journal of Namibian Studies : History Politics Culture
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.