Psychological Disposition in the Select Novels of Zadie Smith

Abstract

Psychology and Philosophy are intertwined. Psychology deals with belief and feelings, which cannot be separated. Considering psychology, many writers adapted the idea of Sigmund Freud who explained about conscious and unconscious mind. The combination of Id, ego and super ego were accepted and this was blended in literature to describe various characters in their writings. Female and male writers tried to bring out various aspects of mind, emotions and feelings in their works. They tried to analyze the characters in depth and bring out the psychological aspects, which affects them. Various female writers in British Literature such as George Eliot, Agatha Christie, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte were all brought out in their works the inner struggle and turmoil of their characters especially female characters. Zadie Smith, a contemporary writer, born to a Jamaican mother and an English father, has joined the list. She is a novelist and an essayist. Her debut novel ‘White Teeth’ won James Tait Black Memorial Prize and Betty Trask Award. She writes about the social controversies and her treatment of race and culture is well known. Zadie satirically shows the psychological struggle, suppression and oppression of the characters and multicultural aspects. She even depicts the inner turmoil of each character in her work. In all her novels, the reader can find many themes especially, cultural discrepancies, which has been rooted in their blood with an attitude, which is blended in their society.