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Since the 1970s, there has been increasing concern with the impact of (post)colonialism on British identities and culture. White Teeth by Zadie Smith is the story of three families from three different cultural backgrounds, set mostly in multicultural London. The first part of this book provides an overview of the former British Empire, the Commonwealth and the history of Bangladesh, Jamaica and the Jews in England as relevant to White Teeth. Following this, the role of the (former) centre of London will be presented. Subsequently, definitions and postcolonial theories (Bhabha, Said etc.) shall be discussed.The focus of this book is on life in multicultural London. The main aspects analysed in these chapters deal with identity, the location where the novel is set and racism. A further aim of the book is a comparison between the fictional world of White Teeth and reality. One chapter is devoted to the question of magic realism and the novel's position between two worlds.In a summary, the writer hopes to convince the readers of the fascination felt when reading the novel and when plunging into the buzzing streets of contemporary multicultural London.
About the author
Sylvia Hadjetian, born in 1979 in Deggendorf, Germany, studied English, French, Spanish and Intercultural Competences as well as teaching German as a foreign language at the University of Regensburg in Germany. She received her Master's degree and 'Staatsexamen' in 2006. During her studies, Sylvia studied at Royal Holloway, University of London, in the United Kingdom and she also worked at Concordia University in Montréal, Canada. Due to her multicultural family background, Sylvia has always been interested in hybridity and multiculturalism, especially that of London. Today she works as an English and French teacher at a secondary school (known as a 'Gymnasium' in German) and lives in Regensburg in south-east Germany.
