Multicultural identity in "White Teeth" by Zadie Smith
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Abstract
In an era characterized by the movement of global cultures, the process of forming identity evolves into a flexible and dynamic phenomenon instead of a stable one. This research investigates how transcultural exchanges affect identity in modern immigrant novels: White Teeth by Zadie Smith. Utilizing Stuart Hall's framework that views identity as a fluid construct shaped by cultural and social interactions, this study analyzes how immigrant protagonists forge identities that reflect both their heritage and the varied often-mixed cultures they navigate. The findings enhance the comprehension of immigrant literature, illustrating that identities are complex, influenced by both local and global dynamics, and continually reshaped by new cultural encounters. By incorporating Homi Bhabha’s notion of the “Third Space” and Arjun Appadurai’s theory of global cultural flows, the research offers a refined understanding of identity as a product of cultural interactivity rather than a fixed attribute tied to ethnicity or backgrounds.
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