Negotiating Cultural Identity in Zadie Smith's "White Teeth" (2000): An

In-depth Exploration of Hybridity, Tradition, and Gender

This paper delves into a post-colonial analysis of Zadie Smith's "White Teeth" (2000), by using
the theoretical frameworks of Stuart Hall and Edward Said on cultural identity. Throughout the
analysis, a close reading approach is used to explore the theme of cultural hybridity as a
stimulant for the emergence of new sense of identities in character of Samad Iqbal, Clara
Bowden, the Iqbal twins, and Irie Jones, which transcends the concepts of a single culture. In this
context, the paper is structured into three chapters. The first section of the paper focuses on
cultural identity, with a particular emphasis on Hybrid Identities, Cultural Traditions, Modernity
and intersectionality of gender and the influence these concepts have on the characters’
relationships and self-perception. Proceeding, the second part investigates characters' responses
to dominant cultural norms as well as the traditional ones, delving into their assimilation or
resistance dynamics and the underlying motivations fueling these choices. In the end, the
characters' experiences of diaspora and displacement within a post-colonial context, and the way
it influences their sense of belonging is examined.

Key words: Zadie Smith, White Teeth, Post-colonial, Cultural identity