Hybridity, identity, and diaspora in Zadie Smith’s White Teeth
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol10iss1pp94-113Abstract
Background and Purpose: This study examines how hybridity, identity, and diaspora intersect within immigrant experiences, particularly among South Asian diasporic communities in Britain, as depicted in White Teeth by Zadie Smith. Situated within a sociocultural framework, the research explores how migration and multiculturalism influence individual identity formation. The study highlights how immigrants negotiate belonging in a globalized yet structurally exclusionary society by analysing the psychological, social, and political dimensions of diasporic identity.
Methodology: This study employed close reading as its primary method, analyzing the text through the lens of postcolonial theory. By examining key passages and tracing character arcs, the analysis explored how the novel constructs cultural hybridity, identity tensions, and the evolving concept of home. The study systematically applied theoretical concepts to multiple textual moments, ensuring a comprehensive and theoretically grounded interpretation of postcolonial identity in the novel.
Findings: The analysis reveals that hybridity and diasporic displacement contribute to a fragmented yet evolving sense of identity among immigrant characters. The novel illustrates that cultural integration is neither linear nor fully attainable; instead, it is marked by negotiation, resistance, and redefinition. While some characters embrace hybridity as an empowering construct, others experience cultural dissonance and psychological turmoil, reflecting broader sociological debates on assimilation and cultural retention.
Contributions: This study contributes to social science discourses on migration and identity by demonstrating how literature serves as a critical site for understanding the lived experiences of diasporic individuals. It advances discussions on globalization’s impact on identity politics, highlighting the intersection of historical colonial legacies and contemporary multicultural tensions.
Keywords: Identity, Hybridity, Diaspora, Migration, Multiculturalism, Postcolonial Studies, Social Integration
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