Zadie Smith's White Teeth

The symbols in Zadie Smith’s novel, White Teeth, connect to one another throughout the novel and contribute to the novel’s multiculturalism and absurdism. Zadie Smith offers a look into the psychology and inner workings of society by portraying the cultural mixing of three families in modern-day London. Literary absurdism focuses on the motives and purpose of characters based on their previous experiences; and multiculturalism focuses on the diversity of communities and the interactions in those communities. The concerns of legacy, identity, and tradition in the different characters strengthen the multiculturalism and absurdism of the novel. The father of the Iqbal family, Samad, is followed throughout most of the novel. Living in the shadow of his great-grandfather, he often finds himself striving to carry on the legacy of Mangal Pande and his traditions, which demonstrates absurdism in the novel. In making an effort to
Traditionally, different cultures and ethnicities stayed separate, rather than living in diverse communities, which are seen as anomalies in the novel. On page 79, breaking of tradition is shown, when Archie is following the instruction of Samad. Smith recognizes this irony of, “an Indian telling an Englishman what to do.” The themes of cultural mixing and the breaking of tradition are in synchronization in the novel, as, at the time the novel takes place, the segregation of races is being banished from society, and the different cultures are forced to interact. These themes come together again on page 303, as, “[i]n the great tradition of English education, Marcus and Magid became pen pals.” The new morals and revolutionary ideas are what modern literature focuses on. In White Teeth, Smith slyly hints at the irony of the interactions between generations and ethnicities with the three