Essay On White Teeth

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

White Teeth, the novel written by Zadie Smith, has a very peculiar name and the imagery of teeth is brought up many times throughout the novel. I believe that this reoccurring symbolism of teeth are so prominent because teeth are white no matter what a person’s race is; Teeth are something that everyone shares in common despite all our various backgrounds, beliefs, and complexions. Everyone is born with teeth, but how they end up, whether they are cracked, or full of cavities, or completely healthy have to do with your own actions and choices in your life. Smith addresses this notion further by indirectly making a statement that it’s not our race or nationality that defines our identity, but rather our identity
Smith was able to portray such a well thought out and heart felt novel on the struggles people face in finding their identity because it was a theme that she had first hand experience with living as a second generation immigrant in England. Just as Smith states in her interview with Charlie Rose, she incorporates parts of herself in her characters. The character Irie in her novel is one of these characters who even has an identical background to Smith as a second-generation immigrant who is half Jamaican and half English. Irie after much hardship realizes that it’s not our race or nationality that defines our identity, but rather our identity is defined by our own experiences and values. I believe this is the conclusion that Smith had drawn through her own life experiences and incorporated into Irie in the novel to share this life learning experience with the readers. Similarly, Smith titled the novel White Teeth because teeth are the universal symbol of humanity. Everyone is born with teeth, but how the end up have to do with your choices in life similar to Smith’s point that who you are is determined by own experiences and