Adherence Or Integration-Minorities' Dilemmas And Their Options In White Teethby Zadie Smith

As one of the most talked about fictional debuts,Zadie Smith's White Teeth is a classic international bestseller and adored by critics and readers alike by providing an unforgettable portrait of immigrant's life in London.White Teeth is broad in its reach with its use of themes such as history,the search for identity,and multiculturalism which is embodied by the interaction among the members of London-based central families(the Joneses,the Iqbals and the Chalfens).The character images in the novel come from different immigrant families with different religions and educational backgrounds,but they have to face the same dilemma,that is how to opt for their ways to confront the society dominated by the white culture.In the period of post-colonialism,as the core of main culture,white-dominated society treats other cultures with the feature of hegemony which easily leads to the dilemma of the minority immigrants.The fate conflict of the characters in White Teeth is not only embodied by the first immigrant generation but even more exemplified by the second immigrant generation.The young generation has to meet with contradicting expectations while the first generation of immigrants expects their children to preserve the indigenous values of their home country.In order to lead a successful life,the second generation of immigrants has to absorb the western Protestant values of Great Britain.The characters' efforts to find their own way-outs in their dilemmas are portrayed in this tragicomedy.From the literature review of Zadie Smith's White Teeth,it can be seen that many scholars have already explored the novel from different perspectives such as multiculturalism,Englishness,thematic study,and cultural hybridity.But there is no systematic study of the novel's main characters' different options and the corresponding aftermath from the perspective of post-colonialism.Hence,this thesis aims to explore the minority characters' options in their dilemmas based on the theory of post-colonialism,and probe the proper ways for the minorities to get out of their dilemmas in a post-colonial surroundings.This thesis is composed of five parts.As a prelude to the research,the first part,Introduction,provides some information concerning the author ZadieSmith and her works.Her debut novel,White Teeth,the research subject,is introduced briefly in this part as well.In addition,the present author tries to review the related studies on Zadie Smith's White Teeth.And finally,post-colonialism,taken as the theoretical rationale is elaborated concisely for the sake of the following research.Then there comes the main body of the thesis which includes three chapters.Chapter One focuses on minorities' adherence to their native culture by taking Samad and Millat as examples whose options are predestined to be a failure as they are the ignored minorities struggling in the hostile society,and it is impossible for them to fight against the mainstream society.As a result,all their efforts are coming to end in vain.The deep reasons underlying their adherence to their native culture and identity as well as the evaluation of their options are further probed in this part with post-colonial theory.In Chapter Two,another two characters,Magid and Irie,are singled out to serve as instances to discuss the option of integration with the main culture and stream society.Magid's total integration and his aftermath is proved that minorities' attempt to make a full integration to the western culture is out of the question,while as a representative of cultural hybridity,Irie's way to accept and integrate dominate culture is what the writer of the novel expects and advocates.Chapter Three focuses on the contemplation and implications derived both from inside and outside of the novel.The four main characters' options results prove that neither total adherence nor complete integration would serve an effective way-out except Irie's case.Furthermore,more solutions to walk out of the dilemma need readers' efforts to seek out of the novel.The author,Zadie Smith,can serve as a good way out by her success through working hard with an optimistic and positive towards minority identity.Finally,the present author puts forward her resolution to the dilemma----tolerance and surpassing by pursuing unity in diversity.The last part of the thesis gives a summary of the research by pointing out that in an era of globalization,it is inevitable for individuals and ethnic groups to contact and contradict with each other.Everyone should make his own choice and bear the corresponding aftermath.The appreciate approach is to keep the concept of unity in diversity in mind and then work hard with an optimistic and positive attitude towards individual life.Only by this way can the ethnic minority enjoy their life at an era of globalization.And maybe that is the very implication revealed by analysing the main characters in White Teeth.