Negotiating Identities: Hybridity and Cultural Entanglements in Zadie Smith’s White Teeth

Abstract

Zadie Smith’s White Teeth offers a compelling exploration of the complex processes of identity formation and cultural negotiation in postcolonial Britain. Employing Homi K. Bhabha’s concept of hybridity as a theoretical framework, this paper examines the intersections of race, culture and history within the narrative. Bhabha’s notion of hybridity emphasizes the “third space,” a liminal zone where cultural identities are negotiated and redefined. In White Teeth, hybridity is both a site of conflict and possibility, reflecting the multifaceted realities of diasporic communities in Britain. This research paper argues that White Teeth articulates the challenges and potentials of hybrid identities through its characters, their histories and the broader socio-political milieu.