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Zadie Smith Identity Analysis

2108 Words9 Pages

The purpose of the paper is to highlight the multicultural elements and the identity crisis portrayed in the novels of Zadie Smith.The questions of daily importance to every individual human being are Who am I? What makes me me ? The question of what defines us in our personality cannot be answered in a single sentence, or easily. Multiple external factors from the field of culture such as ethnicity, race, class, gender, sexual orientation or history have an effect on who we are, what we identify ourselves or are identified with. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, identity defines
Who or what a person or thing is; a distinct impression of a single person or thing presented to or perceived by others; a set of characteristics or a description …show more content…

In- betweenness as a term is quite self-explanatory and depicts ambiguity on several levels like belonging, ethnicity or sexual orientation/ habits, to name only a few. This ambiguity entails the social life of the characters as well as their emotional state. On the basis of their behaviour and emotional condition against the background of their cultural affiliations, it will also specify the conflicts and probable advantages the state of in-betweenness …show more content…

245, 368). He did not join the group because he is a Muslim but because he loves clans and the outfit the KEVIN group wears (black suit and a green bow tie). Trying to live as a ‘proper’ Muslim by the teachings of the Quran is the most challenging part of his membership to the group. Millat admires western film industry, especially movies about gangsters and mafia, but as a member of KEVIN he should abandon all western

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