DIASPORIC TRAUMA AND CULTURAL HYBRIDITY IN WHITE TEETH: A POSTCOLONIAL READING

Abstract

Zadie Smith’s White Teeth (2000) explores the intersections of race, migration, and identity in contemporary London. The novel presents a vivid description of families who were immigrants from several countries, negotiating cultural, social, and intergenerational challenges in a postcolonial urban environment. This paper determines the terms of diasporic trauma and cultural hybridity in Smith’s novel through the lens of postcolonial theory, drawing on Homi Bhabha’s idea of hybridity, Stuart Hall’s notions of diaspora and identity, and contemporary trauma studies. The study contributes to the fields of postcolonial literature, diaspora studies, and cultural identity research by offering a clear understanding of how literature reflects and shapes discourses on multiculturalism, hybridity, and diasporic experience.