Exploring Meta-Crisis in Zadie Smith’s White Teeth (2000): a Metamodernist study

Abstract

This research surveys the established issue of meta-crisis in White Teeth (2000) by Zadie Smith through a metamodernist lens. It employs metamodernist features revealing their connection to meta-crisis. It addresses the underlying phenomena, which result and produce other crises within multicultural Britain. The sense of oscillation, which refers to a sort of sway between modernism and postmodernism, highlights the importance of the investigation of the novel, as it contributes to understanding and extracting potential solutions in the characters’ daily and occasional interactions. The research reveals the reincarnation of colonialism as a pervading ideology and its long-lasting impact on immigrants, natives, and the second generation, i.e. a racial and generational effect. The aftermath of this issue encompasses all facets of British society, whether personal, social, or global. It also suggests a metamodernist solution to the multidimensional overarching crisis such as colonialism and fragmented communities.