Summary
Marking the publishing debut of English author Zadie Smith in 2000, White Teeth took the literary world by storm. This ambitious, sprawling novel explores the interconnected lives of two families in multicultural London, delving into themes of identity, immigration, and the legacy of colonialism. Winner of the Whitbread First Novel Award and the Guardian First Book Award, White Teeth established Smith as a major voice in contemporary fiction. At its core, the novel follows the unlikely friendship between Archie Jones, an Englishman, and Samad Iqbal, a Bangladeshi immigrant. Their relationship, forged during World War II, serves as the anchor as the story spans several decades and generations. Smith's vivid prose and keen observations bring to life a cast of memorable characters, each grappling with their place in a rapidly changing society.
Plot
White Teeth opens on New Year's Day 1975, when Archie Jones, a 47-year-old Englishman, attempts suicide after his wife leaves him. A chance interruption saves his life, eventually leading to his second marriage to a young Jamaican woman, Clara Bowden. Archie and Clara have a daughter named Irie. Archie's best friend, Samad Iqbal, a Bengali Muslim with whom he served in World War II, lives nearby with his wife Alsana and their twin sons, Magid and Millat.
As the children grow up, Samad struggles with maintaining his Islamic faith in England. He sends 10-year-old Magid to Bangladesh, hoping he'll grow up as a proper Muslim. However, Magid returns as an atheist devoted to science, while Millat rebels by joining a fundamentalist Muslim group. Irie, self-conscious about her mixed-race identity, befriends the twins and becomes entangled in their lives.
The story expands to include the Chalfens, a white middle-class family. Marcus Chalfen, a geneticist, is working on the controversial “FutureMouse” project. The Chalfen family becomes involved with Irie and the Iqbal twins, with Joyce Chalfen taking a particular interest in “mothering” Millat. Meanwhile, the Chalfens' son Joshua rebels against his family by joining an animal rights group.
The novel culminates on New Year's Eve 1992, at the public unveiling of Marcus's FutureMouse. Various groups, including Millat's fundamentalist organization, Joshua's animal rights group, and Clara's Jehovah's Witness mother, converge to protest the event. In the ensuing chaos, Millat attempts to shoot the lead scientist, but Archie takes the bullet instead. The genetically modified mouse escapes, and the characters' lives are left intertwined in unexpected ways.
Themes
Multiculturalism and immigrant experiences in Britain
Identity and belonging in a diverse society
Generational conflicts between parents and children
The influence of history and heritage on the present
Religious faith versus secularism
Fate versus free will
The impact of colonialism and its legacy
Setting
White Teeth is primarily set in London during the latter half of the 20th century, from the mid 1970s to the early 1990s. The novel captures the vibrant multicultural tapestry of the city, focusing on the diverse neighborhoods of Willesden and Cricklewood in North West London. These areas serve as a microcosm of Britain's changing demographics and cultural landscape in the post-colonial era.
The story also ventures beyond London, reaching back to the characters' roots in Jamaica, Bangladesh, and other former British colonies. These connections to the wider world highlight the impact of Britain's imperial past on its present-day society. Flashbacks to World War II provide historical context for the older generation's experiences, while the narrative's progression into the 1990s reflects the evolving social and political climate of modern Britain.
Specific locations within London play crucial roles in the novel. The O'Connell's pub serves as a central meeting point for the characters, symbolizing the intersection of different cultures and generations. Other significant settings include the Jones and Iqbal family homes, Glenard Oak School, and the Perret Institute, where the climactic FutureMouse exhibition takes place. These varied locales create a rich, textured portrayal of London as a city in constant flux, grappling with issues of identity, tradition, and progress.
Characters
Archie Jones: A middle-aged Englishman who attempts suicide but changes his mind. He marries Clara Bowden and fathers Irie. Archie is indecisive, often relying on coin flips to make decisions. He served in World War II with his best friend, Samad Iqbal.
Samad Iqbal: Archie's best friend, a Bengali Muslim immigrant who works as a waiter. He struggles to maintain his religious and cultural identity in England. Samad sends one of his twin sons to Bangladesh in an attempt to preserve tradition. He is obsessed with his family history and grapples with temptations that conflict with his faith.
Clara Jones: Archie's young Jamaican wife and Irie's mother. Clara was raised as a Jehovah's Witness but rebelled as a teenager. She lost her front teeth in an accident before meeting Archie. Clara hopes for a better life through her marriage to Archie.
Irie Jones: The daughter of Archie and Clara. Irie struggles with her mixed-race identity and body image as a teenager. She becomes entangled with the Iqbal twins and eventually pursues a career in dentistry. Irie ends up having a child of uncertain paternity due to her relationships with Magid and Millat.
Magid Iqbal: One of Samad's twin sons, who is sent to Bangladesh as a child. Rather than embracing Islam, he returns to England as an atheist and intellectual, working on a controversial genetic engineering project. Magid's path diverges dramatically from his family's expectations.
Millat Iqbal: Magid's twin brother, who remains in England. He becomes a rebellious teenager involved in drugs and petty crime before joining a fundamentalist Muslim group. Millat struggles with his identity and eventually attempts violence at a scientific conference.
Alsana Iqbal: Samad's wife and mother of the twins. She was promised to Samad before birth in an arranged marriage. Alsana has a fiery temper and works as a seamstress to help support the family.
Marcus Chalfen: A Jewish geneticist working on the controversial FutureMouse project. He mentors Magid and represents scientific progress.
Joyce Chalfen: Marcus's wife, a horticulturalist and writer. She takes an intense interest in Millat, attempting to “fix” him through maternal nurturing.
Joshua Chalfen: The son of Marcus and Joyce, who rebels against his parents by joining an animal rights group. He develops feelings for Irie.
Hortense Bowden: Clara's mother, a devout Jehovah's Witness. She provides a connection to Jamaican heritage for Irie.
Ryan Topps: Clara's ex-boyfriend who becomes a Jehovah's Witness. His conversion pushes Clara away from the faith.
Quick facts
Zadie Smith wrote White Teeth during her final year as an undergraduate student at Cambridge University.
The novel was published when Smith was just 24 years old.
White Teeth sparked a bidding war between publishers and reportedly earned Smith a £250,000 advance.
The book became an instant bestseller and won multiple literary awards, including the Whitbread First Novel Award and the Guardian First Book Award.
TIME magazine featured White Teeth on its list of the 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005.
Smith named one of the main characters, Irie, after the Jamaican word meaning “OK, cool, peaceful."
The character of Archie Jones was partially inspired by Smith's own father, who like Archie was a working-class Englishman.
The novel was adapted into a four-part television series for Channel 4 in 2002.
In 2018, White Teeth was adapted into a stage play that premiered at London's Kiln Theatre.
Smith has said she finds parts of the novel “embarrassing” to read now and feels it was “written by a different person."
About the Author
Zadie Smith is an English novelist, essayist, and short story writer. She made her publishing debut in 2000 with White Teeth, which became an instant bestseller and won the Whitbread First Novel Award. Born in London in 1975 to an English father and Jamaican mother, Smith studied English literature at Cambridge University before embarking on her writing career. Her multicultural background and upbringing in northwest London have strongly influenced her work, which often explores themes of race, identity, and contemporary British society.
Following the success of White Teeth, Smith continued to write acclaimed novels, including On Beauty, NW, Swing Time, and The Fraud. Her fiction is known for its vibrant characters, witty dialogue, and incisive social commentary. Smith has also published essay collections like Changing My Mind and Feel Free, showcasing her talents as a cultural critic and nonfiction writer. Her work frequently grapples with complex ideas around art, politics, and the human experience.
Smith has received numerous literary honors, including the Orange Prize for Fiction, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, and multiple nominations for the Man Booker Prize. She was elected to prestigious organizations such as the Royal Society of Literature and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She became a tenured professor of creative writing at New York University in 2010 and is a regular contributor to publications like The New Yorker and The New York Review of Books. Her novels have been adapted for television and stage, further cementing her status as one of the most prominent and versatile British writers of her generation and a leading figure in world literature.
