Zadie Smith

 

On Beauty​

On Beauty (title taken from an essay by Elaine Scarry) explores the messiness of family relationships, racial identity, academic one-upmanship, and conflicting values. It also explores the concept of beauty in regards to aesthetics, friendship, femininity, grace, and reconciliation.

​

White Teeth

Zadie Smith’s debut novel pays homage to Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses (which appears in the story) regarding its examination of challenges facing London immigrants. It also explores what can happen when people with disparate lived experiences are thrown together, as can only happen in a large cosmopolitan city. The story culminates in a comedy of errors with potentially dead-serious effects.

​