小说《白牙》中主要人物的多元文化特征分析_英语论文

Analysis of Multicultural Features of Main Characters in White Teeth

摘要

第二次世界大战之后，随着经济全球化和文化全球化趋势的发展，全球殖民体系逐步瓦解，殖民地与宗主国之间的关系发生转变，进入到了矛盾冲突与融合共生并存的后殖民时期。在这个时期，英国各民族间的民族认同问题在全球范围内引起关注，对于现代人，特别是对于新一代移民来说，他们的身份危机越来越不容忽视。

英国当代作家扎迪•史密斯的小说《白牙》描述了英国当代移民的现状并对“英国性”的定义进行了深刻的探讨。本论文主要以琼斯，伊克巴尔和夏尔芬三个家庭成员为研究对象，重点探讨几个主要人物的多元文化特征，从多元性，混杂性和共生可能性三个方面分析当代移民的特点以及新移民的身份危机，指出外地移民和本土居民的基本矛盾与不同诉求，探讨双方文化共存共生的可行性，揭示出“白牙”背后深刻而重大的社会意义和政治意义，并针对解决移民身份危机提供有价值的建议。

关键词：《白牙》；多元文化；文化冲突；文化共生

Abstract

After the Second World War, with the development of economic globalization and cultural globalization, the global colonial system gradually disintegrated, the relationship between the colonies and European metropolises changed, and the world entered the post-colonial period in which the contradiction and fusion coexisted. During the period, the issue of national identity among the various ethnic groups in the United Kingdom aroused global concern. At the same time, the issue of identity crisis is becoming increasingly important for British people, especially for new generations of immigrants. 

Zadie Smith, a contemporary British writer wrote the famous novel White Teeth, which depicts the status quo of those immigrants and explores the definition of   "Britishness" in a profound way. This paper mainly studies members of three families, namely Jones, Iqbals and Charles. Its analysis focuses on the multicultural features of several main characters in the novel. Besides, the paper analyzes the new characteristics of contemporary immigrants from the aspects of diversity, hybridity and symbiosis, and further discusses the identity crisis of new immigrants. After that, the author of the paper points out the basic contradictions and different demands of the new immigrants and native British residents, and also explores the feasibility of symbiosis of the two different cultures, thus revealing the deep and significant social and political meanings behind the "white teeth" and at the same time tries to provide valuable suggestions for how to deal with the issues of identity crisis of the immigrants.

Keywords：White Teeth; cultural diversity; cultural conflict; cultural symbiosis 

Contents

Acknowledgements i

Abstract ii

摘要 iii

Table of Contents iv

Chapter One Introduction 1

1.1 Introduction of the author Zadie Smith 1

1.2 Introduction of White Teeth 2

1.3 Literature Review 3

1.4 The framework of this thesis 4

Chapter Two Cultural Conflict 6

2.1 Different Customs and Cultures 6

2.2 Different Concept of values 8

Chapter Three Hybridity of Cultural Identity 11

3.1 Querying “Britishness” 11

3.2 Constructing the Hybridity 12

Chapter Four Possibility of Cultural Symbiosis 14

4.1 Overpassing Cultural Conflict 14

4.2 Achieving the Symbiosis of Cultures 15

Chapter Five Conclusion 17

Works Cited 18