The search for identity in Hanif Kureishi’s the Buddha of Suburbia, the black album and Zadie Smith’s white teeth

Hanif Kureishi and Zadie Smith engage in a critical examination of the established conceptualizations of identity, challenging their rigidity and highlighting the inherent unstable nature of identity. The objective of this thesis is to examine the the way in which Hanif Kureishi and Zadie Smith challenge the perceived stability of race, identity, and ethnicity within the dynamic cultural and societal landscape of post-war London. By drawing upon Homi K. Bhabha's theoretical concepts of hybridity, ambivalence, and the third space, both authors destabilize traditional dichotomies and offer critical perspectives on the highly diverse nature of London's metropolis. Kureishi and Smith, in their respective literary works, craft characters whose identities exhibit a dynamic and hybrid nature, characterized by a perpetual state of openness to transformation. In alternative terms, the characters within the narrative contest fundamental conceptions regarding identity and instead portray fluid and evolving manifestations. Upon conducting an analysis of the three aforementioned novels, it becomes evident that Kureishi and Smith share a perspective that regards identity as a dynamic and precarious construct within the context of an increasingly interconnected and globalized society.