1. Introduction
1.1. Brief introduction to home and belonging as a general idea
Home has a significant function in our lives. Thinking of home we associate notions like shelter and comfort and when we come home we want to feel safe and welcome. John McLeod argues in this sense that “to be ‘at home’ is to occupy a location where we are welcome, where we can be with people very much like ourselves.”¹ We are looking for who we are, where we come from and try to find our place in life. When one is born in a country but moves to another where is one’s home country then? This question is hard to answer, because migration is always a process which implies a struggle of identities. When the 2nd generation is born in the host country- where do they belong if the host country does not accept them as full members? The term home is highly complicated in a complex and multicultural world like ours.
1.2. Procedure and approach of my analyses
I have centered my term paper on an attempt to identify and characterize the concepts of home and belonging in postcolonial literature.
Comparing how the idea of home and belonging is presented in the novels White Teeth by Zadie Smith and Small Island by Andrea Levy, I have tried a text- extrinsic approach. Furthermore, I have analysed the authors’ intentions with regard to the time of publication and the time of the narrative. However, the main aspect of my analyses is which concepts of home and belonging exist and which of them can be found in the novels of my comparison. I have chosen White Teeth because it is a novel that deals with the colonial past and the postcolonial present and I have selected Small Island because it is a novel that deals with migration in the past. Small Island is set at the beginning of migration when many colonized people came to England. Andrea Levy presents different views, the White and Black British point of view at the beginning of migration. My motivation to compare both novels is to go back to the beginning of colonial migration and to show the difference between the concepts from the past to the present.
¹ John McLeod, Beginning Postcolonialism (Manchester, New York: Manchester University Press, 2000) p. 210.
2 Zadie Smith, White Teeth (London: Penguin Books, 2001).
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Brief introduction to home and belonging as a general idea
- Procedure and approach of my analyses
- Theories and concepts of Home & Identity
- ‘Traditional’ concepts of home and belonging
- Fluid concepts- ‘diaspora’ identities
- Concept of living ‘in-between' identities
- Hybrid identities
- Migration and home – the importance of home in Small Island
- Traditional concepts of home and belonging in Small Island and in White Teeth
- Fluid concepts- ‘diaspora identities', living ‘in-between identities' and ‘hybrid identities' in White Teeth compared to ‘in-between identities' in Small Island
- Conclusion and outlook
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the concepts of home and belonging in postcolonial literature by comparing the novels "Small Island" by Andrea Levy and "White Teeth" by Zadie Smith. The analysis aims to identify and characterize the different conceptions of home and belonging presented in these works, considering the authors' intentions and the historical context of the narratives. The key themes explored in the analysis include:- The shifting nature of home and belonging in a postcolonial context.
- The impact of migration on individual and collective identities.
- The concept of "diaspora" identities and the challenges of living "in-between" cultures.
- The role of memory, imagination, and "mythic places" in shaping notions of home and belonging.
- The contrasting experiences of belonging for characters from different backgrounds in both novels.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter introduces the concept of home and belonging as a general idea, emphasizing its significance in shaping individual identities and providing a sense of place and security. The chapter also outlines the methodology of the analysis, focusing on a text-extrinsic approach and examining the authors' intentions in relation to the time of publication and the narrative. The second chapter explores different theoretical concepts of home and identity. It delves into traditional notions of home as a static place of origin, emphasizing the importance of roots and ancestry in shaping identity. The chapter also examines more fluid concepts of home and belonging, including the "diaspora" identity, where individuals experience a sense of belonging to multiple places and cultures simultaneously. The third chapter focuses on the role of migration and the significance of home in Andrea Levy's "Small Island." It analyzes the experiences of characters who have left their homelands and navigate the challenges of building a new life in a foreign country. The fourth chapter explores the traditional concepts of home and belonging as presented in both "Small Island" and "White Teeth," contrasting the experiences of characters who identify with established notions of home with those who struggle to find a place of belonging in a rapidly changing society. The fifth chapter delves into the fluid concepts of "diaspora identities," "in-between identities," and "hybrid identities" in Zadie Smith's "White Teeth." It compares these concepts to the "in-between identities" explored in "Small Island," analyzing the different ways in which characters grapple with the complexities of belonging in a postcolonial world.Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This analysis focuses on the concepts of home, belonging, identity, postcolonialism, migration, diaspora, hybridity, and “in-between identities.” It examines these themes through the lens of two novels, "Small Island" by Andrea Levy and "White Teeth" by Zadie Smith, exploring the different ways in which characters navigate their experiences of belonging in a complex and multifaceted world.- Quote paper
- Christina Heckmann (Author), 2006, Concepts of Home and Belonging in Postcolonial Literature compared in the novels "Small Island" by Andrea Levy and "White Teeth" by Zadie Smith, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/138596
