A comparative study of migrant muslim identity in London: Brick Lane by Monica Ali and White Teeth by Zadie Smith

ABSTRACT This thesis is an attempt to study migrant Muslim identities in London: Monica Ali's Brick Lane and Zadie Smith's White Teeth through the lens of Homi K. Bhabha's concepts of 'mimicry', and 'hybridity'. Both novels as a postcolonial literature exhibit cultural hybridity and mimicry, which represents the confused identity of first and second-generation migrant Muslim identities from British earlier colonies. Both novels discussed in this thesis are set in a different borough of London and the characters are migrant Muslims of South Asian diaspora. This study consists of four parts and the first part begins with the background to the authors, a brief explanation of several definitions of key terms and an introduction of theoretical terms, which are essential for analyses of migrant Muslim identities in London. Overall, all of the theory that is discussed in the second chapter is applied to both novels by Monica Ali and Zadie Smith. In the third chapter, it also focuses on multicultural Britain and immigration. It explores the differences between the generations of immigrant identity where they come from. The thesis also analyses how immigrants in both novels define their identity and interact with British identity and the dominant culture surrounding in a metropolitan city whether it changes or empowering their identity. Finally, the thesis deals the relevance of Homi K. Bhabha's perception to comprehend how the Muslim immigrants try to mimic and adopt the dominant British culture with a view to achieving social acknowledgment, but treated as others and inferiors in the society. This thesis will explore issues of migrant Muslim identity through the lenses of mimicry and hybridity that covers the cultural identity, conflict of identity between 'self' and 'other', 'British'-'Bangladeshi', clash of cultures, sense of alienation and ultimate disillusionment of the major characters prevail throughout both novels in the light of Postcolonial critical approaches.