The Mis-Education of Irie Jones and Zora Belsey: Education and Black Female Identity in Zadie Smith’s White Teeth and On Beauty

Abstract

This thesis examines the impact of educational institutions on the identity formation of women of color in the novels of Zadie Smith. Through a close analysis of the experiences of Irie Jones in White Teeth (2000) and Zora Belsey in On Beauty (2005), this thesis examines the ways in which Black female characters negotiate their sense of authenticity in relation to the often conflicting social and cultural contexts they find themselves in. Utilizing theories of identity formation, cultural studies, and postcolonialism, as well as analyzing the history of state multiculturalism and colonialism, this thesis argues that Smith's novels depict struggles unique to the woman of color as she attempts to formulate a sense of agency in the face of conflicting expectations, opportunities, biases, and challenges of a multicultural society. This thesis concludes that Smith's work contributes to ongoing debates about the critical need for representations of the black female experience in literary works, particularly in the world of education, and the role this literature plays in shaping our understanding of identity, agency, and belonging in relation to women of color.