Abstract:
The purpose of this dissertation is to analyse the work of the British writer Zadie Smith, with special regard to her first and most well-known novel, White Teeth, from a realist perspective, in particular considering James Wood’s definition of “hysterical realism”. Beginning from an outline of how the concept of mimesis has changed throughout the centuries, in the first chapter I offer an explanation of the different historical meanings that realist literary works have acquired in different ages, including our days. In the second chapter, I examine White Teeth from various perspectives, to explore the concept of hybridity and multiculturalism, as well as the idea of a cross-bred society. The third chapter considers Zadie Smith’s literary and stylistic purposes, also focusing on her relationship with the work of David Foster Wallace, the forefather of the so-called “hysterical realism”, and discusses White Teeth as a realist work, attempting to explain why it represents the emblem of the hysterical realist novel and why it perfectly suits the needs of the contemporary reader.
