I’m taking an Introduction to Improvisation class, which
permeates my life such that I’m constantly (obnoxiously) looking at the world
through an improviser lens. One thing the instructor keeps emphasizing: not every
scene has to have conflict. We might respond confrontationally on impulse in an
improv setting, but for the most part, it’s not enjoyable to watch, and it’s
not accurately indicative of what happens in real life. Usually, when someone
says, “Honey, I made you dinner”, you don’t respond with, “But I hate dinner,
it’s the worst meal of the day!” just to keep the conversation moving.
This speech
has a point, I swear. Zadie Smith’s seminal novel, White Teeth* is a great big melting pot of conflict. Everyone is
arguing with each other for 450 pages. The novel provides insight into the difficulties
of immigrant families; it explores the tension between desiring assimilation and
retaining traditions and identities. There are numerous main characters,
because Smith performs the ambitious exploration over multiple generations.
Such complex issues inevitably involve struggle, but as a reader, I have a
conflict boiling point. I want someone to make nice at least once, and I grow
exhausted by never-ending argumentative dialogue.
You might
be frustrated by the unceasing brawls, but at least you can find refuge in
great characters, right? Wrong. Smith has so much ground to cover that she
doesn’t spend enough time on one person, so no character gets fully developed.
The second we get to know him/her, he/she eludes us. What you end up with are
plenty of potentially interesting people who do nothing but quarrel.
Moreover,
the teeth motif seems forced and not very useful. I get it to an extent—having
white teeth is the common factor amongst so many diverse backgrounds, and the
handy (toothy?) root metaphor is easily accessible, allowing comparisons to the
homeland. But it’s a pretty lame motif if you ask me, and it’s not even
employed consistently. Smith weaves intricate plot lines that convey her skill,
but then she randomly throws in a quip about molars. Personally, I prefer pun
memes, like this one:
Needless to
say, I’m not a huge fan of this book. I wanted to like it, mainly because of
its notoriety. At the time of publication, it won numerous awards and was
received well by critics. It’s even listed on this amazing “100 Essential
Novels” scratch off that I got for Christmas (I recommend to all book lovers—the
scratching off process is very edifying).
Zadie Smith wrote White Teeth at age 25, a year that I
spent re-watching Breaking Bad and
learning how to expand my cooking beyond pasta. Obviously, she’s a talented
young woman. Unfortunately, the book didn’t do it for me, and I can’t in good
faith advise others to read it. White
Teeth receives 2 out of 5 camel humps.
*Smith, Zadie. White Teeth.
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