Deconstructing Race, Gender, and Class: An Investigation of Zadie Smith’s NW (2012) and Bernardine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other (2019)

Abstract

This thesis takes its point of departure in the deconstruction of contemporary literary representations of race, gender, and class that are produced by ideologies of the neo-colonial, neo-imperial, neoliberal, and patriarchal discourses embedded in the societal norms, with particular reference to Zadie Smith’s NW (2012) and Bernardine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other (2019). These concepts can be traced back to the ideas proposed by theorists such as Edward Said, Homi Bhabha, Stuart Hall, Paul Gilroy, Judith Butler, David Olusoga and Ania Loomba. While each theorist argues one argument in relation to their respective fields, one common conclusion between them is the fact that the concepts of race, gender, and class are socially constructed. Based on this main argument, I investigate how these concepts relate to experiences of inequality and otherness in British society. This thesis argues that despite the fact that one’s identity is constructed through normative narratives, it is possible to challenge such established norm imposed by the discourses of certain ideologies. For this reason, this thesis will address the subjugations that are caused by identity politics, focusing on, the individual’s race, gender preferences, and social class. Through a close reading of Zadie Smith’s NW (2012) and Bernardine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other (2019), the analysis will cooperate in a dialogue with primarily postcolonialism, feminism and cultural studies.