"Either Everything Is Sacred or Nothing Is": Zadie Smith’s White Teeth as Postsecular Fiction
Zadie Smith’s novel White Teeth (2000) aligns with John McClure’s definition of postsecular fiction because it re-enchants the world. By subtly subverting realism, the narrative destabilizes a secular ontology and challenges readers’ a priori secular orientation. In the process, the novel interrogat...
| Published in: | The international journal of religion and spirituality in society |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Common Ground Publishing
2017
|
| In: |
The international journal of religion and spirituality in society
|
| Further subjects: | B
Pluralism
B Re-enchantment B Postsecular |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Zadie Smith’s novel White Teeth (2000) aligns with John McClure’s definition of postsecular fiction because it re-enchants the world. By subtly subverting realism, the narrative destabilizes a secular ontology and challenges readers’ a priori secular orientation. In the process, the novel interrogates the hegemony of secular rationalism, represented by its scientist characters, suggesting that the secular project of disenchantment is dubious. As postsecular fiction, however, White Teeth only partially re-enchants the world. To avoid affirming religious extremism, the novel weakens orthodox religious traditions and advocates pluralism as the best defense against religious and non-religious fundamentalism. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2154-8641 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The international journal of religion and spirituality in society
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.18848/2154-8633/CGP/v07i02/35-47 |