Meaning Behind White Teeth

The Meaning Behind White Teeth

In a novel that addresses but does not resolve the irksome question of nature vs. nurture, Zadie Smith likewise presents us with a paradoxical title: White Teeth.  Teeth, a natural element of human life, meaning that everyone is born with baby teeth that are supposed to be replaced by permanent teeth, are not destined to be white.  In order to attain “white teeth,” one must not only brush them, but one must also regulate their diet, making sure to limit their intake of teeth staining products such as coffee.  As much maintenance as white teeth require, so too do straight teeth.  How many people do you know with “naturally” straight teeth?  I cannot think of one, and this may be presumptuous, but I bet anyone who says their teeth are naturally straight are lying to you.  But how many people can you think of with crooked or unsightly teeth?  Generally speaking, the only people that come to my mind do not reside within the United States or come from an older generation.  Now for a disturbing reality, I cannot think of a single undergraduate at Vanderbilt University that has revolting teeth. So what does this all mean?

I believe that Zadie Smith strategically chose the title White Teeth to capture the underlying way in which fake elements of society impose themselves upon people’s everyday lives, so much so that there exists naturalness within unnaturalness.  Various forms of the phrase “white teeth” are embedded within the novel, and they put forward the overwhelmingly strong presence of “white teeth” within modern society.  Two such examples include “white-toothed airline representatives”(349) and the “tanned man with white teeth”(362).  Both of these examples connote the fakeness within the characters possessing the white teeth; the impersonal smile and exchange of words within customer service oriented business professionals and the obvious altering of appearance in a vain attempt to achieve western beauty.  But despite these...