REPRESENTATION OF CONTEMPORARY LONDON IN ZADIE SMITH’S NW AND AMINATTA FORNA’S HAPPINESS

Date

2024-8

Author

Uğur, Senem Cenay

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This thesis examines the urban spatiality in line with the portrayal of minorities within the city of London in Zadie Smith’s NW and Aminatta Forna’s Happiness, both of which were written after the first decade of the millennium. By investigating encompassing elements of spatiality in terms of thirdspace, mapping, movement, and simultaneity, this thesis aims to study how contemporary London is represented in the twenty-first century in these novels. Both novels reflect the intricate interplay between individuals and the city. Though NW is set in a suburban north London and Happiness takes place in the central part of the city, this difference in geographical topography provides a more complete comprehension of the fluid metropolis. This study explores how the metropolis is imagined and mapped by multicultural characters through shifting focalizations hence multifarious perspectives, foregrounding the complexity and fluidity of London. This thesis argues that both narratives, interconnecting a diverse group of marginal characters, challenge the oppressive nature of the city through its imagined spatialities in which everyday urban practices and interactions transform and appropriate the urban milieu.

Subject Keywords

NW, Happiness, Urban Space, London

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/110824

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis