As Zadie Smith points out in an interview:
If a writer berates you with an idea, then you cannot trust them. The biggest obstacle to life is vanity (self-deception); it is also the biggest obstacle to art. Art is an analogy of morals. We should attempt to be truthful and honest as an adult, and by achieving this we need to construct our perspective from different points of view. Multiculturalism
"Culture wars" is fight between the left and the right. The right simply views Shakespeare as genius. The left; however, wants more minority in the cannon.
We can view someone like Zadie Smith as propaganda for the left. Is she then still really Zadie Smith? Zadie Smith vs. 'Zadie Smith'
Shall we call her book great art? This was a question arising in class as to what to label the novel if it delivered on our expectations. Well the expectations on the board, were certainly not my expectations, and I'm sure they were not others as well. Shouldn't aesthetics of art be based on individual interpretation rather than overall consensus?
This family within the story prides themselves on being a family practicing free thinking, yet they refuse to acknowledge their own son's desire to free himself intellectually, from their oppression, and seek out answers for himself. A little hypocritical it would seem.
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