BEAUTY, IDENTITY AND SOCIETY ZADIE SMITHS ON BEAUTY

Name of Author : E. Yogeshwari, B. Agilandeshwari

Abstract: Zadie Smiths On Beauty offers a powerful exploration of the complex relationship between beauty, identity, and society in the contemporary world. Drawing inspiration from E.M. Forsters Howards End, the novel examines how personal identity is shaped by cultural background, race, gender, class, and intellectual beliefs. Beauty in the novel is not limited to physical appearance; instead, it is presented as an aesthetic, moral, and ideological concept that influences human relationships and social interactions.The characters in On Beauty struggle to define themselves within a society marked by racial tensions, academic elitism, political ideologies, and cultural conflicts. Through the contrasting views of the Belsey and Kipps families, Zadie Smith highlights how societal expectations and inherited values shape individual identities. The novel questions fixed definitions of beauty and identity, suggesting that both are fluid and constantly evolving.

Keywords : Social Conflict, Academic Society, Intellectualism, Power and Privilege, Self Identity, Cultural Diversity.

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