"Same old, same old": Zadie Smith's 'White teeth' and Monica Ali's 'Brick Lane'

Close examination of White Teeth and Brick Lane illustrates why postcolonial frameworks continue to be relevant when discussing "black British literature". To differing degrees, both these novels maintain postcolonial contexts in their representation of British-born black and Asian individuals as they express the confidence of this new generation. This paper addresses how the tensions between British-born confidence and familiar tropes of migrant alienation may call into question readings of these novels that emphasize their uniqueness and positivity.