Why is Smith’s novel titled On Beauty?

What does the feud between Howard and Monty reveal about Smith’s theme(s)?

What is the role of “paintings” in this novel? Select at least two examples to analyze in your response.

Life & Time

Aging

Values & Ideas

Appearance Versus Reality

Beauty

Gender

Books that Feature the Theme of Femininity

Books that Feature the Theme of Masculinity

Literary Area of Study

British Literature

Relationships

Brothers & Sisters

Childhood & Youth

Social Issues

Class

Society

Coming-of-Age Journeys

Community

Daughters & Sons

Humanities

Education

Equality

Family

Fathers

Emotions & Behavior

Forgiveness

Friendship

Grief

Guilt

Hate & Anger

Loyalty & Betrayal

Marriage

Mortality & Death

Mothers

Pride & Shame

Required Reading Lists

Awards

The Booker Prizes Awardees & Honorees

Trust & Doubt

Truth & Lies

Book Events

Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love

Zadie Smith

Adult

Novel

Fiction

Guide

Study Guide

Before You Read

Explore On Beauty reviews, reading age recommendations, and essential genre and thematic details before you start reading.

Before You Read On Beauty

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content

Overview

Get ready to explore On Beauty and its meaning. Our full analysis and study guide provides an even deeper dive with character analysis and quotes explained to help you discover the complexity and beauty of this book.

On Beauty Summary and Study Guide

chapter

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: “Kipps and Belsey”

Part 1 On Beauty Part 1 Summary & Analysis

Part 2: “The Anatomy Lesson”

Part 2 On Beauty Part 2 Summary & Analysis

Part 3: “On Beauty and Being Wrong”

Part 3 On Beauty Part 3 Summary & Analysis

character

Character Analysis

On Beauty Character Analysis

theme

Themes

On Beauty Themes

Symbols & Motifs

On Beauty Symbols & Motifs

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Important Quotes

On Beauty Important Quotes

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Essay Topics

On Beauty Essay Topics

On Beauty

Essay Topics

Related Titles

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