NW

by

Zadie Smith

Headscarf Symbol Analysis

Headscarf Symbol Icon

In the novel, a headscarf, which can be associated with many different ethnicities and religions, often suggests both working-class and Black culture in Northwest London. Its function of covering the head also symbolizes how the character of Shar remains a mystery to the rest of the world. When Leah initially tells her husband, Michel, and her friends like Natalie and Frank about Shar, she leaves out the detail that Shar was wearing a headscarf. This is because she senses that they will associate a headscarf with negative stereotypes and think that Leah displayed poor judgment by helping Shar—perhaps Leah even feels guilty about negative stereotypes that she herself holds about headscarves. When Lloyd looks at an old photo of the Garvey House squat where several people are wearing headscarves, he reminisces about how “fresh” everyone used to look back then, and some graffiti on the wall says “BLACK POWER,” showing how the headscarves are associated with pride.

Throughout the novel, Shar’s motivations and her background all remain mysterious, with Leah and the other people in her life constantly wondering whether Shar “deserves” charity. It’s fitting, then, that Shar’s headscarf covers her head, since the novel deliberately offers little insight into what’s going on inside Shar’s head or in her life in general. Because so many characters view Shar as a mysterious “other,” they never get to know her on a deeper level. They never get over their own stereotypes to see past the headscarf and to realize how a headscarf can be a symbol of pride and dignity. Ultimately, Shar’s headscarf represents the tricky questions of race and class identity that come up in Northwest London, illustrating how the same article of clothing can carry negative stereotypes for those who don’t understand, while symbolizing pride and solidarity for those who do understand.  

Headscarf Quotes in NW

The NW quotes below all refer to the symbol of Headscarf. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Class Identity and Social Mobility Theme Icon
).
Visitation: Chapter 2 Quotes

— Come by tomorrow. Pay you back. Swear to God, yeah? Thanks, seriously. You saved me today.

Related Characters: Shar (speaker), Leah Hanwell, Keisha “Natalie” Blake, Michel
Related Symbols: Headscarf
Page Number: 17
Explanation and Analysis:
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Headscarf Symbol Timeline in NW

The timeline below shows where the symbol Headscarf appears in NW. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Visitation: Chapter 16
Class Identity and Social Mobility Theme Icon
...from school. In previous accounts of the story, Leah hasn’t mentioned that Shar has a headscarf. (full context)
Visitation: Chapter 22
Class Identity and Social Mobility Theme Icon
...bankers. Leah tells the story of what happened recently with Shar, the girl in the headscarf, but feels that her life isn’t interesting to the other people there. (full context)
Crossing: Shoot Up Hill to Fortune Green
Class Identity and Social Mobility Theme Icon
...takeaway, and they exchange something that Natalie can’t see. One of the girls wears a headscarf. Natalie asks about the girls, but Nathan says they’re “Nobody.” The two of them have... (full context)
Crossing: Corner of Hornsey Lane
Sex and Relationships Theme Icon
...her. Nathan insists he’s not a bad person. Natalie asks about the girl in the headscarf Nathan talked to earlier and if it was Shar from Brayton. Nathan gets defensive and... (full context)