There are definate traces of the social hierarchy Marxist theory speaks of in Zadie Smith's White Teeth. It first appears when we meet the Chalfens in previous chapters. Their condescension to the working class Irie and Magid as well as their assumption that the children come from inadequate homes because of their social standing strongly reflects the ruling class's elitist attitude towards the proleteriat in our society. Mrs. Chalfen's need to fulfill the "duty of intellectuals"to help the disadvantaged plays out this condescension as well.
In the Magid, Millat and Marcus section, the upper class oppressor role is interestingly played by Millat. Millat, university ready and heavily influenced by Marcus, is a quintessential snob who is belittling to Mickey when he is with Samad at the pub. Like the ruling class that Marx speaks of, Magid pushes a pamphlet on Mickey to urge him to go to an academic luncheon on Marcus's work. Magid mimics the ruling classes tendency to push their beliefs on the working class through literture, as discussed in the article.
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Not only does Magid use the pamphlet to lure Mickey to the lecture but pamphlets are present at other points in the novel as well. Millat becomes acquainted with the ideas of KEVIN through their pamphlets and then he spews them out word for word in order to gain other followers. Also since Archie's job is related to folding various things we can only assume that some, if not most of them are pamphlets. So in this way it is everyone who uses the written word to cajole others to see their point of view.
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