Small Island 1- 150

Background:

-       Andrea Levy’s parents were Jamaican immigrants to England who sailed over in 1948, the same year the story takes place.

-       Feels very strongly about her identity as black female author and tries to write from this perspective

-       Small Island was published in 2004 and it is her most well known novel

-       Small Island refers to the island of Jamaica where people had to flee during this time because of the economic hardship, and how difficult it is for them to adjust to English life.  

Main Characters:

-       Gilbert: Nice, good humored, fought in the war, lives in a run down old tenant, is tired of constantly being asked “Is this the way the English live?”

-       Queenie: Independent and Ambitious, comes from a lot of money so she is a little disconnected

-       Hortense: Jamaican immigrant, views herself as somewhat elite, wants to be a teacher, does not quite understand the destruction of the war

Main Themes/ Trends:

-       What do we think of the bizarre relationship between Hortense and Gilbert?  Is their wedding night scene indicative of everything else that has gone on between them up until this point?

o   “He kissed me once more but this time the man poked his wet slippery tongue into my mouth… I backed away from him panting with the effort of catching my breath.” (pg 86)

-       The characters are constantly reminded of the damage of WWII and it is clearly mentally draining.  How much do you think this affects their thoughts/ actions?

o   “Yes, just this!  What do you expect?  Everyone lives like this!  There has been a war” (pg 17)

-       Hortense and Gilbert dealing with racism.  What do you think Levy is trying to say about racism in post war England?  What do you make of the fact that Gilbert was able to serve during the war but now faces discrimination back home?  Irony?  Historical Trajedy?

-       In terms of the actual writing, why do you think Levy breaks up all of these chapters into smaller subsections?