small island 1-3

Small island summarise and analysis:

Chapter 1:

·      Hortense recalls her old friend Celia Langley used to daydream about moving to England and living in a house with a doorbell. She told Hortense that she would ring the bell every day. Hortense couldn’t have imagined that she would go to England—but now she is. She wishes Celia could see her now, a married woman pressing the doorbell of a tall English house. Hortense’s reverie and Celia’s fantasy demonstrates their worship for the hallmarks of civilization—such as doorbells—as they are defined by the British. On the other hand, Celia’s ignorance of the purpose of the doorbell—she doesn’t understand that one doesn’t typically ring the bell at one’s own house—shows how meaningless such hallmarks are. Idea of alienation

·      Hortense rings the bell several times while adjusting her coat and hat. A English woman answers and doesn’t understand Hortense when she says she’s looking for Gilbert Joseph. Squinting at Hortense’s immense trunk, the woman says that Gilbert was supposed to meet her, but Hortense hasn’t seen him. The woman goes upstairs to find Gilbert, leaving Hortense in the doorway marvelling at the house’s height.  Hortense’s preoccupation with her accessories contrasts with the Englishwoman’s haphazard attire and her informal, almost rude behaviour—leaving Hortense standing in the doorway instead of welcoming her inside shows the treatment immigrants receive when they reach a new place- lack of acceptation, immigrants seen as taking over, British imperialism.

·      In his last letter, Gilbert had assured Hortense that he would meet her at the dock, “waving my hand with joy” but when she arrives he wasn’t there so she ended up waiting. A white woman approaches her and asks if she is Sugar she’s surprised that Hortense can’t help her find the woman, assuming that all the Jamaicans know each other. Hortense’s interaction at the dock shows the tendency of white Britons to treat all people of colour, Britons behaviour completely irrational—the woman who confronts Hortense would probably never assumed that a group of Europeans all know each other simply because of their shared nationality- stereotypes

·      Eventually, a dock porter helps Hortense find a taxi. Hortense speaks formal English and won pronunciation prizes as a schoolgirl, so she’s surprised that both men find it difficult to understand her. After some confusion, the taxi driver takes her to the address Gilbert provided in his letter, instructing her along the way how to ring a doorbell. both Hortense and the British man display unrealistic expectations of each other; Hortense realizes that the British don’t behave or even speak exactly as she thought, while the British man can’t fathom that Hortense has learned all about Britain, down to its modern conveniences, prior to her arrival. 

·      Gilbert comes running down the stairs. Hortense hasn’t seen him for so long that she hardly recognizes him. He’s happy to see her, but she’s furious that he didn’t come to meet her. He explains when…