Small Island

Study Guide by Course Hero

ABOUT THE TITLE

What's Inside
j Book Basics ................................................................................................. 1
d In Context ..................................................................................................... 1
The title refers to the countries of Jamaica and Great Britain.
Both countries are islands, but the richer, more powerful Britain
feels much larger to the characters, and they come to
associate Britain with opportunity and wealth while associating
Jamaica with poverty and limitations.

a Author Biography ..................................................................................... 3

h Characters .................................................................................................. 4 d In Context

k Plot Summary ........................................................................................... 10

c Chapter Summaries .............................................................................. 15 The Windrush Generation

g Quotes ........................................................................................................ 42
The Windrush generation is the collective name given to the
m Themes ...................................................................................................... 45 people who migrated to the United Kingdom from countries in
the Caribbean between 1948 and 1971. The name is taken from
the boat MV Empire Windrush which carried people from
Jamaica, Trinidad, Tobago, and other islands to Tilbury dock in
j Book Basics the south of England.

The aftermath of World War II (1939–45) meant that many jobs

AUTHOR
were available in the United Kingdom, and workers were
Andrea Levy
required. Many young men and women from the Caribbean
served in the British military during the war so they returned to
YEAR PUBLISHED
England to take up jobs that paid better than the equivalent
2004
jobs at home. The reception to these immigrants was not
GENRE always friendly. Many members of the Windrush generation
Historical Fiction faced racial abuse and struggled to find housing and jobs
because of the color of their skin. Their children were bullied at
PERSPECTIVE AND NARRATOR school, and they were abused in the streets.
Small Island is written from the first-person perspectives of
four narrators. The role of the narrator switches among The Windrush generation includes more than 500,000 people
Queenie, Hortense, Gilbert Joseph, and Bernard Bligh as the who made the journey from the Caribbean to the United
characters narrate the story from their perspectives and Kingdom before 1971. The 1971 Immigration Act changed the
provide extended explorations of their earlier lives. residency and immigration requirements for people and gave
the Windrush generation the indefinite leave to remain in
TENSE Britain. People who arrived after 1971 faced stricter
Small Island is written in the past tense. requirements when moving to the United Kingdom. The
Small Island Study Guide
Windrush generation has also been subjected to controversy in
modern times. In 2018 the British government reviewed the
immigration status of thousands of members of the Windrush
generation and revoked their immigration status. People had to
return home or faced an uncertain future after spending
decades building a life in Britain. A public outcry forced the
government to reconsider the treatment of the Windrush
generation, and apologies and assurances were given to
members of the Caribbean community who live in the United
Kingdom. A special day celebrating the Windrush generation
was announced, and Windrush Day is now celebrated annually
on June 22.
Many of the characters in Small Island are part of the Windrush
generation. Gilbert Joseph travels on the Empire Windrush and
serves in the British military. He and his wife Hortense face
racial abuse in England, and many of the incidents they
encounter are based on the experiences of the author Andrea
Levy's parents who were members of the Windrush generation.
The Blitz
The Blitz is the name given to the nighttime bomb attacks
carried out by Germany against London and other cities in the
United Kingdom during World War II (1939–45). The most
destructive bombing period occurred between September
1940 and May 1941 after the German Air Force had failed to
take control of the airways above Britain in the first year of the
war. The Blitz as it came to be called resulted in the deaths of
43,000 British civilians and injuries to 139,000 more. The bomb
attacks also destroyed houses, factories, shops, and many
other buildings but had little impact on Britain's ability to wage
war.
The word "blitz" is taken from the German word for lightning.
German aircraft flew over the United Kingdom at night and
were initially difficult to counter. Britain did not have the anti-
aircraft weaponry or fighter pilots with the night-flying
experience needed to counter the bombers. London was hit by
76 days of consecutive bombing during the first months of the
Blitz. The German bombers then began targeting other cities.
An attack on Coventry was particularly devastating. The attack
killed 380 people and injured 865 more. The city's historic
center was also destroyed. The death and destruction in the
British cities brought home the reality of the war to the British
people and illustrated the total nature of modern warfare. Even
those at home or hundreds of miles away from the front were
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
In Context 2
no longer safe.
The Blitz prompted a large-scale reaction from the British
public. Families constructed bomb shelters in their back
gardens or gathered in underground train stations to shelter
whenever they heard the air raid sirens. Families and neighbors
sorted through the rubble of destroyed buildings in a
community effort to preserve whatever they could. The
collective public response fostered a combative spirit in the
British public, and the stoicism of those enduring the Blitz
became a hallmark of international news reports which
suggested that the bombing raids would not be enough to
break the British spirit in the fight against Germany. The British
response to the Blitz continued to improve. Better aircraft,
better air defense, and the proliferation of electromagnetic
sensor technology such as radar made it easier to repel the
enemy aircraft. The Blitz was effectively ended in 1941 when
the Germans refocused their war effort on an invasion of the
Soviet Union.
The characters in Small Island are directly affected by the Blitz.
Queenie and Bernard Bligh live in London during the attacks.
They cower from the bombs in their homemade shelter, and
Queenie volunteers in an emergency center that serves people
who have lost their homes and possessions. Gilbert and
Hortense arrive in a Britain that is rebuilding in the aftermath of
the devastating attacks.
Jamaican Independence
Jamaica became an independent country on August 6, 1962.
For more than three centuries the country had been a colony
of the British Empire. Great Britain had colonized many
countries since the 1700s which included India, Hong Kong,
Canada, and Kenya. Colonies of the British Empire were
administered by British colonialists, and the local populations
had little or no say in the running of their countries.
The 20th century changed the colonial world order and
signaled the demise of the British Empire. World War I
(1914–18) and World War II (1939–45) resulted in huge
economic damage to Britain and a massive loss of life. Many
people from British colonies which included Jamaicans fought
on Britain's behalf in the war. Facing economic destruction and
changing public opinion, the decades after the end of World
War II saw many colonized countries gain independence. India
became independent in 1947, Kenya became independent in
Small Island Study Guide
1963, and Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997.
Jamaican independence was the result of mounting calls for
independence from Jamaican citizens. The People's National
Party (PNP) was founded in 1938 and the Jamaica Labour
Party (JLP) was established in 1943. Both parties aimed to
achieve independence for the Caribbean island. Successive
PNP and JLP governments in the years after the war
accelerated the process of decolonization. Jamaica gained
more authority and administrative abilities if not outright
independence. The elections of pro-independence parties
gave the governments a mandate to push for independence,
and Jamaica became a fully independent nation in 1962. At the
same time, Jamaica joined the Commonwealth of Nations
which is generally referred to as the Commonwealth. The
Commonwealth is a political association of 54 states who are
all former members of the British Empire. The states involved
share a common heritage and have their shared values
enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter. A regular
Commonwealth Games is held every four years as a
celebration of this shared heritage.
Characters in Small Island think about Jamaican independence
though the period is not covered in the book. Jamaican men
fight for Britain in World War II and then return home to find
many people already discussing the idea of independence for
Jamaica. Gilbert hears the idea from his associates and is
interested. Bernard Bligh also encounters similar sentiments
from an Indian perspective when he is abroad. He does not
believe that Indian people can govern themselves. His racist
views reflect many of the contemporary sentiments about
Indian and Jamaican independence.
a Author Biography
Early Life
Andrea Levy was born in London on March 7, 1956. Her father
was a Jamaican man who sailed to Great Britain in 1948 and
found a job with the post office. His wife joined him six months
later and tried to find a job as a teacher only to be rejected by
the British education system. Levy was the youngest of four
children, and the family lived on a housing estate in London. At
university Levy studied textile design and weaving before
beginning a career as a part-time costume assistant at the
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Author Biography 3
Royal Opera House and the British Broadcasting Corporation.
At 25 she met a graphic designer named Bill Mayblin, and the
two eventually married.
Race and Literature
Levy claimed not to have read a book until she was 23 years
old. A growing awareness of her identity as a black woman
was informed by a growing interest in literature. She read many
books written by black women from America but comparatively
few from black British women. Levy began to write in her
mid-30s. The death of her father prompted her to write as a
means to better understand her origins and her identity. She
took creative writing classes beginning in 1989 and wrote a
novel, but she struggled to get it published. Levy was told that
her writing was too focused on race which made her book
difficult to market in a predominantly white country like Britain.
Levy's first novel was titled Every Light in the House Burnin'
(1994) and was well received. The book was the semi-
autobiographical story of a black girl growing up in London in
the 1960s. Her second novel Never Far from Nowhere (1996)
also drew on Levy's own experiences to tell the story of two
sisters of Jamaican heritage. The completion of Levy's second
novel allowed her to visit Jamaica for the first time. There she
learned more about her family's history and used this research
to write her third novel Fruit of the Lemon (1999). The novel
was just as well-received as her previous work and began to
garner attention in the United States as well as Britain.
Small Island
Levy's fourth book was titled Small Island (2004). The novel
tells the story of Jamaican immigrants who struggle to come to
terms with the reality of racism in Great Britain in the 1940s.
Levy uses many details from her parents' lives and weaves
them into the narrative. A central character in the novel named
Gilbert Joseph sails on the same boat to Britain as Levy's
father and secures a job working for the post office. Similarly a
character named Hortense trains to be a teacher in Jamaica
only to be told that her qualifications are not recognized in
Britain. The book is the most successful of Levy's career and
has won many awards which include The Whitbread Book of
the Year and the Commonwealth Writers Prize. The novel has
also been adapted for the theatre and television.
Small Island Study Guide
Later Years and Legacy
Levy's final novel was titled The Long Song (2010) which was
published to critical acclaim and was also adapted into a
television drama. Levy published a collection of short stories
named Six Stories and an Essay (2014) and recorded several
television interviews and documentaries about the immigrant
and non-white experience in Great Britain. She died on
February 14, 2019, after battling breast cancer for 15 years.
Levy's legacy is a body of work that explores the boundaries
between race, nationality, and heritage. Her work documenting
the experience of Caribbean people in Britain has only grown
in relevancy in the 70 years since Jamaican immigrants first
traveled to the United Kingdom as described in Small Island.
h Characters
Hortense
Hortense is propelled through life by a reverence for manners
and etiquette which clashes with the harsh reality of life in
England. She is an illegitimate child who is raised by her aunt
and uncle. Their cold and emotionally distant treatment of her
combines with the education she has at a teaching college to
forge a personality that equates good manners with good
character. Hortense does not open herself up to many people
for fear of being abandoned or hurt, just as she was by her
mother and her cousin Michael Roberts. She uses her
interpretation of good manners to keep people at a distance
and maintain the appearance of composure to avoid being hurt
again. Hortense is so invested in etiquette that she decides to
move to England which she believes to be a society based
entirely on the manners she was taught in college. Hortense
imagines that she will be treated well because she respects
manners. She is shocked to discover that British people do not
care about her manners. Most English people judge her by the
color of her skin. She is mocked, abused, and treated poorly
because she is a black woman. Hortense only begins to be
happy once she resolves the conflict between her
expectations of England and the reality of the country.
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Characters 4
Queenie
Queenie's life is a constant struggle to escape the
circumstances of her birth. Queenie grows up on a farm run by
her father whose primary business is as a butcher. Queenie is
repulsed by life on the farm and the bloody business of
butchering. She escapes temporarily to live with her aunt in
London, but her aunt's death threatens to send Queenie
straight back to the farm. Queenie accepts a proposal from a
man she has tried to leave so she will not have to return to the
farm. The marriage between Queenie and Bernard Bligh is built
on the foundation of Queenie's desperation not to return to the
farm rather than love or affection. The marriage is expectedly
hollow and unsatisfying. Queenie develops a friendship with
two Jamaican men named Gilbert Joseph and Michael Roberts.
Queenie is proud that she does not judge others based on
their skin color, and her friendship with these men is partially
motivated by Bernard's racism. She differentiates herself from
her husband by learning to love the people he hates. Her
friendship with Michael becomes romantic, and Queenie finds
herself in an impossible position. She gives birth to Michael's
child but must give up the baby. Queenie's sacrifice reveals her
understanding of the reality of the world. She wants to ensure
that the baby has the best possible life. Queenie has spent her
life trying to escape a difficult childhood and makes a huge
sacrifice to ensure that her child does not have to face a
similar situation.
Gilbert Joseph
Gilbert Joseph has big ambitions but lacks the personality to
realize his dreams. He is a charming, witty man who delights in
making people laugh. His childhood in Jamaica makes him
dream of being a lawyer and respected for his intelligence. He
joins the Royal Air Force and travels from Jamaica to the
United States and Britain. He realizes that the world is much
bigger than just Jamaica. He becomes focused on moving to
England and becoming a lawyer there but makes very slow
progress. The random offer of a loan from Hortense to buy a
ticket to England shocks Gilbert, and he accepts even though
the condition is that he must marry Hortense. In England
Gilbert struggles against the racism he faces in society.
Finding a house, a job, and even walking down the street are
hindered by racism. He finds a job as a driver and tells himself
that he will take evening classes and become a lawyer, but he
Small Island Study Guide Characters 5

never acts on this promise to himself. Gilbert's time with

Hortense makes him realize that he has not followed through
on his ambitions and compels him to confront Bernard.
Gilbert's eloquent plea to Bernard to abandon racism is a
turning point in Gilbert's life. Hortense sees him as the
intelligent, persuasive man that he could be. Their marriage
grows stronger, they find a better home, and they adopt
Queenie's baby. Gilbert succeeds in life but not quite in the
way he expected.

Bernard Bligh
Bernard Bligh hates himself and is forced to watch as his worst
nightmares are realized. He works a dull job as a bank clerk
and then finds himself marrying a woman who uses him to
escape life on a farm. The marriage between Bernard and
Queenie is a loveless husk of passive-aggressive resentment.
Bernard sits in silence while Queenie purposely annoys him in
the hope that he might say anything to liven up their lives.
Bernard never says anything. He accepts the benign and dull
nature of their marriage but hates himself for not being able to
be a better husband or lover for Queenie. His failure to father a
child is another source of resentment, but he opts to blame
Queenie rather than himself. Bernard is also a committed
racist. He views non-white, non-British people as inherently
inferior morally and intellectually. He travels to India and tells
the local people as much, and he treats black Jamaican people
with open contempt. The mixed-race child his wife bears
reveals his failures as a husband, a lover, and a member of
society. Even though he grows to like the baby, Bernard is
never able to abandon his racism. He clings to his prejudice
because it is all he has left.

Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.

Small Island Study Guide Characters 6

Character Map

Spouses

Gilbert Joseph
Charming, hapless Jamaican
man; dreams of a better life

Landlord Landlord
Spouses

Hortense Queenie
Bernard Bligh Empathetic, lonely
Polite, self-centered Jamaican
Timid, racist English bank working-class woman;
Landlord woman; wants to be a Landlord
clerk; joins the army wants to escape
teacher in England
life on a farm

Adopted siblings
Lovers

Michael Roberts
Handsome, wealthy Jamaican
man; clashes with his
traditional parents

Main Character

Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.

Small Island Study Guide Characters 7

Other Major Character

Minor Character

Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.

Small Island Study Guide Characters 8

Full Character List Arthur Bligh is an aging man who was

deeply affected by his experiences in
World War I (1914–18). The deep trauma
Arthur Bligh of his past has turned him into a mute,
Character Description
and he is cared for by his daughter-​in-​law
until he is shot during a riot in a provincial
Hortense is a young Jamaican teacher English town.
who marries Gilbert Joseph to facilitate a
dream move to England. Hortense's love
Bill Buxton is the working-​class son of a
of manners and etiquette informs every
Hortense butcher who is raised to take over his
part of her life, but the shock of
Bill Buxton father's business. He helps to butcher
discovering that the English notice her
animals and teases his sister Queenie in a
race more than her manners nearly ruins
brotherly manner.
her dreams.

Harry Buxton is the working-​class son of

Queenie is a working-​class woman who
a butcher who is raised to take over his
struggles to escape her past and her
Harry father's business. Harry and Jim Buxton
loneliness. The decisions she makes
Buxton are twins, and Harry struggles to
Queenie throughout her life are an attempt to
understand the loss of his brother when
escape the dull, impoverished farm where
Jim dies at a young age.
she was raised and her loveless marriage
to Bernard Bligh.
Jim Buxton is the working-​class son of a
butcher who is raised to take over his
Gilbert Joseph is a young Jamaican man
Jim Buxton father's business. Jim dies of an illness
who relies on his wits and his charm to
while still young, and his death throws the
get through life. He seizes the opportunity
Gilbert family into mourning.
to move to England by marrying Hortense
Joseph
even though he knows that she considers
him to be a fool, and he slowly begins to Lillie Buxton is the curt, caring woman
show his worth to her. who helps to run her husband's farm
Lillie Buxton while raising their children. Lillie becomes
a mother figure to her children and the
Bernard Bligh is a timid, petty man who
employees on the farm.
refuses to abandon his racist views. His
Bernard marriage to Queenie is a hollow
Bligh testament to his lack of personality and Wilfred Buxton is a working-​class butcher
his inability to overcome the prejudiced who struggles to raise his children while
opinions that guide him through life. trying to provide sympathetic support in
his poor community. He dishes out soup
Wilfred
to unemployed people during times of
Arun is a quiet, low-​level soldier in the Buxton
economic distress and becomes
Indian army. Bernard Bligh appreciates
infuriated by his daughter's refusal to eat
Arun Arun's silence, but Arun also remains
meat because he considers this a
quiet during the disciplinary hearing that
personal betrayal.
results in Bernard being jailed.

Aunt Dorothy is an eccentric wealthy

Ashok is a talkative, low-​level soldier in
older woman who has inherited a candy
the Indian army who speaks English well.
Aunt store from her deceased husband. She
He makes pointed comments to Bernard
Ashok Dorothy moves Queenie to London and teaches
Bligh about Britain's role in India while
her niece how to behave in polite society
stationed on guard duty with the
before dying of a stroke.
Englishman.

Elwood is Gilbert Joseph's cousin and a

firm believer in Jamaican independence.
Elwood
He develops numerous schemes to get
rich quick that all end in disaster.

Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.

Small Island Study Guide
Miss Jewel is an elderly Jamaican woman
who takes a job in the Roberts household
Miss Jewel to be near her granddaughter Hortense.
She helps to raise Hortense but can only
speak to her formally in public.
Kenneth is a Jamaican man who
constantly schemes on how to make
enough money to survive in England. He
Kenneth
is an identical twin and often pretends to
be his brother Winston to ask Gilbert
Joseph and other people for money.
Celia Langley is an ambitious young
Jamaican woman who dreams of moving
to England to be a teacher. Celia shares
Celia her dreams with her best friend Hortense
Langley then can do nothing but look on as
Hortense acts upon these dreams and
marries Celia's former boyfriend Gilbert
Joseph to facilitate a move to England.
Maxi is a working-​class soldier with a
grudge against authority. He befriends
Bernard Bligh, but the two men grow
Maxi
apart when Maxi is willing to organize the
soldiers in a protest against their
treatment by the officers.
Miss Morgan is an authoritative, imposing,
and occasionally sympathetic
headmistress. She runs a teaching
Miss college that preaches that British
Morgan customs and manners are superior in
every way and demands that her students
emulate Miss Morgan's idea of
Britishness at all times.
Alberta Roberts is a dark-​skinned
Jamaican woman who conceives a child
Alberta with a local government figure but does
Roberts not marry him. She gives up her daughter
Hortense in the hope that the girl will have
a chance at a more successful life.
Lovell Roberts is a respected government
official in Jamaica. He has an affair with a
Lovell
woman that produces a child, and he
Roberts
arranges for the child to be raised by his
brother while Lovell himself stays away.
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Characters 9
Martha Roberts is a doting mother who
keeps her adopted daughter at a
Martha
distance. Martha has no compunction
Roberts
about openly stating her preference for
her son Michael Roberts.
Michael Roberts is a handsome young
Jamaican man who clashes with his
parents and then willingly disappears. He
Michael trains with the Royal Air Force in England
Roberts where he meets Queenie, and their
relationship produces an illegitimate child
before he travels to Canada to leave his
old life behind.
Philip Roberts is a wealthy, religious man
who agrees to raise his brother's
illegitimate daughter alongside his son.
Philip
The shock of a disagreement with his son
Roberts
Michael Roberts robs Philip of his
positivity and he becomes a shell of his
former self.
Charles Ryder is Stella Ryder's husband.
Charles He establishes a Christian missionary
Ryder church and school in Jamaica but is killed
during a hurricane.
Stella Ryder is an American missionary
who sets up a church and a school in
Jamaica. She befriends many of her
Stella Ryder
students but is forced to leave when
rumors of her affair with Michael Roberts
begin to spread through the community.
Cyril Todd is a white Englishman who
resents the presence of non-​white people
in his neighborhood and is unashamed to
voice his racist opinions loudly in the
Cyril Todd
street. He lives next door to Queenie and
Bernard Bligh and is horrified when
Queenie begins to rent rooms to
Jamaican lodgers.
Winston is a sensible Jamaican man who
tries to succeed in difficult conditions in
England. His twin brother Kenneth often
Winston
assumes Winston's identity to carry out
scams, and Winston must deal with the
aftermath of his brother's schemes.
Small Island Study Guide
k Plot Summary
Overview
Small Island has 59 chapters and a prologue. This study guide
examines the chapters in groups of three.
Beginning
A girl named Queenie visits an exhibition in the 1920s where
she sees black people for the first time. Nearly 20 years later,
a Jamaican woman named Hortense arrives in England. Her
new husband Gilbert Joseph has been in England for six
months, but he forgets to meet her. She arrives at his
apartment in a home owned by the now-adult Queenie and is
disappointed by the rundown appearance of the cramped
room.
Hortense
Hortense's mother and father were never married. She grew up
in the house of her father's brother Philip Roberts and
alongside Philip's son Michael Roberts. Hortense's adoptive
parents made their preference for Michael clear. Michael
departs for boarding school while Hortense trains to become a
teacher. Michael returns as a young man, and Hortense begins
to fall in love with him. A hurricane in the town reveals the fact
that Michael is having an affair with a married American
missionary named Stella Ryder. He leaves Jamaica to join the
Royal Air Force in Great Britain, and Hortense never sees him
again. She attends a teaching college and then works at a
school in the Jamaican capital city Kingston. Hortense
develops a love of manners and etiquette and dreams of
moving to England. Hortense offers to lend Gilbert Joseph who
is her friend's boyfriend the money he needs to go to England
on the condition he will marry her. She does this because she
does not think it is proper for an unmarried woman to travel
abroad. Gilbert does not love her, but he accepts.
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Plot Summary 10
Gilbert
Gilbert has already been to England once. He joined the Royal
Air Force and trained in the United States and England where
he found many people to be racist. He meets a confused old
man named Arthur Bligh while stationed in England and
escorts him home. The farm he returns to is owned by Queenie
who becomes good friends with Gilbert. Queenie's husband
Bernard Bligh is fighting in World War II (1939–45), but she has
not heard from him in some time. Gilbert, Queenie, and Arthur
go to the cinema. Gilbert refuses to sit at the back, and this
causes a large brawl between the black and white cinema-
goers. The military police arrive, and in the confusion Arthur is
shot and killed. Gilbert returns to Jamaica and tries to
correspond with Queenie, but she does not return his letters.
Queenie
Queenie has grown up on a farm. Her father is a butcher, and
the entire family is involved in the business. Queenie hates life
on the farm and eventually is allowed to move to live in London
with her Aunt Dorothy. Queenie is taught how to behave in
polite society and works in her aunt's candy store. She meets a
man named Bernard but finds him to be dull. Dorothy dies and
Queenie accepts a marriage proposal from Bernard to avoid
moving back to the farm. Her marriage is as dull as she
expected, but she bonds with her husband's father Arthur. She
begins to notice Bernard's hatred of anyone who is not British,
middle class, or white. She volunteers to work at an emergency
center during the war while Bernard joins the military. Queenie
does not hear from her husband and begins to suspect that he
is dead. She agrees to take in lodgers and meets a Jamaican
man named Michael Roberts. They sleep together on his final
night in her house.
1948
In 1948 Queenie and Hortense spend time together. They
return from a shopping trip to find Bernard at the front door.
Bernard had spent the war stationed in India. He did not like
the Indian people or culture but appreciated the sense of
purpose the military provides. He had made friends with a man
named Maxi who died in a fire while trying to organize an
uprising against the officers who refused to return the unit to
Britain when the war was over. Bernard had been court-
Small Island Study Guide Plot Summary 11

martialed when he refused to provide information about the

uprising. He spent two weeks in jail, and on the night before he
was set to return home, he visited a prostitute. On the journey
home, he had noticed a swelling on his genitals and believed
that he had syphilis. The shame at having contracted the
disease compelled him to stay away from Queenie for years,
but now he has returned.

Climax
Bernard is not pleased that black people live in his house. He
wants to evict them immediately but is worried about
Queenie's cold reaction to his return. One day he breaks into
Gilbert and Hortense's room. They catch him, and a fight
erupts. Queenie tries to stop the fight, but the excitement
forces her to reveal that she is pregnant and about to give
birth. Gilbert and Bernard are locked out as Hortense helps
Queenie give birth. The baby is black. The father is Michael
Roberts who had returned to her after the war. They had spent
three passionate days together before he departed for
Canada.

Ending
Gilbert is offered a better job with better accommodation. He
and Hortense move out, but Queenie insists that they take her
baby because she cannot give the baby the life he deserves.
Bernard has grown affectionate toward the baby. Gilbert
pleads with an angry Bernard to abandon his racist views, but
Bernard refuses. Gilbert and Hortense accept Queenie's
proposal and leave the house with the baby to begin their new
life.

Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.

Small Island Study Guide Plot Summary 12

Plot Diagram

Climax

7
Falling Action
6
Rising Action
5 8

4
9
3
Resolution
2
1

Introduction

7. Queenie shocks everyone by bearing a mixed-race baby.

Introduction

1. Hortense arrives in England to reunite with her husband.

Falling Action

8. Queenie begs Hortense and Gilbert to take her baby.

Rising Action

2. Hortense meets Queenie and struggles with life in Britain.

Resolution
3. Bernard Bligh appears on the doorstep after years away.
9. Gilbert and Hortense leave with the baby.
4. Hortense is told her teaching qualifications are worthless.

5. Gilbert Joseph shows Hortense the reality of London life.

6. Bernard and Gilbert fight, and Queenie goes into labor.

Climax

Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.

Small Island Study Guide Plot Summary 13

Timeline of Events

The mid-1920s

Queenie attends an exhibition and sees a black person

for the first time.

A few years later

Hortense is raised by her aunt and uncle and wants to be

a teacher.

Before the war

Queenie marries a man she does not love to escape life

on a farm.

During the war

Bernard Bligh joins the military, spends years in India,

and leaves in disgrace.

During his absence

Michael Roberts stays in Queenie's house, and they

sleep together.

During the war

Gilbert Joseph joins the military and trains in Britain

where he meets Queenie

After the war

Bernard hides in Brighton for two years and is ashamed

of his actions.

1948

Michael Roberts returns to London and spends three

nights with Queenie.

1948

Gilbert Joseph arrives back in England and tracks down

Queenie.

Now

Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.

Small Island Study Guide Plot Summary 14

Hortense arrives in England where her expectations are

shattered.

A few days later

Bernard Bligh returns home after a long absence.

A few days later

Bernard's attempt to evict Jamaican tenants results in a

fight.

A short time later

Queenie tries to stop the fight but goes into labor.

Hours later

Queenie gives birth to a mixed-race child and shocks

everyone.

Days later

Gilbert and Hortense move out, and Queenie convinces

them to adopt her baby.

Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.

Small Island Study Guide
c Chapter Summaries
Chapters are grouped into threes.
Prologue–Chapter 2
Summary
Prologue
A young, white English girl named Queenie visits the British
Empire Exhibition in London with her family. She is the
daughter of a working-class butcher and travels with her
parents and a group of people who work on a farm. The
exhibition hall is crowded and features displays and exhibits
from all around the British Empire which includes Malaya,
Jamaica, Barbados, India, Hong Kong, Canada, and many other
British colonies. Queenie is dragged around the exhibits and
eventually arrives in the Africa stage made to look like "an
African village" with huts made from mud. A black woman sits
on the dirt floor using a loom to manufacture brightly colored
cloth. Queenie is mesmerized by the woman but is told that
African people are "not civilized." People talk loudly and
insultingly about African people as they assume the woman
cannot understand them. Queenie spots a large black man and
is scared. He smiles at her and offers to shake her hand.
Queenie accepts and the hand feels like "anyone else's." She is
later told that these black people must have been taught to be
civilized by white English people. Queenie rides on a Ferris
wheel later that day and is told that she has the whole world at
her feet.
Chapter 1
In 1948 a woman named Hortense remembers talking to Celia
Langley about Celia's dream of leaving Jamaica to live in
England. Hortense never imagines that she will be making that
exact journey. Hortense arrives in England and after marrying a
fellow Jamaican named Gilbert Joseph. Gilbert is already in
England, and Hortense arrives at the house where he rents a
room. Gilbert promises to meet her at the dockside when her
boat arrives in England, but he is nowhere to be found.
Hortense is particularly polite and eloquent to the point where
her manner of speaking confuses people. She affects an
elaborate accent to try and fit in with her preconceptions of
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 15
British society, but most British people she meets struggle to
understand her and treat her in a patronizing manner. Gilbert
rents a room in Queenie's house. He greets his wife on the
doorstep and is delighted to see her. Hortense is still angry
that he did not meet her. Gilbert is a pleasant and loveable man
who is also clumsy and disheveled. He apologizes and makes
excuses. Eventually Hortense forgives him, and they enter the
house as Queenie watches. Gilbert excitedly leads Hortense
up the long, winding stairs to his dark, messy room. Hortense is
not impressed that they only have a single room.
Chapter 2
Gilbert tries to explain his living situation. He blames the
destruction of London during World War II (1939–45) when the
German planes bombed the city. Gilbert assures Hortense that
"this is the way the English live." He has to enlist his friend and
fellow Jamaican immigrant Kenneth to drag Hortense's heavy
trunk into the small room. Kenneth pesters Hortense with
questions about home before Gilbert hints that Kenneth should
leave. Gilbert admits that he had been asleep before her arrival,
but he is put on the defensive by Hortense's derisive
comments. He finds a spare coin to put in the gas meter that
allows him to light the fire. Gilbert tries to make tea and jokes
with Hortense, but she remains stone-faced. Hortense asks
him about Queenie, and Gilbert explains that she is a widow
who rents out a room in her house. Gilbert notices Hortense's
suspicion but defends Queenie's kindness. Non-white people
can struggle to find places to stay. He trips over the trunk
repeatedly as he jumps around the room making tea and
explaining the facilities to Hortense. Gilbert has to guide
Hortense to the shared toilet at the bottom of the stairs. Then
he shows her his bedpan. She is disgusted by the small
apartment. Gilbert refrains from telling her that he considers
himself lucky to live in such conditions.
Analysis
The opening three chapters of the novel portray a string of
contrasts that set the tone for the rest of the narrative. The
young Queenie's preconceptions of race are destroyed by an
interaction with a black man at an exhibition. Hortense has to
deal with the contrast between her expectations and the
reality of life in Britain, and the chapter narrated by Gilbert
reveals the contrast in language between him and his wife.
These characters must learn to navigate these contrasts
throughout the novel. The extent to which they can accept the
Small Island Study Guide Chapter Summaries 16

existence of the contrasts will determine how much they can edges. The ease with which they deal with the contrast
succeed. between expectation and reality will lay the foundation for how
Gilbert and Hortense succeed in their new home. Hortense's
Queenie's experience is a formative moment in her life. She demand for good manners clashes with the reality of race
learns to contrast the facts of life as they are told to her by her relations in Great Britain, while Gilbert's lax attitude will make
elders and the facts of life as she experiences them. The success difficult to come by. Both characters have their hopes
adults who accompany her to the exhibition are uninformed and dreams, but life in Britain renders these hopes and dreams
and ill-experienced but they have plenty of ideas about non- somewhat moot. The contrast between expectation and reality
white people that they are happy to share. Queenie is still a affects every part of their lives from their actions to their
child and accepts these ideas because she has no reason not speech.
to trust adults. The handshake with the man at the African
exhibition tells her that the adults in her life might not be as
clever or as informed as she expected. Queenie has been told
that black people are uncivilized and unable to understand
Chapters 3–5
English. The man greets her with a pleasant smile and a cordial
handshake. His actions disprove the lessons that people have
tried to teach Queenie, and the contrast between expectation
Summary
and reality reveals to her that she should not take anything for
Chapter 3
granted. She will grow up to have radically different views on
race than many contemporary white British people.
Hortense grows up in Jamaica as the daughter of an important,
respected government official named Lovell Roberts. He meets
The contrast between Hortense and Gilbert is evident from
a poor woman from the country named Alberta Roberts who
their first interaction. Hortense is prim, proper, and desperate
gives birth to Hortense out of wedlock. Alberta is dark-skinned,
to appear well-mannered. She judges others who do not
but Hortense is light-skinned like her father so Alberta gives up
maintain the high standards she sets for herself. Gilbert is none
her baby to Lovell's cousins in the hope that Hortense will have
of these things. He is a lazy, charming, and easy-going
a better life. Hortense grows up in a rich family and receives an
individual. Gilbert makes friends easily while Hortense
education. Philip Roberts and Martha Roberts have lost two
struggles to be understood. The prose used throughout their
daughters of their own. They raise Hortense with their son
chapters indicates the way that they wish to be seen by the
Michael Roberts. Alberta goes to work in Cuba, but Hortense's
world. Hortense affects what she believes to be a proper
grandmother Miss Jewell is hired by the Roberts family as a
English tone and style while Gilbert speaks in more of a natural
nanny for Hortense and Michael. Michael is a mischievous boy
dialect. He does not change himself to accommodate the
and tempts her to play with him when she has chores to do. He
expectations of the white society, but Hortense alters her
is sent to a boarding school by his religious father. Hortense is
behavior in an acknowledgment of what she believes to be a
envious but stays with Miss Jewel and speaks about England.
well-mannered and respectable society. Hortense's
Hortense wants to speak like British royalty. Hortense finishes
affectations clash with her expected reality. The contrast
school and becomes a teaching assistant at a private school
between how she expects England to be and how it appears is
run by a white American couple. Michael returns home from
telling. Even the doorbell of her childhood dreams does not
boarding school a changed person, and Hortense falls
work. Gilbert's dark and untidy room is a horrifying realization
immediately in love. The grownup Michael quickly falls out with
of the reality of life in England. Hortense must deal with this
his religious father but flirts often with Hortense. He walks her
contrast if she is to succeed in her new life. Her expectations
to work each day. A hurricane hits Jamaica, and Michael and
of Britain and the reality of Britain are too different, and this
Hortense shelter together at her workplace with the American
upsets her. She runs from Gilbert's room, she runs from Gilbert,
woman Stella Ryder. Hortense is surprised by the close
and she lashes out at him. For all of Gilbert's failings, he
relationship between Stella and Michael as they hug together
manages to cope with the realities of life in Britain much better
tightly during the storm. The damage of the hurricane and the
than his wife. He lacks her strict, unwavering ideas of how
emotional pain of Michael's closeness to Stella turn Hortense's
people should act. Hortense is disgusted by bad manners, but
world upside down. Then she sees the dead body of Stella's
Gilbert is more naturally accommodating of society's rough

Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.

Small Island Study Guide
husband Charles Ryder. His car had crashed during the storm.
Rumors persist that Charles is having an affair with a local
woman, then Stella and Michael's affair is uncovered. Martha
beats Hortense and then collapses sobbing in a chair.
Hortense runs away and hides in the school. Stella Ryder
leaves the island, and the school closes. Michael flees to
England, and the Roberts family is never the same again.
Chapter 4
A few years after the hurricane, Hortense leaves for college.
Her adopted parents barely notice her departure, but Miss
Jewel bids her farewell with a small amount of money wrapped
in a white handkerchief. Hortense studies to become a teacher
with many other well-dressed, well-mannered girls from across
Jamaica. Their teachers are white women led by an
intimidating principal named Miss Morgan. Hortense still
dreams about Michael but is interrupted by Celia Langley who
drags her out of bed and into a group shower where all the
students strip naked and stand under the cold water each
morning. Hortense and Celia become good friends. Celia
teaches Hortense about the school, the lessons, and the staff.
Hortense excels in her lessons and begins teaching large
classes of poor students whom she struggles to control. Celia
and Hortense become fascinated by the local military training
academy. Jamaican men are being trained to be part of
Britain's Royal Air Force to fight in World War II (1939–45).
Women in the streets weep as the men depart for war. Celia
reveals that she dreams of living in England. She is
embarrassed when a strangely-dressed woman joins Celia and
Hortense in the street to watch the men. Hortense realizes that
this woman is Celia's mother, and she helps to escort the
erratic woman home. Hortense worries that she will get into
trouble for being part of an embarrassing scene especially
when Miss Morgan calls Hortense into her office. Hortense
receives a message from Martha Roberts to say that Michael's
plane has disappeared. Hortense is heartbroken.
Chapter 5
Years later and after the war, Hortense sees a young man in
the street who looks like Michael. She chases him through the
crowds. A fight breaks out in the crowd, and Hortense is
knocked to the ground. A man carries her to safety, and she
realizes that he is the person she mistook for Michael. This
person bears very little resemblance to Michael. He warns her
against attending the kind of "meeting" that occupies the
attention of the crowd. Hortense asks to be left alone. She has
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 17
spent her time since the end of the war waiting for Michael to
return, and she refuses to believe that he is dead. She tries to
picture him in an airplane or England but can only see him in
Jamaica.
Analysis
After a short prologue, the novel begins in 1948 when Hortense
arrives in London. The narrative switches back to a time
labeled "before." This before time tells the story of Hortense's
youth. The structure of the novel switches back and forth
between the two time periods as the characters' pasts catch
up to their present. Hortense's youth explains her personality
and behavior in 1948. Her well-mannered and occasionally
pretentious attitudes can be traced back to her peculiar
upbringing. She feels obliged to behave well and to chastise
Gilbert for his bad behavior because she was trained to be a
teacher. Hortense's relationship with Gilbert now reads more
like the relationship between a teacher and a disobedient
student than the relationship between a husband and a wife.
The role of Celia in informing Hortense's desire to move to
England also becomes clear. Celia's descriptions of England
are previewed in the opening lines of the text through
Hortense's flashback and then seen in their proper setting.
Celia dreams of a house in England with a doorbell, and
Hortense sets out to achieve this dream. She is confronted
with the reality of the situation and has to deal with the squalid
conditions whereas Celia's dreams can remain dreams. The
structure of the novel heightens the contrasts between the
present and the events of the past that brought the characters
up to this moment in time.
Hortense's relationship with Michael also helps to explain her
relationship with Gilbert. Michael was an ideal figure in
Hortense's mind. He was well-read, well-educated, well-
mannered, attractive, and from a good family. She grew up
alongside Michael, but his experiences at boarding school
transformed him into a man she could love. Her unrequited love
for Michael is almost childlike in its purity. Their relationship is
based on light flirting and spending time together without much
hint of sexuality. Hortense believes herself to be in love but is
never able to confirm this. The town is hit with scandal, and
Michael's rumored relationship with Stella Ryder provides
Hortense with a glimpse into a world of sexuality and lust that
she does not understand. The upstanding son of a local
powerful family and the American evangelical head of a school
seem an unlikely pairing. Until the hurricane hits, Hortense
Small Island Study Guide Chapter Summaries 18

cannot imagine Michael and Stella together. She sits and

watches the Jamaican man and the American woman and Chapters 6–8
begins to realize that her childlike infatuation with Michael is
ultimately meaningless. The relationship that Hortense has
always imagined turns out to be nothing more than a childish Summary
fantasy built on a temporary infatuation. The flirting between
Michael and Hortense and time spent together cannot match Chapter 6
the lustful energy between Stella and Michael. This lust is a
Hortense dreams of working at the Church of England school
side of romance new to Hortense, and it provides her with a
in the Jamaican capital city Kingston. She interviews for the
glimpse into an unfamiliar and unwelcome world. The situation
position, but the hiring manager looks down on her family
collapses, and Michael flees the country, but Hortense can
background. Hortense begins to teach at a less prestigious
never come to terms with his departure or his death. She still
school alongside Celia Langley. Celia is liked by the pupils and
sees him as she imagined he was, rather than who he was
the staff. Hortense lives with an unfamiliar white family. She
revealed to be. Hortense continues to idolize Michael, and this
considers them to be rude and vulgar people so much so that
idolization creates an impossible standard against which all of
she invites Celia to dinner. Celia seems to like the family, but
her future lovers are judged.
she spends most of her time thinking of a military recruit
The novel also begins to introduce the concept of colorism. named Gilbert Joseph. Hortense is shocked when she meets
The racism in the opening chapters is evident as white people Gilbert. He is the man who saved her from the chaotic crowd.
treat black people with mocking and contempt. Race functions When Gilbert laughs, he looks like Michael, but he does not
differently in Jamaica. In the novel the lightness of a person's recognize the name. Gilbert and Celia date. She dreams of
skin can affect social status in a way similar to racism. This moving to England with him, but the thought of her sickly
preference for better treatment for people with lighter skin is mother gives her pause. Hortense explains the incident with
termed colorism. Hortense is light-skinned, and so her family Celia's "quite mad" mother to Gilbert. Celia takes offense and
believes that she has a chance to escape poverty in a way that punches Hortense in the head.
her dark-skinned mother never could. Hortense internalizes
Chapter 7
this difference in skin tone and differentiates herself from
those with darker skin. Celia is dark-skinned, and Hortense
Hortense marries Gilbert just before he leaves on the boat for
views herself as being separate from Celia. Even in racially
England. They avoid the minister's question about how long
homogenous societies such as the Jamaica portrayed in the
they have known each other. They have just spent five days as
novel, colorism and associated prejudices can have similar
a couple. Gilbert cannot wait to return to England. He plans to
effects as racism. Colorism explores how non-white
travel ahead of Hortense to ensure that everything is in order
characters relate to race. The journey from Jamaica to
for the arrival of his new wife. Gilbert has tried and failed with
England teaches Hortense of the similarities and the
many money-making schemes, but he refuses to delay his
differences between colorism and racism as well as how her
plans. He intends to leave on a ship named the Empire
conception of race is forced to change when she moves to a
Windrush. Hortense loans him the fare on the condition that
new culture. Characters such as Celia will suffer in ways that
they marry first. He accepts the proposal "like a business deal."
Hortense does not fully understand while Hortense will suffer
Hortense has dreamed of an idyllic life in the polite society of
in ways that characters like Queenie will never be able to
England, and she sees Gilbert as her best hope of realizing this
comprehend. The complex and harrowing ways that race
dream. Celia does not attend the wedding. Gilbert and
negatively impacts people is explored through the colorism
Hortense kiss for the first time on their wedding night, but
found in these chapters.
when Gilbert propositions Hortense for sex, she chases him
away.

Chapter 8

Six months later Hortense stays in a small boarding house near

the harbor the night before she leaves for England. The elderly

Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.

Small Island Study Guide
landlady cooks her food, tells her stories, and asks her probing
questions. Hortense tolerates the woman in the knowledge
that she is leaving for England the next day. The woman helps
Hortense pack and gives her a blanket she knitted throughout
the war. Gilbert has written regularly from England, but the
woman cautions Hortense that "these young men have urges."
Analysis
The marriage between Hortense and Gilbert Joseph is
revealed as a marriage of convenience. They spend a total of
five days engaged and one night together as husband and wife
before Gilbert departs for England. The marriage is more of an
investment than a romantic endeavor. Hortense views Gilbert
as a man who can help her ambitions come true. She wants to
move to England so she loans Gilbert the money required for
the boat trip. She needs a husband because she does not want
to travel as an unmarried woman. Hortense's preconceptions
of the world undermine her ability to achieve her ambitions in
this respect. Many unmarried men and women take the boat,
but Hortense has to invest in a husband before she can do so.
The marriage of convenience allows Hortense to skirt her
desperate need to maintain appearances. She will travel as a
married woman even if her marriage is an elaborate sham.
Hortense knows what she wants, and she knows how to seize
it.
The relationship between Celia Langley and Hortense comes
to a grinding halt. The two have been together since the day
Hortense arrived at the college. Celia has offered her advice
and guidance to Hortense at every stage of Hortense's career,
but this is not enough. In a pique of envy and bitterness,
Hortense reveals the truth about Celia's mother to Gilbert.
Celia punches Hortense in the head and then a short time later
Hortense marries Celia's ex-boyfriend. Hortense's
determination to be well-mannered and polite can be
undermined. She is envious of Celia's boyfriend and their
dreams to move to England so she steals Celia's boyfriend,
and she steals Celia's dreams.
While Celia felt a real affection for Gilbert, Hortense came to a
business relationship with him. The disintegration of the
friendship between the two women reveals that they are too
dissimilar to be true friends. Celia is a romantic whereas
Hortense is relentlessly practical. Hortense seizes her
opportunity and pays the cost of her friendship to Celia. Once
Hortense sets her sights on a goal, she moves toward it with
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 19
ruthless efficiency. Celia becomes a victim of this ruthlessness
while Gilbert becomes embroiled in Hortense's scheme. The
overly polite woman of the early novel is revealed to have a
mercilessness and heartlessness that drives her forward
through life. The way Hortense balances this relentless
efficiency with the actual affections and emotions she
develops dictates whether her time in England is a success.
Gilbert and Celia are primed to be victims in Hortense's
ruthless quest for happiness even if this quest might ultimately
be fruitless.
Chapters 9–11
Summary
Chapter 9
In 1948 Queenie is told by her neighbor Cyril Todd that
"colored people" are coming to Britain to take advantage of the
health services. Todd is a nosy person who notices Hortense's
arrival and immediately voices his concerns about immigrants.
He has a long history of complaining about immigrants,
especially because Queenie has no qualms about renting
rooms to non-white people. Queenie has known Gilbert since
his first wartime trip to Britain. Gilbert is present at what she
refers to as "the incident," but she has not wanted to talk to
him since the end of the war. Her husband Bernard Bligh has
not returned from his posting, though the military insists that
he is not dead. Rumors have spread that Bernard has run away
or taken a hit to the head. When Gilbert arrives looking for a
room, Queenie takes him in because she knows that Bernard
would not approve. She knows Bernard is a virulent racist.
Queenie rents more rooms to more immigrants, and her furious
neighbors sell their houses.
Chapter 10
Hortense forces Gilbert Joseph to sleep in the old armchair in
the room while she takes the bed. She also makes him turn his
back while she changes into her nightclothes, but she catches
him peeking twice. The sound of mice in the rafters keeps
Hortense awake, and she does not appreciate Gilbert joking
about the matter. He throws his shoe at the ceiling and
promises that "it will all be different in the morning."
Chapter 11
Small Island Study Guide
During the war Gilbert is proud of his Air Force uniform. He
does not expect to miss food more than women while he is
deployed in America, but the quality of the military rations
makes him regret his enlistment. The unit arrives in Virginia in
the United States and rations immediately improve. The men
are confined to the military camp to avoid "contracting a
disease," but the men are upset because they know that this
means no female interaction. Gilbert thinks about "the white
man's war" in which he has become embroiled. He is both black
and the son of a Jewish man so reflects that the anti-Semitic
Nazi party that rules Germany would consider him to be doubly
primitive. His father converted to Christianity during World War
I (1914–18) and then became a furniture salesman. Gilbert's
cousin Elwood advises Gilbert that he should be fighting
against the British for Jamaican independence rather than
fighting for them. Gilbert wonders whether he and his fellow
Caribbean Air Force enlistees would be attacked by the locals
if they left the base. The unit boards a ship ready to sail back
to Britain via Canada. A white English corporal belittles and
patronizes them as "colony troops."
Analysis
The novel moves in perspective away from Hortense and
toward the people in her life. The narrative examines the way
Queenie is affected by her decision to take in non-white
lodgers, and then the narrative traces the history of Gilbert
Joseph and his military career. Queenie and Gilbert share a
history, but the novel doesn't reveal it to the reader until the full
context is available.
Queenie's decision to take in non-white and non-British
lodgers does not make her a popular person in her
neighborhood. The decision is not entirely altruistic. Cyril Todd
is a prying racist who lives next door. He is seemingly polite
and friendly, but his good nature masks a fear of other races.
He chides Queenie gently at first for her decision, and then this
gentle chiding evolves into blatant hostility. Todd is not a nice
person, but his racism is one facet of his multifaceted and very
flawed personality rather than his defining feature. Todd is also
not alone. Queenie knows that Bernard is even more racist
than Todd, and she feels hurt by his failure to return from the
war. Queenie's decision to rent rooms to non-white lodgers is
partly grounded in her desire to annoy people like Bernard and
Todd. Queenie lacks much agency in society. She is not a war
widow, and she is not rich. The single vector of power she has
is deciding who rents the rooms in her house. Renting rooms to
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 20
men and women from Jamaica allows Queenie to exercise this
small amount of power. This decision is a rebuke to men like
Todd and Bernard, and it functions as an altruistic gesture
made for slightly less altruistic reasons. Queenie is not
necessarily racist, but she is willing to look beyond racism to
assert herself in a society in which she is marginalized.
Gilbert's military career takes him around the world. He travels
from Jamaica to the United States and Great Britain. The
journey outside Jamaica reveals the importance the world
places on his race. Gilbert has always been an outsider in a
racial sense. He is part Jamaican and part Jewish. This
complicated lineage has been a part of his life but rarely the
defining factor. Gilbert is like most men in Jamaica, and his
Jewish heritage is a minor part of his identity. Gilbert discovers
that these nuances are flattened in the United States and
Britain. In predominantly white countries, he is treated solely as
a black person. People do not care that he is specifically
Jamaican or that he has a Jewish heritage. He is grouped into
the same demographic as every single person from the
Caribbean. For all of Gilbert's thoughts about "small islanders"
and the nuances of Jamaican and Jewish identity, the wider
whiter world does not care. Gilbert is reduced to a single skin
color and a single broad race. The nuances of his identity are
taken from him.
Chapters 12–14
Summary
Chapter 12
Gilbert Joseph and the other recruits train in Yorkshire,
England, based at a holiday camp. The Jamaican recruits do
not appreciate the cold weather, and they loathe the white
British staff who train them. Gilbert and his fellow recruits
explore a nearby village during their day off. They notice that
the residents are all staring at them. Eventually the hesitation
of the villagers breaks, and the men from the Caribbean are
greeted with some degree of warmth and novelty. Gilbert
explains that the relationship between Britain and the colonies
is like having a distant relative whom people are taught to love.
Finally meeting this distant relative is nothing but a
disappointment. Britain and its people are a disappointment for
the recruits who have been taught to revere the colonial power
Small Island Study Guide
their entire lives. For all that the Jamaicans have been taught
about Britain, the British know nothing about Jamaica.
Chapter 13
Gilbert is asked whether he can drive a car. He lies and says
that he cannot because he joined the Air Force to escape dull,
menial roles such as driving. His mother ran a cake-baking
business behind the back of his alcoholic father. Gilbert drove
the delivery van from a young age. The business was
successful enough to send Gilbert to a private college, and he
believes that this education lifted him above the role of the
delivery driver. He wanted to be the radio operator on a plane
so Gilbert insists that he does not know how to drive. Many
recruits see their hopes of glamorous roles dashed as they are
reassigned to menial jobs. Gilbert is sent to be a driver, and he
remembers his cousin Elwood telling him that "the English are
liars."
Chapter 14
Gilbert is given a job where he delivers coal in freezing
conditions. He is sent to retrieve an order for airplane parts
from an American army base in England after a delivery
mistake. The Americans treat him strangely when he arrives.
Black people are not allowed on the base, and they believe
Gilbert has been sent to mock them. The Americans offer to
give Gilbert food and then send him back empty-handed.
Gilbert eats his meal and reflects on the Americans' attitude
toward black people. He knows he has been used and lied to.
Gilbert leaves and spots two black American soldiers while
driving his truck. They hitch a lift on the truck as Gilbert drives
back to the British base in the dark. The Americans explain
that they are on leave for the first time in months and have
arranged to meet two women in Nottingham. They talk about
the careful way the American army segregates white troops
from non-white troops. Black soldiers can only visit certain
towns at certain times to keep them away from white soldiers.
The Americans reflect on racial segregation in America and
wonder whether it will soon "have to change." Gilbert drops the
men at their stop. They leave behind six packets of cigarettes
as a gesture of their appreciation.
Analysis
Gilbert's experiences in the Royal Air Force bring him into a
clash with other cultures. He has to endure racism from British
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 21
people but is astonished to learn about the very different strain
of racism that affects the American black soldiers. The
contrasts between these different treatments help Gilbert to
form a better understanding of the way racism manifests in
different societies.
Britain is a racist country, but many of its inhabitants are
pleasant enough. Gilbert describes a trip to a small town. The
white British people stare at Gilbert and his fellow black
recruits. The awkwardness eventually breaks down, and many
of the townspeople shake Gilbert's hand and ask the recruits
about their home countries. The people are polite and friendly,
but their questions and lines of inquiry are shot through with a
lack of understanding. The patronizing tone taken by these
people treats the recruits like they are a passing novelty. Post-
war reactions of men like Cyril Todd are evidence that the
attitudes of British people will change. The novelty of the black
people in Britain will evaporate, and the patronizing tone will
change into one of outright hostility. Gilbert's experiences
traveling from Jamaica to America to wartime Britain and then
to post-war Britain create a diagram of evolving and
contrasting race relations.
The visit to the American base provides Gilbert with an
example of forthright racism. He overhears the American
officers explicitly state that they cannot allow him on the base
because of the color of his skin. They believe that he has been
sent to them as a joke. His skin color is reduced to a tool for
mocking, and Gilbert begins to understand that his race is a
joke to the British officers and an outright offense to the
American officers. Neither group of white people views him as
a person. The attitudes of the American officers are confirmed
by Gilbert's interactions with the black American troops. They
explain how entire cities in Britain are segregated for American
soldiers. American troops can only take their leave in certain
cities as dictated by their race and a strict schedule. The men
are traveling to Nottingham because Nottingham has
temporarily been declared the city for black recruits. White
recruits are sent to a different city. This rotating schedule
illustrates the administrative and bureaucratic dedication to
segregation. Americans are committed to separating the races
even when they are stationed in another country. The racism of
the Americans transcends borders, and they export their
segregationist laws to other countries even during wartime.
Gilbert begins to understand that the strict American
separation of races is just as important as the war itself. The
concept of the separate races is part of the dominant idea of
culture that the Americans are fighting to preserve. These
Small Island Study Guide
racist attitudes will be reflected in those of the British people
after the war who consider the idea of black people living next
door as being worse than anything that might have happened
had they lost World War II (1939–45).
Chapters 15–17
Summary
Chapter 15
During the war Gilbert Joseph tries to relax on one of his days
off, but he notices that an old man has begun to follow him. He
wonders whether the man is a spy or just a white person
wanting to "feel the hair of a colored man." Gilbert begins to
walk around the town to see if the old man will follow. The old
man follows him everywhere. Gilbert eventually realizes that
the man has a mental condition when a plane passes above,
and the man throws himself to the muddy ground. The man has
a note in his pocket that he fearfully hands to Gilbert. The note
explains that his name is Arthur Bligh and provides a London
address. Arthur then produces a second note with a local
address, and Gilbert walks him home. The woman who
answers the door is Queenie although Gilbert does not yet
know her. They chat, Gilbert makes jokes, and Queenie does
not laugh. Gilbert is not ready "to leave such a pretty woman."
He tries to continue the conversation. Queenie explains that
Arthur is her father-in-law but seems reluctant to say why
Arthur was so focused on a black man. Gilbert makes Queenie
laugh, and she introduces herself. She invites Gilbert inside for
tea. Her husband will not mind, she says, because he is in India.
Chapter 16
White American soldiers insult Gilbert and walk away. Before
he can respond, Queenie appears. She is searching for Arthur.
The first time they met when they sat and drank tea together is
still fresh in Gilbert's mind. He invites her to a local tea shop.
They step inside, and Gilbert spots the American soldiers after
they sit down. Gilbert has learned "to despise the white
American GI above all other." He knows the men are watching
him so he orders tea and cake slightly louder than normal.
Queenie explains that she and Arthur are returning to London.
Queenie offers Gilbert a bite of her cake. Her outstretched
hand across the table infuriates the Americans. They make
threatening gestures at Gilbert who knows that he has to
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 22
leave. He spots Arthur through the window. Queenie runs out
to Arthur, and Gilbert pays the waitress. He makes sure to
leave a large tip. The waitress notices the Americans preparing
to follow Gilbert out the door and distracts them while Gilbert
slips out. He waves at the men and joins Queenie and Arthur
on a trip to the movie theatre.
Chapter 17
Gilbert, Queenie, and Arthur buy tickets for an American film.
The usher shows them to their seats but insists that Gilbert
must sit at the back of the theatre. Gilbert argues with the
usher, and Queenie joins in. Gilbert insists that England does
not have American-style segregation laws, and he refuses to
sit at the back. He sits down beside Queenie, and a white
American appears from the dark and tells him to "do as you're
told" while using racial slurs. The rest of the audience becomes
restless. The usher flees. People call out in support of Gilbert
and against Americans while more American troops muster to
intimidate him. The film stops, and the lights come on. The
people in the theater are told to leave, but a fight breaks out
between the white and black patrons. The brawl consumes
everyone, and Gilbert loses sight of Queenie. The brawl spills
into the streets outside, but the passion for the fight seems to
evaporate. The American military police arrive and begin to
beat the black American troops. The fight begins again. Gilbert
gets caught in a tussle with a white man. A military police
officer turns to hit Gilbert but is stopped by the sound of a gun.
Gilbert looks up and sees Arthur dead on the ground. Queenie
runs to him, and Gilbert tries to help when an American pushes
him backward.
Analysis
The racial tension that has been built throughout the novel
explodes in a cavalcade of violence. Gilbert's insistence on
sitting where he pleases in the cinema causes a race riot.
Black and white American troops take up the cause and fight
one another. The scene provides the first real example of the
deadly violence that racism can cause. Prior examples of
racism have been about manners, swear words, slurs, and
threats. The riot is the first example of what happens when the
threats become reality. This incident can be compared with the
earlier moment in the tea shop. The American troops watch
Gilbert with Queenie and act in a threatening manner. The
sight of a black man and a white woman aggravates them.
Gilbert prepares to leave and the men are set to follow him, but
Small Island Study Guide Chapter Summaries 23

the waitress intervenes. The threat of violence as a result of moment that a white man is affected, the white participants in
racism is not realized. The riot takes place only a short time the riot take notice. The death of a white man as a result of
later. The same sentiments and prejudices linger in the racism makes the authorities take the issue far more seriously.
community. The incident in the cinema is too sprawling to The seriousness with which they treat the murder reveals the
control. Gilbert's cause becomes about more than just his inherent structural racism in a society that places more value
insistence on sitting anywhere. The tea shop threat is limited to on the life of a white man than the lives of many black people.
Gilbert while the fight in the cinema occurs in the presence of
other black men. Their presence raises the stakes of the fight.
Gilbert is no longer alone in a technical sense, but he feels Chapters 18–20
alone. He only wants to watch the film. He does not feel the
need to battle against racism. The other patrons in the cinema
take up his fight on his behalf. As he wanders through the
Summary
street afterward, Gilbert sees the consequences of the fight
against racism. Blood is sprayed across the street, and the
Chapter 18
authorities only seek to discipline the black men. There is no
justice or any attempt to resolve the racist motivations of the In 1947 the war is over. Gilbert Joseph returns to Jamaica. A
fight. The riot portrays the violent consequences of the racism cheering crowd welcomes the soldiers' boat into the harbor.
Gilbert has experienced throughout the novel while also Gilbert still carries the newspaper clipping containing the story
illustrating the ease with which a minor disagreement can erupt of the death of Arthur Bligh. The story claims that the soldiers'
into a large-scale and bloody assault. anger stemmed from the cinema's projector breaking. A bullet
had been fired to quell the crowd and mistakenly hit Arthur.
Gilbert argues with the usher about his seat in the cinema, and
The story does not mention race. Gilbert had been sent to
Queenie joins in the argument. Gilbert appreciates her efforts
Cornwall in the south of England the day after the shooting.
but notes that she approaches the issue from the wrong angle.
This was followed by stints in Scotland, Filey, and Cornwall
Queenie frames the issue as though it is a matter of whom she
again. Queenie had moved to London and never responded to
would prefer to sit next to. She offers to seat Gilbert between
his letters. Gilbert feels that Jamaica now feels like a small
her and Arthur so that no white person will be forced to sit
island rather than home. His family members are scattered and
next to a black person. This argument frames the solution on
successful. Gilbert had tried to study law while in England, but
racist terms. Queenie's solution inherently acknowledges that
his application was rejected. Elwood's various businesses have
there may be an issue with someone who might not wish to sit
all failed, and he is now focused on the idea of Jamaican
next to a black person while ignoring the crux of the issue. Her
independence from the British Empire. He convinces Gilbert to
solution is practical and well-meaning while missing Gilbert's
invest in a business idea involving bees and honey. They fail as
point. He argues that there should be no objection to sitting
beekeepers when their stubborn mule kicks down most of their
next to a person of another race so he should be able to sit
hives. They produce hardly any honey. Gilbert sees no future
where he wants. Queenie means well but struggles to
on the island and sets his hopes on returning to England.
understand racism in anything other than a practical way. This
Elwood disagrees. Most people think Gilbert is an over-
attitude is reflected in her post-war interactions with Gilbert.
ambitious dreamer, but Celia Langley believes in him. Hortense
These interactions indicate that she has no issue with non-
looks down on Gilbert so he is shocked when she offers him
white people, but she struggles to overcome the racial
the money to move back to England. He weeps alone before
segregation that has been pressed into her mind by white
he accepts her offer. He sees no other way off the island.
society.
Chapter 19
The death of Arthur Bligh shows that racism is not just an issue
that affects black people. Black people are beaten and bruised Gilbert takes up Hortense's offer and arrives back in Britain. He
throughout the fight, but the moment that makes people take knows the city so considers himself different from the other
notice is when a white man is shot dead. The death of Arthur is Jamaican men who are seeing London for the first time. When
more of a shocking moment than the pain and suffering of the he finds a brooch on the ground, he takes this as an auspicious
black people as well as the inherent racism of the incident. The sign. The brooch vanishes before he can pick it up, and he

Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.

Small Island Study Guide
realizes that it was nothing more than a "cluster of flies caught
by the light." He stays in a room with many other Jamaican men
and becomes acquainted with their bad habits. The room is his
home for two months. Gilbert decides he needs somewhere
better to live, but very few landlords are willing to rent to black
people. He remembers the address written on the first note
given to him by Arthur Bligh. It is the same address to which he
had sent his unanswered letters to Queenie. He takes a
chance and knocks on the door. After a moment of uncertainty,
Queenie recognizes him.
Chapter 20
In 1948 Hortense complains that Gilbert has woken her up in a
rude fashion. He is up early to go to work, and he offers to
make her tea. The room is so cold she can see her breath as a
"curtain of vapor." She is shocked that the sun does not rise
early in the winter. Gilbert says that he will return later and
asks her to cook him something from the meager ingredients in
the corner of the room. She takes pity on him and agrees to
cook.
Analysis
Gilbert's descriptions of life in Jamaica make the island sound
like a prison. His desperation to escape and return to England
explains his quick acceptance of Hortense's offer of marriage
and a loan. The plan is not ideal for Gilbert, and he spends a
night weeping quietly to himself about the amount of freedom
he will have to surrender to make the deal, but he accepts
nevertheless. Life outside of Jamaica becomes an obsession
for Gilbert in a way that makes any price seem reasonable.
Even the racism and the abuse that he has suffered while
abroad is no match for the limitations he feels have been
placed on his ambitions by the island of Jamaica. Earlier in the
novel, Gilbert was made to appear like a charming dreamer
whose big ambitions were empty and fleeting. The chapters
from his perspective reveal that there is an integrity to his
ambition that is lost on others. Gilbert is not just a failure who
struggles to maintain a job or find his niche in society. He is a
person who has seen the world and now cannot return to the
small-scale existence he once knew. Gilbert is desperate to
make something of himself, and his ambition is such that he
believes his dreams need a grand stage on which to be
realized. Jamaica is not that stage, but Britain just might be. His
acceptance of Hortense's offer is not the action of a conman
seizing on a rare opportunity. His decision to accept her offer
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 24
is a sacrifice he makes to become the man he wants to be.
Even when Gilbert arrives in London and stays in a room with
other Jamaican men he still sees himself as different. The
Jamaican men who arrive on the docks have no experience in
Britain, and they wonder about every little detail. They are
amateurs compared to Gilbert. He sees himself as a
knowledgeable and informed participant in British society.
Gilbert creates a niche for his identity that is halfway between
British and Jamaican. In the same way that his Jewish heritage
means people will never regard him as entirely black, his race
means that he can never be British, and his experience in
Britain means that he can never be Jamaican again. Gilbert
exists at the crossroads of identity and struggles to know the
correct path forward.
Hortense has a similar ambition to leave the island. Her desire
to leave Jamaica is based on an idyllic version of Britain that
she has built up in her mind. She views British society as polite,
well-mannered, and civil. The reality of what Hortense
experiences clashes with her expectations, and she begins to
realize that British society is not what she once thought it was.
Even the weather is against her. Hortense finds herself in a
hostile environment where the sun does not rise, and the air is
so cold that it turns her breath to vapor. The contrast between
this freezing form of existence and life in Jamaica could not be
starker. Just as Gilbert is willing to endure racism in return for
the potential that Britain offers to his ambitions, Hortense is
willing to endure the conditions to find the polite and well-
mannered society of which she has always dreamed.
Chapters 21–23
Summary
Chapter 21
In 1948 Gilbert readies himself for work and creeps out of the
house. He has learned to sneak quietly through the building so
as not to wake Queenie. She hears him nevertheless. Since
Gilbert returned to England, he has noticed a change in his
relationship with Queenie. The rent she charges is higher than
he expected, and she complains about people making noise.
She relies on Gilbert to pass along her messages to the other
lodgers and to "keep them all under control." On this particular
morning, she passes along a similar message and asks to
Small Island Study Guide
speak to him about one more thing. Gilbert insists that he is
late for work and leaves before she can reveal what she is
talking about.
Chapter 22
Hortense imagines Celia Langley's reaction if Celia knew the
squalid nature of the room in London. Everywhere Hortense
looks is a reminder of the rundown nature of the apartment.
She spreads the blanket given to her by the woman in Jamaica
across the bed. Hortense is determined to do something about
her situation so she begins to clean the room. A knock at the
door interrupts her. Queenie wants to introduce herself to her
new guest. Hortense finds herself struggling to say something.
When she does speak, Queenie struggles to understand
Hortense's Jamaican accent. Hortense does not approve of
Queenie's manners as they talk about Gilbert and the marriage.
Queenie prepares to leave but then offers to show Hortense
around the neighborhood. She assures Hortense that she does
not worry about being seen in the street with a black person.
Hortense finds the entire situation absurd. Just as Queenie is
about to leave, Hortense asks for advice on how to prepare
British food.
Chapter 23
Queenie provides an account of her life. Queenie is a
nickname. She is christened Victoria Buxton because Queenie
is considered "a common name" and too low class to be given
officially to a baby. Her father Wilfred Buxton is a butcher, and
her mother Lillie Buxton is the daughter of a farmer. Queenie
remembers how animal carcasses are turned into cuts of meat
in her father's shed. The family owns a farm and sells the
produce in a butcher's shop. Their lives are interrupted when
Wilfred is shamed into signing up for the army during World
War I (1914-18) to do his patriotic duty. Three weeks later he
returns home having been dismissed on medical grounds.
Queenie is raised by a series of local girls who are hired to help
her mother around the house and in the shop. Lillie later gives
birth to a son and then twin sons named Bill, Harry, and Jim.
Queenie is old enough to help her mother and to help raise her
younger brothers. Jim dies young, and the funeral is very
costly. Queenie begins to notice that her family is not as poor
as the miners' children at school. She does well at school, but
her father insists that she help the family business. She works
on the farm while her teenage contemporaries are out having
fun. When times are hard, the miners' children beg for scraps
behind the butcher's shop. Queenie brews soup for the
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 25
unemployed men and their families. One day she sees her
father in the butchering shed and faints. After that she refuses
to eat meat and becomes a vegetarian. The decision infuriates
her father, and Queenie is eventually sent to live with her Aunt
Dorothy in London.
Analysis
The relationship between Hortense and Queenie stutters at
first. The two women struggle to understand one another. They
both speak English, but the cultural differences are too
pronounced to find common ground. Hortense is appalled by
Queenie's manners. Queenie's behavior abhors her and
shatters the preconceptions Hortense has of English people
and society. Queenie invites herself into the room, imposes
herself on Hortense, and then seems to deliberately
misinterpret anything that is said. Hortense views each of
these actions as a grave insult and as a transgression against
manners that cannot be tolerated. She knows that Gilbert is ill-
mannered and foolish, but Hortense never had a high opinion
of Gilbert to begin with. For Queenie to act in this fashion
contravenes everything Hortense thought she knew about
England. The conversation between the two women
establishes the cultural differences that are difficult to
overcome. Hortense must first make peace with her ill-
informed ideas of British society before she can make friends
and understand her new home.
Queenie's views on race make her stand out. She is
surrounded by white people like Cyril Todd who are
unabashedly racist, and she likes to believe herself to be an
enlightened and welcoming person. Queenie's racism
manifests in a slightly different way. She means well but
continually makes comments or performs actions that show
her limited view of race. The incident in the cinema earlier in
the novel has caused Gilbert to notice Queenie's internalized
racism. He notices that Queenie still assigns people into racial
categories and uses the language of the dominant society to
discuss these subjects. She uses the same slurs and
derogatory names for black people as are used by men like
Cyril Todd, but she positively reframes them. This attitude is
evident again when Queenie talks to Hortense. Queenie offers
to show Hortense around the neighborhood and take her to
the cinema. She makes a joking aside that "it doesn't worry me
to be seen out" with black people and casually uses a
derogatory phrase for black people. Queenie means well with
this comment and views her offer as a positive, welcoming, and
Small Island Study Guide
non-racist proposition. Hortense is horrified. Queenie's
comment is a tacit acceptance of the boundaries of racial
differences. She acknowledges that society has an issue with
racism and has learned to operate within the racist boundaries.
The casual assurance that she does not mind being seen with
Hortense suggests that Queenie accepts other people's views
that there might be an issue with this.
Racism has become like the weather to Queenie. The prospect
of racist comments being made in public is like rain to her. She
prepares for these comments and accepts that they exist
naturally within society. Hortense asks herself "why should this
woman worry to be seen in the street with me." Hortense
considers herself to be of a better class than Queenie. She is
an educated and well-mannered teacher while Queenie merely
lets rooms in a house and has a rude attitude. The casual
nature with which Queenie reiterates her higher social class
reveals to Hortense that race rather than manners, education,
or upbringing is the most important element of identity. This
perspective is imposed on Hortense by society, and she never
expected this to be the case. Queenie's casual acceptance of
the existence of racism in society reveals that she believes
herself to be inherently more important than Hortense. This is
a revelation for Hortense and illustrates how much she still has
to learn about British society.
Chapters 24–26
Summary
Chapter 24
Queenie continues the story of her childhood. Aunt Dorothy
arranges for lessons to help Queenie overcome her working-
class accent and behave properly in a "polite society." Queenie
sees her aunt as a sophisticated and rich older woman.
Dorothy is a childless widow who runs her late husband's
candy store in London. Queenie has a room to herself, a new
wardrobe of clothes, and a new job in her aunt's store. One of
her customers is Bernard Bligh, and they strike up a rapport.
Bernard eventually invites her for a walk in the park, and they
begin to date. After four months Queenie can list the parts of
Bernard that annoy her such as the vein on his temple and his
"scrawny" neck. Dorothy convinces Queenie to ignore this
growing list of annoying flaws. Bernard is a bank clerk and a
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 26
member of a successful family. Queenie goes against
Dorothy's advice and tries to break up with Bernard. He begins
to cry and begs her for another chance. The mention of
engagement catches Queenie's attention, and she agrees to
give him another chance. The next time they go for a walk, they
return to find Dorothy dead in the candy store. Bernard fetches
help while Queenie is in a daze. Queenie's family travels to
London for the funeral. Queenie announces that she has
accepted Bernard's proposal so as not to return home to the
farm.
Chapter 25
Queenie and Bernard marry. Their sexual relationship is
unsatisfying and dull even though Queenie tries to excite her
husband. She visits the doctor and asks about pregnancy. The
doctor tells her that she is unlikely to get pregnant unless she
enjoys sex with her husband. Bernard has told her that he
would like a child so Queenie takes her inability to get pregnant
as a personal failure. She cries whenever her period comes.
They live in a large house with Arthur Bligh who is Bernard's
father. They spend time in only a few rooms some of which are
rented out to lodgers. Bernard tells Queenie that she does not
need to work so she dedicates her free time to restoring the
vivacity of the house and cleaning its empty rooms. Bernard is
reluctant to use these restored rooms and cites his secretive
"reasons" when asked why.
Chapter 26
A loud clock strikes a bell every 15 minutes. The sound nearly
drowns out the radio report announcing the outbreak of World
War II (1939–45) as Britain announces that it will go to war with
Germany again. Queenie knows that the clicking sound of her
knitting needles annoys Bernard, but she is certain he will
never mention this. He would rather sit in silence than make
conversation. The sound of an air-raid siren makes them panic.
They fit their gas masks, but Arthur struggles to fasten his in
place. Loud noises make him panicky and remind him of the
terrifying experiences during World War I (1914–18) when he
was in the trenches as the global conflict killed millions of
people. Their lodger is a Jewish refugee from Germany who
joins them in the mad dash to the bomb shelter. The shelter
was made by Arthur and is far deeper and longer than Queenie
expected. The air-raid siren stops, and they return indoors.
Queenie is shocked by the moment of excitement in her
otherwise dull life and realizes that she is "looking forward to
this war." Bernard remarks that "Jews are more trouble than
Small Island Study Guide
they're worth," and the German lodger is taken away by the
police the next day. The bombing raids in London are terrifying,
and Arthur's mental health begins to break down. Queenie and
Bernard sit alone together in the cramped shelter. Arthur
refuses to come inside. Bernard becomes friendlier with the
neighbor Cyril Todd. They share their racist opinions and
resent the working-class people who move into houses nearby.
Queenie takes pity on the bedraggled family that moves in
nearby. Bernard and Queenie become increasingly nervous
and panicked by the bombing raids. Bernard is convinced that
a bomb has fallen on the house and killed his father. He clings
to her as she checks on the house from the shelter. A bomb
destroys the house where the bedraggled family has been
staying. Queenie takes sympathy on the family and begs
Bernard to let them move in. He refuses to let them stay for
more than a day so she takes them to an emergency center.
Queenie takes a job at the center to try and help people.
Analysis
The story of Queenie's marriage to Bernard Bligh provides an
explanation for her friendship with Gilbert and echoes many of
Hortense's experiences growing up. Queenie is raised on a
farm and covets an education. Her horror at the reality of the
inside of the butcher's shed prompts her to become a
vegetarian. This decision is so extreme for the daughter of a
butcher that she is sent to London to live with her aunt.
Queenie prefers the lifestyle in London. She is not stuck
cleaning chicken sheds and performing manual labor. This
preference mirrors that of Hortense. The lessons Queenie
receives in how to remove her working-class accent and
behave in polite society reflect Hortense's education. In the
future Hortense considers Queenie to be blunt and ill-
mannered. She is not aware that Queenie has endured many of
the same lessons in etiquette that Hortense received in
Jamaica. The experiences of the two women are very similar,
but the lessons have faded by the time they meet. The shared
point of history that both women can refer to is more recent
for Hortense. Queenie has been marked by life. The gap
between the polite and educated young woman and the
middle-aged landlord is stark. The working-class farm girl
becomes a polite young lady who then becomes a jaded and
lonely woman. Hortense only knows the jaded Queenie, but the
backstory reveals a version of Queenie with whom Hortense
could have been friends.
The jaded future Queenie is explained partly by her
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 27
relationship with Bernard. The marriage is revealed to be a dull,
loveless, and passive-aggressive arrangement that does not
suit either party. Bernard is the first man the inexperienced
young Queenie dates, and the death of Aunt Dorothy leaves
Queenie without guidance. She accepts Bernard's half-made
proposal because she does not want to return to life on the
farm. The situational irony of Queenie's decision is that she
swaps one oppressive environment for another. Life on the
farm was grueling, and Queenie resented the proximity to
blood and sweat. Life with Bernard is crushingly dull, and
Queenie resents the proximity to her husband. Their sex life is
nonexistent, and their failure to conceive is subtly blamed on
Queenie. Bernard does not talk, does not engage with her, and
cannot even bring himself to argue with her. She starts to
annoy him intentionally to provoke a reaction. Queenie lusts
after excitement so much that she tries to goad Bernard into a
fight just to liven up their marriage. He does not rise to the
challenge. Queenie continues to knit the same item over and
over again. When it is done, she unravels the stitching and
begins again. The finished garment is not the desired goal of
the knitting process. The aim is to taunt Bernard into a reaction
so she repeats the process endlessly until she is interrupted by
the war.
The outbreak of World War II (1939–45) reveals Bernard's
petty malice. He lacks pity and empathy for anyone, and his
racism becomes acutely noticeable. A Jewish refugee who
rents a room in their house becomes a target for this racism.
Bernard calls the authorities and has the man taken away on
the possibility that he might be a German spy. He tells himself
that the move is morally correct and his patriotic duty, but
Queenie is shocked by the lack of empathy. A working-class
London family moves into the neighborhood after their own
home is bombed, and they also attract Bernard's ire. Bernard
and Cyril Todd judge the poor people from afar. When their
temporary home is also bombed, Bernard refuses to allow the
family to stay in one of the many empty rooms in his house.
This refusal coupled with Queenie's passive-aggressive
taunting of her husband explains her relationship with Gilbert.
She is happy to befriend anyone who annoys Bernard. She
rents out rooms in her homes because she knows that Bernard
will disapprove. Whenever Todd complains about Gilbert or any
other lodger, Queenie takes pleasure in knowing that she has
acted in such a way as to annoy her husband. Her friendship
with Gilbert is not necessarily about warmth and affection. The
founding principle of many of her actions is a passive-
aggressive symbolic slap across her husband's face. She does
Small Island Study Guide
not rent rooms to black people because she is not racist or
because she feels empathy for the way they are treated by
society. Queenie is so jaded by her marriage to Bernard that
she is willing to overcome her inherent racism to annoy her
husband. Queenie's anti-racism is not altruistic or benevolent
as much as it is passive-aggressive.
Chapters 27–29
Summary
Chapter 27
In 1939 Queenie watches the masses of blood-soaked,
smoldering people who arrive at the emergency center. They
have lost everything to the bombing raids. She works 12-hour
shifts and comes home to hear Bernard complain that she has
not cleaned or cooked dinner. He says that he worries about
her. Queenie is more worried about the dazed, confused, and
broken people who file through the center. Her days off are
filled with domestic chores, and she struggles to sleep more
than an hour before the bombing begins again. She begins to
sleep at the center to save time. The bureaucracy and the
administrative work at the center are almost impossible for
people who have lost everything so Queenie cannot feel sorry
for herself. Her job mostly consists of telling people which
papers to file and which offices to visit to replace everything
that has been destroyed. Delivering bad news about missed
deadlines and incorrectly filed paperwork hurts her. She gives
away her clothes and furniture to poor people. Bernard is livid.
Queenie accidentally accuses him of not doing his part in the
war effort. He slinks away in shame, and Queenie continues
with her charity.
Chapter 28
Bernard volunteers for the Royal Air Force, and Queenie
blames herself. He has begun to look out of place as a young
man still not a part of the military, and his father's mental
condition continues to deteriorate. The sight of Bernard in
uniform begins to stir something in Queenie, and she is almost
proud of her husband. She does not tell him this as he leaves
unceremoniously for an overseas posting. Queenie is left
behind with Arthur Bligh. Arthur does not talk much, but he can
grow food in their garden. He trembles constantly and reacts
badly to any loud noise, but he begins to relax without Bernard
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 28
around. Arthur and Queenie become close. He agrees to rent
out the empty rooms in the house to soldiers. Queenie is
shocked to find that one of the soldiers is black. His name is
Michael Roberts. Queenie finds Michael charming and strange
in equal measure. They bond. On Michael's last night he shares
rations with Queenie and plays cards with Arthur who cheats
continuously. Queenie catches herself staring at him as Arthur
departs with Michael's coins. Michael invites Queenie to sit
with him and ask the questions she has been thinking ever
since they met. They sit beside one another, and Michael
whispers in Queenie's ear and caresses her hair.
Chapter 29
Queenie and Michael have sex. She almost believes that
someone else is with Michael as "Mrs. Queenie Bligh ... wasn't
even there." Michael leaves early in the morning, and Arthur
discovers a wallet Michael has left behind. Inside are family
photographs. Worried that the wallet is a good luck charm,
Queenie rushes to the station to return it to Michael. An
explosion near the station nearly kills Queenie. She lies on the
destroyed street and tries to take everything in. A stranger
helps her toward an ambulance past severed arms and dead
bodies. The hospital treats her cracked ribs and sprained wrist.
People tell Queenie that she is lucky. At home Arthur helps her.
She remembers someone calling her name right before the
blast but cannot remember who. Arthur helps her to bed and
leans in close as though he is about to kiss her. He whispers to
her that he would die "if anything happened" to her. Queenie is
shocked. She begs him to say more, but he kisses her on the
forehead. Queenie sobs alone in the bed as Arthur sits in a
chair beside her.
Analysis
Queenie's affair with Michael Roberts adds another dimension
to her relationship with Hortense. The brief relationship
between Queenie and Michael lasts only a few days, but it has
a profound effect on her life. Michael is one of the first lodgers
Queenie invites into her home, but she does so without
knowing that he is black. His race is not a deciding factor when
she agrees to rent the room, and she feels she cannot refuse
Michael when he appears on her doorstep. The moment he
crosses the threshold into the home, a barrier is taken down in
Queenie's mind. This moment sets the tone for Gilbert Joseph
and other black lodgers renting rooms in Queenie's house for
years to come. The nature of Michael's brief stay in the house
Small Island Study Guide Chapter Summaries 29

also reveals Queenie's willingness to rent rooms to black men legacy of a sprained wrist and a few broken ribs. The night with
and her friendship with Gilbert. Queenie meets Gilbert when he Michael lays the foundation for a life-altering change in attitude
is a member of the Royal Air Force. His uniform is the same as toward non-white people and a life chasing after an illicit
Michael's as is his race and country of origin. Queenie's moment of excitement that can never be recaptured.
friendship with Gilbert and her willingness to rent rooms to
Jamaican men are an attempt to recapture one night of
passion that she experienced years before. She does not want Chapters 30–32
to sleep with every man who passes through her door, but their
presence reminds her of a moment in her life when she was
almost happy. Given the nature of her relationship with her
Summary
family and husband, this desperate attempt to reclaim a
moment of fleeting joy becomes more understandable.
Chapter 30

The departure of Bernard is like a burden being lifted from the

In 1948 Gilbert Joseph applies for a job. He chats with the
home. Not only does Queenie find that she has more time to
interviewer for an hour about their experiences in the war.
herself, but Arthur Bligh can express himself more freely. He
Eventually the interviewer rejects him because there are white
has remained mute throughout the novel, and his silence is
women in the factory. Gilbert is annoyed that he has wasted
explained by the aftereffects of the traumatic experiences he
his time. The experience is the same in other job interviews.
endured in the trenches of World War I (1914–18). The bomb
Eventually he finds a job as a driver for the post office. He is
raids trigger Arthur's harrowing memories, but the times when
delighted to be a driver once again. One morning his partner is
he is free from his son's fussing attitudes allow him to become
sick, and Gilbert is set to take a young man on his route. The
more useful. He queues for rations and gets vegetables from
young man takes one look at Gilbert and refuses to ride with
unknown sources. Arthur and Queenie become closer than
him. Gilbert is taken off the route and sent out on another job
either was to Bernard. Bernard's absence allows both
while taking the blame for the incident. The people on this new
characters to realize that they mean more to one another than
and unfamiliar route mock him because of his race. Gilbert
Bernard means to them. Arthur's whispered comment to
quietly responds, and one of the men becomes angry. Gilbert
Queenie becomes a moment of emotional honesty that is more
does not want to start a fight for fear of losing his job. By the
authentic than anything Queenie ever said to Bernard. Queenie
time Gilbert arrives home, he has forgotten about Hortense. He
marries her husband to escape life on the farm and never truly
arrives home to find her scrubbing the floor. He shouts at her
likes or respects Bernard. She does like and she does respect
to get up and explains that he did not bring her to England "to
Arthur. She asks him for permission for the lodgers to stay at
scrub a floor."
the house, yet she never asks Bernard permission for anything.
She acts, and then Bernard denies her at a later date. The Chapter 31
moment shared by Queenie and Arthur reveals to both of them
how important they have become to one another and Hortense tries to make chips which is the British word for
illustrates how Bernard blocks the expression of such French fries. She resents Gilbert's complaints that she does
emotional honesty. His absence allows the characters to not know how to make them. She was told what to do by
express themselves freely. Queenie. The small size of the room and the poor cooking
facilities also hindered her ability to cook well. Gilbert also
The bomb explosion that hurts Queenie switches her into a complains that she has given him a boiled egg rather than a
new role. She has spent the war helping the victims of bomb fried egg. He mumbles and begins to eat while Hortense tells
attacks, but now she becomes the victim. This change in role her husband that he is ungrateful. He has not noticed any of
mirrors the life-changing moment the night before. The night the cleaning she has done, and he blocks the small fireplace
spent with Michael was a night of sexual fulfillment and that is their only source of heat. Gilbert storms out of the room.
excitement that Queenie has never experienced with Bernard.
The night changes her perception of black people and her Chapter 32
perception of sex. This change in perception is just as
Gilbert wonders whether he should have stayed in Jamaica. He
impactful as the explosion of the bomb. The bomb leaves a

Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.

Small Island Study Guide
imagines his friends back home mocking him for his cold and
impoverished existence in Britain. All of his Jamaican friends
from the military have endured similar racist incidents in Britain.
He walks through the streets thinking about his regret. A
middle-aged white woman calls out to him and presents a lost
glove. Gilbert does not remember dropping a glove, but he
takes it out of politeness. She offers him candy and notices
that he has been crying. He assures her that he is fine, and she
leaves. Gilbert stands in the street clutching the candy and
appreciating the act of kindness. The gesture makes him
reflect on his present state. He purchases two portions of fish
and chips and takes it back to the room to share with
Hortense. He shows her a real chip and reveals to her the
secret that "not everything the English do is good."
Analysis
The narrative returns to 1948 as Gilbert Joseph and Hortense
wrestle with their first real experience of married life. Their
domestic situation is complicated by their environment. The
cold, small room is barely big enough for one person. After a
long day of enduring racist treatment at work, Gilbert arrives
home and collapses in his chair. He does not have the time or
energy to notice Hortense's hard work and mocks her for her
inability to cook British food. The tension between them
emerges because they do not understand one another's
situation. Hortense does not realize the pains Gilbert has
endured to find a job while Gilbert does not notice the hard
work Hortense has put into making their small room more
pleasant. This lack of understanding festers until it erupts and
an argument breaks out. Theirs is a marriage of mutual
convenience rather than compassion, love, or affection. Gilbert
and Hortense have entered into a business arrangement more
than anything else so their lack of understanding is based on
the particular nature of their marriage. Until they learn to
empathize with one another, they cannot hope to endure each
other's presence.
Gilbert is inspired to be empathetic by an encounter with a
woman on the street. The random act of kindness involves a
white stranger offering Gilbert a piece of candy and then
leaving. The interaction is pure in its simplicity. The woman
does not expect anything in return for her kindness which
provides Gilbert with a human interaction that is not
transactional. He endures racism at work because he needs to
get paid. He endures Hortense's criticisms because she loaned
him money. Even his friendship with Queenie is now based on
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 30
him paying her rent every month. Gilbert only encounters
people who want something from him so the interaction with
the woman on the street stuns him. The woman shows him an
act of empathy, and Gilbert turns this around and shows
empathy to Hortense.
Gilbert begins to teach Hortense about life in England. His first
two lessons are important. The first lesson reveals the true
nature of the British chip. The second lesson reveals that the
myths about England need to be abandoned. These lessons
provide sustenance and knowledge for Hortense. The chip is
an insight into her husband's expectations and an introduction
to British culture. The revelation that "not everything the
English do is good" helps her to overcome the preconceptions
she has about Britain being a land of polite, friendly people.
Gilbert shares his food, and he shares his knowledge. Gilbert
makes the first move and begins to reveal to Hortense the
reality of life in Britain. The marriage's success depends on a
shared empathy if it is going to succeed, and Hortense must
quickly come to terms with the practical nature of life in a
country that is very different from anything she ever imagined.
Gilbert is no longer just a husband of convenience. He is now
her guide.
Chapters 33–35
Summary
Chapter 33
In 1948 Hortense gets to know Queenie better. They visit the
local shops together, and Hortense is appalled by Queenie's
ugly coat. Hortense has dressed up for the occasion which she
believes is polite. They leave the house, and Hortense
discovers that everyone is dressed in the same ugly, drab
coats. She is interested in the different hair, skin colors, and
eye colors English people seem to possess. Queenie mistakes
Hortense's fascination with her surroundings for a lack of
familiarity with the idea of a shop. Hortense is disgusted that
the shopkeeper touches her bread with bare hands. Queenie
ignores, patronizes, or misinterprets almost everything
Hortense says. English people stare at Hortense and shout
racial slurs at her in the street. Queenie tells her to ignore
these people. Queenie explains manners to Hortense which
includes the notion that she should step into the road if an
Small Island Study Guide
English person approaches on the sidewalk because she is "a
visitor to this country." Hortense is shocked. They arrive back
at the house, and Queenie is shocked to see a man at the door.
She thinks the man is Bernard Bligh.
Chapter 34
Queenie reveals that she can recognize the back of Bernard's
neck anywhere. Bernard approaches her on the street. She
tells him that he has been away for a long time. All he says in
response is "indeed." She demands an explanation for why he
has been away for five years.
Chapter 35
Bernard does not wait until he is conscripted because he does
not want to be put into the army. He signs up for the Air Force,
but his poor eyesight means that he cannot fly planes like his
friends. He becomes part of the ground crew instead and
maintains the engines of fighter planes flown by more heroic
men. Bernard recalls his journey to India. He is surrounded by
"brown people" who beg him for money, and the sights, sounds,
and smells of the Indian station disgust him. Bernard and his
fellow Englishmen board another train. Everywhere they turn
Indian people try to sell them produce. He arrives at the airfield
in India where the British are fighting the Japanese. An air
attack bombs the airfield. Bernard survives and is surprised to
find that he has "an erection." The thought that he is worth
attacking is sexually stimulating. He gets to work clearing the
aftermath and then sees a Japanese pilot led from the jungle
at gunpoint after a crash landing. Bernard learns that the man
will be shot rather than imprisoned.
Analysis
Hortense and Queenie become better acquainted, but the
differences in their characters still cause friction as embodied
by the choice of coats they wear to the shops. Hortense
carefully selects what she believes to be a clean and
respectable outfit. She is appalled to see that Queenie opts for
a drab coat that is missing buttons and barely fits her. Queenie
selects her outfit because she believes that it is the right
choice for a respectable woman in England only to discover
that most women are dressed like Queenie. The gap between
Hortense's expectations and the reality of life in England
illustrates how women's coats confound her expectations.
The hygiene standards in the shop also disgust Hortense. The
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 31
shopkeeper touches her bread with his bare hands. Queenie
assumes that Hortense's reluctance to take the bread is due to
her unfamiliarity with the idea of a shop. For all of Hortense's
revulsion at the reality of English life, Queenie's latent racism
ensures that the racist society is the single constant
throughout Hortense's experiences. Queenie and every other
English person have preconceptions about black people's
inability to function in society. Their expectations are shown to
be as shallow and as misinformed as those of Hortense. Every
character in the novel has prejudices and preconceptions that
are confounded and proved wrong.
Bernard's return shocks Queenie. She stops dead in the street
when she sees him and is reduced to an anxious state. Bernard
has been gone five years, and his only explanation is the word
"indeed" which Queenie tells him is insufficient. The dramatic
irony of this insufficient explanation is that the audience is
aware of the numerous events that have occurred in the time
that Bernard has been away. In that time Queenie has started
taking in lodgers, had an affair, moved to the north of England,
become friends with Gilbert, and lost Bernard's father in the
chaos of a race riot. She has since moved back to London and
opened Bernard's house to lodgers that he is prejudiced
against. The irony of Bernard's terse greeting and Queenie's
demand for an explanation is that there is no possible way she
can tell Bernard everything. His one-word answer might be
insufficient, but there may never be enough words for Queenie
to explain the nature of her life in the time that he has been
away. Queenie demands an answer from her husband but is
unlikely to be able to offer him one in return. Her demand for
honesty can only ruin her marriage and turn Bernard away.
Chapters 36–38
Summary
Chapter 36
Bernard Bligh recalls his lack of enthusiasm for the war but
admits that his time in India excited him. He makes friends with
a colleague named Maxi, and they are sent to retrieve a piece
of technology from a downed plane in the jungle. They bond as
they explore and swap stories. Bernard believes that English
people's naturally higher intelligence will lead to them defeating
the Japanese eventually. They find the plane but have to camp
Small Island Study Guide
in the jungle for the night. Bernard did not bring a blanket.
Before he can decide what to do about the cold, they hear a
Japanese patrol approach. A person calls out asking for help in
English. Maxi is convinced that the Japanese soldiers are
laying a trap. Maxi and Bernard sit together in the cold dark
watching the trees as a voice calls for help in English. They
huddle together under Maxi's blanket until the voice fades
away. They stay up all night and hatch plans to open a rabbit
farm together after the war. Morning arrives. They carefully
search the plane and find what they needed. They cannot find
a trace of the pilot, only a trail of blood. The walk back takes a
long time. They become lost and hear foreign voices in the
distance. Bernard urinates in his shorts and knows he is a
coward. Eventually they realize that the foreign voices belong
to local men. They trade their blanket for a guide back to the
airfield where they are told that the war is over and Germany
has been defeated.
Chapter 37
Bernard is relieved that the bombing attacks on London have
ceased, but he is convinced that the British fighting in the East
will continue for years in India and Burma which today is also
called Myanmar. He is shocked by the news that Japan has
surrendered, and the news of a "new-fangled bomb" intrigues
him. Bernard's unit is ordered to move nearer to Burma, and
they liberate prisoner-of-war camps as they progress. The
emaciated condition of the British prisoners makes Bernard
proud to be from a country where soldiers are forbidden to do
so much as "raising a hand" to captured enemy troops.
Bernard and the other troops become resentful when they
hear news of other men returning home while they remain
stationed out east. The men strike and refuse to work. Bernard
disapproves, but the strike ends after a few hours. The strikers
claim success, but the unit is then sent to Calcutta in India.
Chapter 38
In Calcutta Bernard and the other men are issued rifles without
ammunition and driven on the backs of trucks through the
streets of the smoldering ruins of the city. The streets are
empty apart from the dead bodies of local people. Bernard has
no idea what caused the riots but blames the city's various
religious groups for turning on one another. The arm of a dead
body gets caught in the wheel of the truck. An officer orders a
soldier to remove it, but the soldier refuses. The soldier is
disciplined, and the removal of the severed arm falls to Maxi
and Bernard. The act makes Bernard vomit. They free the
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 32
wheel, but the sound of gunfire hurries them onto the truck.
The British soldiers drive away as a crowd of local people turns
a corner and rushes toward the truck. The British point their
empty rifles at the locals who surround the truck and then just
stop and stare at the soldiers. The locals begin to rock the
truck. The men panic. The local police appear and fire into the
crowd. The crowd disperses.
Analysis
The narrative switches to the time Bernard spent away from
Britain. This insight into his past also provides a new
perspective on elements of his character which were only
supposed by other people. Queenie viewed Bernard as a
person who lacked sexual urges, who had few friendships with
other people, and who held racist views. Some of these
opinions are proven wrong while others are upheld. The view of
Bernard as a person who lacks any sexual urges is one of the
quickest to be disproved. Bernard mentions that, in the
aftermath of an attack on the airfield during his early days in
the war, he was shocked to discover that he was sexually
aroused. The excitement of the attack is far removed from his
dull life as a bank clerk. He believes that the near-death
experience shows that someone wants to kill him. The fact that
someone wants to kill Bernard fills him with a sense of
importance that he lacked throughout his life. This sense of
self-worth combined with the energy and excitement suggests
that the shock of the war is like a sexual awakening for
Bernard. In the ensuing chapters, he spends more time thinking
about Queenie. He focuses on her body and her movements
sexually. His sexual thoughts about his wife are far removed
from the lackluster disinterest that defined his domestic sexual
situation. The war has awoken repressed sexual feelings in
Bernard even if Queenie does not yet know it.
Bernard's relationship with Maxi is also a refreshing change for
him. He lacks close friends in Britain and has become
separated from those people he knew. Maxi is a younger man
who instantly bonds with Bernard. He jokingly refers to
Bernard as an old man and even nicknames him "Pop" because
of his patriarchal role in the unit. This relationship is as close as
Bernard will come to being a father. He tried and failed to have
a baby with Queenie so the relationship with Maxi becomes the
next best thing. Their dynamic is not quite one of father and
son, but Bernard takes pleasure in being the older, wiser figure
who can pass along his wisdom even if he is not necessarily
that wise.
Small Island Study Guide
One part of Bernard that does not change is his racism. He
views the Indian people as lesser humans and treats them with
contempt. When the unit is caught in a riot on the streets of
Calcutta, they are surrounded by dead bodies. The unit
escapes, and someone asks about the identity of the rioters
only to be told "who bloody cares." This sentiment reflects
Bernard's views on race as a whole. Anyone non-white and
non-British is part of a teeming horde of untrustworthy lesser
humans. Only the white British are capable of fighting with
honor, intelligence, and respect. He sees a Japanese prisoner
of war being marched through the camp and is told that the
man will be shot. Bernard thinks nothing of this and even views
the execution as a benevolent act. Later his unit liberates
British prisoners of war being held by the Japanese and
remarks that the Japanese are monsters for the way they treat
the British men. He immediately forgets that he has seen
Japanese prisoners of war executed rather than held in prison.
Bernard's racism allows him to excuse British atrocities as
sensible and practical while reviling any other race for their
comparatively better treatment of British prisoners. He
consistently elevates white British people above all others even
when he has been presented with evidence that contradicts his
views. War changes Bernard in many ways, but his views on
race are immovable.
Chapters 39–41
Summary
Chapter 39
In 1946 Bernard Bligh describes how "thousands were killed in
Calcutta." The violence among the religious groups makes him
think that none of them could run India if the country became
independent from Britain. Unrest begins to spread among the
British troops who do not like their conditions. Maxi believes
that the soldier who disobeyed orders before the crowd
appeared should not be disciplined. Bernard cannot condone
this point of view. He never particularly liked the young soldier
who made crude sexual remarks in an attempt to make
Bernard blush. One night Bernard finds himself in a crowded
meeting led by Maxi in which the men agree to strike if the
young soldier is punished. Bernard speaks up and defends the
British Empire. He is mocked and jeered until he leaves.
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 33
Chapter 40
Bernard leaves the meeting and takes up his guard duty. He
watches over a hangar of freshly shipped supplies that they
would have killed for during the war. He believes that the locals
can steal "anything." The soldiers spend most of their time
fighting local bandits. Tonight Bernard is on guard duty with
two local men named Arun and Ashok. Bernard expects a quiet
watch, but Ashok begins asking him questions about India,
Britain, and the potential strike. Bernard thinks he hears
something in the distance while Ashok excitedly chats about
Britain. As Ashok chats about the British ensuring that they are
never ruled by Germans, Bernard notices smoke and fire over
the camp. Arun and Ashok chat in their language while Bernard
deliberates what to do. He is convinced that Arun and Ashok
are laughing at him. Two men appear and tell him that the
camp is on fire. Maxi is still inside so Bernard rushes toward
the camp.
Chapter 41
The camp is on fire. Bernard tries to organize people into a
chain to fetch water in buckets. No one listens, and one man
punches him in the face. The buildings collapse as the fire
engine arrives. Bernard tries to help, but the firemen tell him to
leave. They drag him away as he begs them to save Maxi. A
soldier Bernard knows explains that the men were still in the
meeting when the fire started. Maxi may not have got out in
time. Injured men stumble around in the chaos, and Bernard
notes that the locals are standing around doing nothing. They
are chatting and laughing. Bernard attacks one man and
demands to know who started the fire. He has to be dragged
away before he kills the man.
Analysis
Bernard Bligh found a home and a purpose in the army, but the
friends he made seem to be slipping away from him. He is older
than the rest of the troops and does not join in their crude
games or their threats to strike. Bernard is devoted to his idea
of the British Empire and refuses to do anything which
somehow contradicts his idea of what Britain represents.
Crude jokes are decidedly not British, and threats to strike and
disobey command are even less British. Bernard cannot
condone either while the rest of the men do. Bernard's
newfound friends and newfound sense of purpose are slipping
away as he tries to cling to his idea of a British Empire that is
Small Island Study Guide
ceasing to exist.
The fault lines in the British Empire are beginning to emerge.
India has been under British control for centuries, and Bernard
recalls the many benefits and advantages that the British have
given to India. He believes that education, railways, and sports
are worth the price of independence because he does not
believe the local Indian people can run the country themselves.
The Indian people seem less inclined to this view. Arun and
Ashok chat with Bernard, but Ashok takes a drily sarcastic
tone. He talks about the war and the way the British fought to
ensure that they were not ruled by another country such as
Germany. The implied meaning of his words is that the Indian
people should not be ruled by another country such as Britain.
Bernard does not notice the implications of Ashok's words, but
the cracks in the foundation of the British Empire are beginning
to appear. The Empire as Bernard knows and loves it will soon
cease to be.
The fire in the camp is a physical manifestation of the malaise
that is spreading through the military. The men are annoyed
that they have not been sent back to Britain after the war.
They have been turned into a peacekeeping force, and rumors
of strikes and uprisings begin to spread through the camp.
These rumors are as dangerous as the fire. They threaten to
burn down everything the British have built. Bernard had tried
and failed to organize a bucket chain and quell the fire This
represents how he is trying and failing to save the old empire
from the dangers of the modern world. His efforts are
completely in vain. He cannot stop the collapse of the Empire
any more than he can save the entire camp with a bucket of
water.
Chapters 42–44
Summary
Chapter 42
Bernard Bligh is threatened with punishment for abandoning
his guard post and losing his rifle. Arun and Ashok swear that
they have no idea what has happened to the weapon. Bernard
tries to explain the circumstances of his desertion. He
mentions that he knew the men in the camp and had been with
them before leaving for his guard post. The officer in charge
offers to swap information about the meeting for the charges
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 34
being dropped. Bernard refuses to give up his fellow soldiers
but learns that Maxi and seven others are dead. The officer
becomes enraged and declares that "discipline must be
maintained."
Chapter 43
Bernard knows that Maxi will be remembered as a hero and
wishes that he had died alongside his friend in the fire. The
punishment for Bernard is prison. He shares a cell for two
weeks with four Indian men. Bernard is convinced the men are
criminals and refuses to sleep in case they steal his paper and
pen. He decides to lie to Queenie about events but does not
know what to say. The thought of his father in World War I
(1914–18) writing home to his mother does not inspire him. He
remembers his father's struggles after the war. Arthur Bligh
had returned from the war a changed man and "a stranger" to
his young son although he seems to like Queenie. The bombs
over London had brought back all of Arthur's trauma, and
Queenie had said one day that "it would be the best thing if he
did go." Bernard remembers this as it was the moment he
realized that "she could be heartless." He still wishes that he
and Queenie had parted on better terms. The letter paper
remains blank.
Chapter 44
Bernard is told that he may go home. He is one of the last of
his unit to remain in India, and he reminisces about the people
he has met during his time in the country. Bernard travels from
Calcutta to Bombay. Along the way he runs into the soldier
whose disobedience led to the meeting hosted by Maxi. The
man mocks Bernard and recommends that Bernard visit a
brothel. He provides an address but is shocked when Bernard
blames him for Maxi's death. Bernard learns that the
disobedience charges against the young soldier were quickly
dropped. Maxi and the other men died in vain. Bernard tries to
attack the soldier but fails miserably. People laugh at him. Later
Bernard visits the brothel on the soldier's advice and hires a
prostitute. He has sex with the Indian woman but cannot look
her in the eye. After he finishes he notices that she is "nothing
but a girl." He apologizes to her while she cowers from him. He
collapses into a weeping, howling mess. He throws money at
her and leaves.
Small Island Study Guide
Analysis
Bernard Bligh becomes everything he believes non-British
people to be. He becomes a criminal, a person who fights in
the street, and a person who abuses young girls. The lowest
points in Bernard's life come in quick succession. He is
imprisoned and has to spend his time with men he deems to be
common criminals. Bernard is unable to see what he might
have in common with such people and unable to feel empathy
toward them. The men are merely non-white criminals-in-
waiting, and he believes that he should not be treated in the
same way as them. He starts a fight with a British man in the
street. The man is young, crude, and beats Bernard easily.
People passing by mock Bernard, and he becomes a laughing
stock. His self-important view of himself is that he is better and
more important than the people around him. When Indian
people fight in the streets, he believes this is a result of their
race and culture. When he fights in the street, the situation is
entirely different. Like the jail cell, Bernard cannot empathize
with the people around him even when he is in the same
situation. The incident in the brothel is the lowest point for
Bernard. He sleeps with a prostitute and then realizes that she
is just a girl. He is overcome with regret. He has allowed his
sexual urges and damaged pride to take over, and he has
committed a horrendous act. Bernard is swallowed by self-
loathing and shame but not because of his actions or because
he is struck by a moment of realization that his beliefs are
racist. Bernard is ashamed because he has betrayed the idea
of Britishness that he has carried around in his head for his
entire life. Bernard's actions are not befitting the country he
idolizes. He is not upset by the way his actions reveal his flaws.
He is upset by his failure to measure up to an idea of
Britishness that may never have existed outside of the brain of
Bernard Bligh.
The time Bernard spends in India is a missed opportunity. He
ends his time in the country with more shame and regret than
when he arrived. The British have won the war, but the cost of
victory has created fractures in their Empire. The Indians
speak about independence, and Gilbert Joseph's time in
Jamaica shows that the sentiment is echoed on the other side
of the world. Bernard's failures are the failures of Britain. His
decline in moral stature and self-belief mirrors the decline of an
empire. Bernard is the most invested of all the characters in
the importance and unique brilliance of Britain. His downfall
mirrors the collapse of his country's importance and status on
the world stage.
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 35
Chapters 45–47
Summary
Chapter 45
In 1946 Bernard Bligh takes a boat back to Britain with
hundreds of other "dull-eyed" servicemen. He thinks about
whether he can ever return to the boring life in the bank. By the
second day of the voyage, everyone is seasick. Bernard
develops a medical issue. A pus-filled sore appears on his
genitals and develops into an incredibly painful issue. Bernard
knows that it is sexually transmitted and the result of his visit
to the brothel. He spends the boat ride home fighting off what
he believes to be a syphilis infection and blames "that
wretched whore." The thought of explaining the issue to
Queenie makes him think of suicide.
Chapter 46
Two years pass after Bernard's ship arrives back in Britain. He
rents a room in the southern city of Brighton and stays away
until his syphilis has passed. He provides informal accounting
work for local businesses and visits Maxi's house to watch over
his friend's family. One day he falls sick, and the doctor tells
him that it is nothing but the flu. Syphilis would have killed him
by now. He decides one day to return home and finds himself
on a familiar street that he no longer recognizes. Bernard is led
into the house by a shocked Queenie. He is surprised to see
Queenie with a black woman. Bernard struggles to explain his
long absence. He surveys the changes to Queenie's body and
notices that she has put on weight. She breaks down in tears
when he asks about his father. She explains that she wrote to
him to tell him of the death of Arthur Bligh, but he never
responded. She explains about his father but is shocked by his
lack of reaction. Gilbert Joseph appears at the door to check
on Queenie. Bernard demands to know the identity of the black
man now in his house. Queenie explains who Bernard is. Gilbert
offers a handshake, and Bernard shuts him out of the room.
Chapter 47
The narrative changes to Queenie's perspective. Bernard is
shocked when she does not want to share a bed with him.
Queenie does not know how to react to her husband's return
but immediately notices all of his old habits she grew to hate.
She gives him the newspaper clippings of his father's death.
Small Island Study Guide
Queenie takes Arthur's old bedroom while Bernard stays in
their old bed. Queenie locks the door once she is in her room.
The next morning she finds Bernard talking to Cyril Todd. He
moves things around the house and prepares her a breakfast
of toast to eat together. He immediately begins interrogating
her about the lodgers and is disgusted that she has rented the
rooms to people who are not "respectable." He insists that they
will have to leave and suggests that he and Queenie move out
of London. He mentions starting a rabbit farm, and Queenie is
confused. She feels as though she is being "smothered."
Analysis
Bernard Bligh cannot help but be wrong about everything. One
of his errors is the self-diagnosis he makes on the journey back
to Britain. He catches a disease from the prostitute he visits in
India and notices a pus-filled wound appear on his genitals.
Without visiting a doctor, he diagnoses this as syphilis. The
next two years are spent hiding from Queenie in shame as he
knows that he will be unable to explain to his wife that he has
contracted a disease from a prostitute. Only when he catches
the flu is he told that he does not have syphilis. Bernard is
wrong once again, and this self-diagnosis has cost him two
years of his life. His pride and arrogance have caused him to
stay away from the woman he supposedly loves. Bernard's
errors are typically motivated by hate and racism, but the most
absurd of his mistakes can be blamed entirely on his pig-
headed stupidity.
When Bernard does arrive home, he is shocked to discover
that his house is being rented out to black people. Bernard
notices this but does not immediately ask for an explanation
from Queenie. His first instinct is to talk over the matter with
Cyril Todd who is the next-door neighbor. Todd is a noted
racist who complains that the presence of black people on the
street has prompted him to move. Todd is the man Bernard
relies on for information about the lodgers. He trusts Todd's
judgment on such matters above that of his wife. Only after
consulting with Todd does he feel informed enough to tell
Queenie what he plans to do. Her input and opinion are
irrelevant on the matter. The emphasis Bernard places on
Todd's opinion over Queenie's opinion reveals the lack of value
he places on his wife's judgment. He does not want Queenie's
thoughts on their future or the black lodgers, yet he is willing to
listen to the thoughts of Cyril Todd. Queenie's low opinion of
her neighbor contrasts with Bernard's high opinion of Todd and
shows how incompatible they are as husband and wife.
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 36
Queenie is shocked to hear her husband's plan to start a rabbit
farm. The plan reveals how little Bernard understands his wife.
She moved to London and married Bernard to escape life on a
farm. He arrives home after a long unexplained absence and
immediately announces that he plans to take her right back to
the kind of life she has tried to escape. The idea of returning to
work on a farm after all these years is so patently absurd to
Queenie that she asks her husband to repeat himself. Not only
does the concept of the rabbit farm baffle her, but the thought
of becoming a farm wife reveals to Queenie that her husband
does not understand her desires and motivations. He does not
comprehend why she married him or why she wanted to
escape life on a farm in the first place. Bernard does not care
about other people or empathize with their motivations. His
first instinct on returning home is to thrust his wife back into
the role she has spent her entire life trying to escape.
Chapters 48–50
Summary
Chapter 48
In 1948 Bernard Bligh describes a dream in which he is in bed
with Queenie. They hear a plane, and he knows that it is
Japanese. He imagines the Japanese pilot crashing into the
house. He cannot move for fear, but Queenie sits up and
greets the Japanese pilot "like she's talking to a neighbor."
Then Bernard wakes up.
Chapter 49
The narrative switches to Gilbert Joseph's perspective. He
opens the door to Winston who is the Jamaican man and twin
brother of Kenneth who also rents a room in Queenie's house.
The man launches into a fat tirade and explains that Bernard
has told him to leave the house by tomorrow or the police will
be called. Gilbert is convinced this man is Kenneth, and he has
been tricked by the twin brother. Eventually Kenneth relents
and admits to his real identity. Kenneth is cross that he has to
pay tax at his job and tries to rope Gilbert into a plan to rob the
premises. Gilbert refuses. Kenneth explains that he got into an
altercation with Bernard and was told to leave. Kenneth
refused, knocked Bernard to the floor, and then suggested that
"his wife seem to like the company of black men." Kenneth
wants Gilbert to help him beat Bernard up, but Gilbert insists
Small Island Study Guide
on talking to Queenie. Kenneth leaves, and Hortense and
Gilbert eat. She is not afraid of being kicked out of "this run-
down place."
Chapter 50
The narrative switches to Hortense. She wears her best dress
intending to secure a job as a teacher. She plans to present
her letters of recommendation to the education authorities.
Gilbert offers to accompany her and dresses in his best suit.
He escorts her across London and is told to wait outside while
Hortense enters. She is led to an office where she tries to
explain her situation to a woman behind a desk. After an
awkward conversation, Hortense is told that she is "not
qualified to teach here in England." The woman dismisses her
without answering any more questions. Hortense promises to
return when she is qualified and then turns to leave. She
accidentally walks into a broom closet.
Analysis
Chapters 48 through 50 contain three different perspectives
but reveal the similarities between the characters. Self-
delusion is a characteristic shared by Bernard, Gilbert, and
Hortense although it manifests differently. Bernard's dream
sequence is the shortest chapter but reveals his delusional
fear that his wife is a traitor. He has spent years at war with the
Japanese, and in his dream Queenie greets the Japanese pilot
like a neighbor. This imagined interaction builds on his fear that
Queenie has welcomed black people into his home and
betrayed him to the hordes of non-white, non-British people he
despises. She has done no such thing, but Bernard's self-
delusion has infected his subconscious, and he cannot shake
the idea from his mind.
Gilbert's self-delusion is subtler. He deludes himself into
thinking that his wit and his charm will get him out of any
situation. Kenneth masquerades as Winston and explains to
him that Bernard has decided to kick the Jamaicans out of the
house. Kenneth wants to enlist Gilbert's help in fighting back
against this aggression. Gilbert refuses and insists that he will
talk to Queenie. Gilbert recognizes that attacking Bernard will
not help his situation but mistakenly believes that he has the
charm needed to convince Queenie to cure her husband's
racism. Bernard is an unrepentant racist, and no amount of
second-hand arguments from his wife will convince him
otherwise. The altercation between Bernard and Kenneth only
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 37
hardens this point of view and illustrates the absurdity of
Gilbert's deluded belief that he can talk himself out of the
situation.
Hortense's self-delusion is the most tragic. She visits the
education authorities to present herself in the hopes of finding
a job as a teacher. The interview is a disaster, and she is
completely humiliated. The qualifications she had relied upon
mean nothing because the British do not hold Jamaican
education in high esteem. Hortense bought into a delusion that
suggested that the British are well-mannered, polite people
who will respect her for her eloquence and her etiquette. She
insists that this is the case even when Gilbert tries to warn her.
Hortense has her delusion meticulously taken apart by the
woman in the office who destroys Hortense's world view in a
bored, flippant fashion. The most tragic element of Hortense's
delusion is that the woman in the office barely pays her any
attention. The woman treats the interaction as an afternoon
distraction. For Hortense the interview felt like the end of the
world.
Chapters 51–53
Summary
Chapter 51
In 1948 Gilbert Joseph watches Hortense leave the office of
the education authority. She holds her head high for four steps
before breaking into a desperate dash through the crowd.
Gilbert follows as she drops her letters of recommendation in
the street. Hortense runs away from him, and he catches up.
He tries to comfort Hortense, but she refuses to tell him what
happened. Instead she breaks into tears, and Gilbert cannot
bring himself to point out that he was right. They sit on a bench
together, and people stare at them. He comforts Hortense and
manages for the first time to make her smile and laugh. Gilbert
takes Hortense on a double-decker bus around London to
cheer her up. In Trafalgar Square pigeons land on Hortense's
head. She marvels at Buckingham Palace and notices people
staring at her. Gilbert points out that the king in the palace has
the same problem. They have tea and cake in a café and talk
about life in London. Gilbert suggests that she take a job while
studying for her teaching qualifications in Europe. He realizes
that he has convinced himself that he will study law one day,
Small Island Study Guide
but he has done nothing to achieve this dream. After a moment
of reflection, they begin their conversation again.
Chapter 52
The narrative switches to Bernard Bligh as he breaks into
Gilbert's room. His mother used to sit in this room and sew. His
father had been born in the room. He feels as though he has
been a "poor steward" of the family home. It has fallen into
disrepair and now has non-white people living in it. He believes
that "the war was fought so people might live amongst their
own kind." Bernard does not hear Gilbert and Hortense return
home. After a moment of awkward silence, Gilbert insists that
Bernard cannot just enter. Bernard disagrees. An argument
breaks out, and Bernard insists that Gilbert has to leave
because he is selling the house. During the argument Bernard
makes a snide comment to Hortense. Gilbert pushes him so
Bernard pushes back. Queenie rushes in, and Gilbert asks her
about what is happening. Bernard tries to interject, but
Queenie tells him to "shut up." The fight stops when Queenie
bends double with a pain in her abdomen. Gilbert and Hortense
try to help, but Bernard shoves them out of the way. Queenie
tells him to leave and asks Hortense for help. Hortense leads
her from the room as Bernard bounces angrily around.
Chapter 53
Hortense locks Bernard in the small bedroom as per Queenie's
request. Hortense is worried about Queenie who is writhing in
agony. Queenie asks to be led to a bed and admits that she
knows what is wrong with her. Hortense is embarrassed as
Queenie begins to undress. Queenie removes her blouse to
reveal a bandage wrapped around her midriff. Hortense
realizes that Queenie is pregnant and about to give birth.
Hortense takes control of the situation. She boils water in a
kettle while Bernard thumps on the inside of the door and
demands information. Hortense ignores him. She knows that
this birth does not concern Bernard. There is no way he could
be the father. Hortense attends to Queenie as the baby begins
to appear. Queenie gives birth, and Hortense cradles the baby
but somehow keeps her best dress clean. Hortense hands the
baby to Queenie. As Hortense searches for a blanket for the
baby, a smear of blood and fluids lands on her dress. Hortense
tries to console herself as Queenie cleans the baby and
announces that it is a boy. Hortense examines the baby and
tells Queenie that "your baby is black." Queenie seems not to
hear. Bernard and Gilbert make noise outside the room, and
Hortense asks whether she should unlock the door.
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 38
Analysis
Hortense's trip to the education authority is a tragedy that
becomes a pivotal moment in her relationship with Gilbert. The
young married couple is not affectionate with one another.
They barely agree on any matters, and their marriage is more
of a convenience than a romantic endeavor. This absence of
affection is brought to a head when Hortense is embarrassed
in the education authority offices. Gilbert tries to console her
when she runs from the building. His inner thoughts reveal that
he chooses not to mock Hortense. He offers her comfort and
empathy, and in doing so he elicits a smile from his wife for the
first time. The haughty, proud woman who looks down her
nose at everyone has had her sense of identity shattered.
Hortense is forced to come to terms with the fact that her
manners and her Jamaican qualifications mean next to nothing
in a country that will always judge her by the color of her skin
and her accent. Gilbert understands this, and the comfort he
provides comes from his experiences. He helps Hortense
realize that Britain is not wholly bad and hostile. Their tour of
London allows him to teach her about the intricacies of life in
Britain. Hortense has her moment of understanding when her
husband provides comfort, but Gilbert has a moment of his
own. He explains to Hortense that she can work other jobs
while pursuing her English teaching qualifications. He plans to
do exactly that with a law degree. The moment Gilbert says
this, he realizes that he has done nothing to pursue his dream
and that he is nothing but a "big talk buffoon." Hortense has
her moment of clarity, and Gilbert has his. The shared empathy
that emerges between them means that the husband and wife
can now turn to one another for support. The events of the day
force both characters into a moment of clarity but also reveal
that they have more support and sympathy than they might
have expected.
Bernard breaks into the room rented by Gilbert and Hortense.
He views himself as the rightful owner of the home and
dismisses any idea of privacy or renters' rights. Bernard
considers himself the natural-born owner of the property. As
such he has the right to enter any room as he pleases and take
what he likes. Bernard's point of view is a product of his
imperial sympathies. He enters other people's rooms to seize
control just as Britain entered and controlled Jamaica and
India. Bernard has explained that he believes British white
people are naturally more suited to ruling and ownership so the
way he enters his lodgers' rooms emerges naturally from his
views about the empire. Bernard considers himself more
Small Island Study Guide
important than the black people who enter the room just as he
considers British people more intelligent than the Indian
people. His actions might seem illegal or absurd to Gilbert or
Hortense, but Bernard is operating entirely within his own
mindset. He can see no reason why a white British man should
not be able to do as he pleases at the expense of anyone else.
The birth of Queenie's baby boy is Bernard's worst nightmare
made real. Not only does Bernard consider black people to be
naturally inferior to him, but he is insecure about himself. The
idea that his wife has had an affair with a person he considers
so naturally beneath him attacks his self-importance. Bernard
considers Queenie to be an intelligent, competent, and
sensible woman. The idea that she might have an affair with a
black man does not compute in his mind. The baby arrives at a
moment when Bernard is demonstrating his racist views. He
flings all manner of insults and slurs at Gilbert while trying to
kick the lodgers out of the house. He is shocked when Queenie
does not immediately take his side in the argument because
his idea of Queenie is that of a person who naturally agrees
with his views. Not only does she disagree, but she almost
immediately gives birth to a black baby. During the birth
Bernard is locked out of the room. The exclusion of Bernard is
a physical representation of his emotional state. He is locked
out of the room in a physical sense, but he is also locked out of
a true understanding of Queenie. For his entire marriage, he
has been standing on the other side of the door trying to
understand his wife. Bernard and Queenie have never had a
true understanding, and the moment of birth becomes a
realization of the distance between them. Bernard is forced to
endure his worst nightmare. His wife gives birth to a black baby
while he is locked inside a room in his home. He has no control,
no understanding, and no support.
Chapters 54–56
Summary
Chapter 54
In 1948 Gilbert Joseph reflects on the aftermath of the birth.
He sees Hortense covered in blood and hears her tell Bernard
Bligh that he can see his wife now. Hortense walks haughtily
up to the bedroom, and Gilbert worries that Queenie has
insulted his wife. He visits Queenie and notices the skin color
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 39
of the baby. Gilbert begins to understand and offers to fetch a
doctor. Bernard has "true pain" in his eyes. He slams Gilbert
against a wall while Gilbert protests his innocence. They
exchange blows, and Bernard is sent staggering backward.
Gilbert knocks Bernard to the floor and declares that the baby
has "nothing to do with me." Bernard replies that it has
everything to do with "you and your kind." Gilbert pities Bernard
who glares at him with "unmistakable hate." Gilbert abandons
him and climbs the stairs to his room. His suit is ruined, and he
is soaked in blood. Hortense exits the room and announces
that she is leaving. She tells Gilbert that he disgusts her. He
tries to chase after her but treads on a nail. He hops around in
pain as he tries to explain that he has only been in England for
seven months. Hortense leaves, and he hobbles after her
through the streets and realizes that he is still covered in
blood. He spots Hortense as she tries not to look lost, and he
realizes that she does not have a plan. A car stops beside her,
and the driver makes Hortense a proposition. She is horrified
and jumps into Gilbert's arms. He slams the roof of the car and
tells the driver that "this woman is not your whore."
Chapter 55
The narrative switches to Queenie who believes that Bernard
is owed an explanation. She remembers how lonely she had
been after Arthur's death as she had begun to believe that
Bernard would never return. A knock on the door one day
revealed Michael Roberts. They became reacquainted, and
Michael explained how he had crashed in a plane during the
war then went into hiding until peace broke out. Queenie
returned Michael's wallet, and he explained that he had lost his
whole family in a hurricane. They stayed together for three
days before Michael left for Canada. Queenie knew that she
was pregnant, and she hid the changes in her body. She
explains all of this to Bernard who listens silently. Once she is
finished, he gets up and leaves without a word.
Chapter 56
The narrative switches back to Gilbert. Winston visits him with
a business proposition. He wants to buy a house in North
London and hopes that Gilbert will run and maintain the
building. Winston cannot pay Gilbert, but Gilbert and Hortense
will pay very little rent and work when they can. Gilbert accepts
and takes a detour while working to check on the house. He
thinks the house is "a palace" compared to his old home
although it does need fixing up. He worries what Hortense will
say. She is keen to leave Queenie's house and the confusing
Small Island Study Guide
situation. Her willingness to move into the rundown home and
eagerness to help fix it up surprise Gilbert. That night Hortense
invites Gilbert to share the bed, and they lie down together.
She kisses him and strokes his leg while asking about the new
house.
Analysis
Michael Roberts lives the life that Bernard Bligh always
wanted. Arthur Bligh used to tell his son stories of "derring-do"
that enraptured Bernard and imbued a sense of adventure in
his personality. Bernard grew up to become a dull bank clerk
whose experience in the war ended in embarrassment and
shame. There were few moments worthy of the excitement
that a phrase like "derring-do" hopes to convey. The only
moment Bernard found himself close to such excitement was
when he sat up all night in the jungle listening to a man slowly
die. Bernard did not help the man. Queenie explains Michael's
life story, and she uses the phrase "heroic derring-do" to
describe the way he crash-landed during the war and survived
by hiding from the enemy for years. Michael's war stories are
the kind of exciting, commendable tales that Bernard had
always hoped to replicate but never could. Bernard similarly
wanted to have children and be a good lover to Queenie. He
failed in both of these aims, but Michael succeeded. Michael
fathered a child with Queenie and spent days in bed with her in
a way that Bernard could only dream of. Michael was the
father, the lover, and the hero that Bernard always wanted to
be but could never make himself into. The idea that a black
man should so naturally succeed where Bernard has failed is a
particularly stinging blow to Bernard's identity. He has been
beaten and outshined by a man he naturally considers to be his
inferior.
Bernard departs from Queenie in silence. He listens to her side
of the story without a word and then quietly stands and leaves.
There is nothing he has to say to her that will improve his
situation or mend the damage done to his self-image. Michael
is the man he wants to be, and all Bernard can provide is
silence. Bernard's silence has bothered Queenie for years. He
never spoke to her or said anything interesting while they lived
together. At that time Bernard's silence was a reason why she
grew to hate his presence. In the end Bernard's silence
becomes the last gift he can bestow upon her. Silence is all
Queenie could ever rely on Bernard to provide so the silence
transitions from being a character flaw to a relief. Queenie
relishes Bernard's silence as it confirms him as the man she
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 40
knew and hated thereby justifying her actions to some degree.
Michael's baby has the power to bring together the household
just as it begins to break apart. Michael and Hortense grew up
together as almost brother and sister. Through sheer
coincidence Queenie met Michael and gave birth to his child.
Neither Hortense nor Queenie knows about this shared
relationship and Hortense still believes that Michael is dead.
Queenie's baby is a blood relation of Hortense because she is
Michael's cousin. Gilbert, Hortense, and Queenie are now
technically related. They have lived together as strangers and
friends for months without ever realizing that there might be a
deeper bond between them. Gilbert accepts a new job and
finds a new home soon after the birth of the baby. The arrival
of the little boy makes them a family and comes just at the
moment when it appears as though they are about to break
apart. The missed opportunities and coincidences have
followed these characters around the world only to have them
all under one roof for only a short time.
Chapters 57–59
Summary
Chapter 57
In 1948 Bernard Bligh watches his wife care for the baby that is
not his. He lurks around the house reflecting on his "dreadful
homecoming" and avoiding his wife. A sense of numbness
overcomes him, and he feels nothing. One day he passes the
bedroom and hears the baby stir. Queenie is asleep so he slips
inside to check on the child. The baby is about to cry and wake
Queenie so Bernard comforts him as best he can. Bernard
turns around to see Queenie watching him. He decides to tell
her that he was in prison and explains everything in a soft,
quiet voice as he soothes the baby. Queenie asks why he has
taken so long to tell her the truth. Bernard picks up the baby,
places it in her arms, apologizes for not having been "a better
husband," and then leaves the room. Queenie thanks him.
Chapter 58
The narrative switches to Queenie. Gilbert Joseph and
Hortense have announced that they are going to move out.
She is glad Bernard has told her about his experiences and
feels that they can be more honest in each other's company.
Small Island Study Guide
He wants to sell the house and move to the suburbs. Queenie
worries that Gilbert and Hortense no longer trust or like her.
She invites them to sit with her for a quick cup of tea, but
Bernard's presence makes the situation awkward. Queenie
asks him to fetch the tea, and he is so shocked that he leaves
the room. Queenie tries to make conversation with Gilbert and
Hortense. Queenie then shows them the baby and reveals that
his name is Michael. The name makes Hortense flinch. Gilbert
explains that she has a brother named Michael who was killed
in the war. Queenie watches Hortense and Gilbert with the
baby and realizes that they look "so right with him." She goes
to the kitchen and runs into Bernard who is bringing the tea.
The four adults sit and drink tea. Queenie suddenly asks
Hortense whether she and Gilbert "will take" the baby and raise
him as their son. She begs the Jamaican couple, but they are
too shocked to agree. Bernard is equally astonished and insists
that the baby has a home. Queenie argues that there is no way
she and Bernard can raise the baby. She begs again for the
sake of her "darling little baby's life."
Chapter 59
The narrative switches to Hortense who admits that she "never
dreamed England would be like this." Gilbert lifts a tear-
streaked Queenie from her knees and asks her how she could
offer to give up her baby. He places a comforting arm around
her shoulders, and Bernard demands that he remove his "filthy
black hands." The two men square off again as Queenie flees
the room. Hortense is left holding the crying baby. The men
argue and Gilbert appeals to Bernard to abandon his racism.
The strength of the words makes Hortense see her husband in
a new light, as a "man of class, a man of character." Bernard
claims he cannot understand Gilbert's words. Gilbert takes the
baby from Hortense, hands it to Bernard, and guides his wife
out of the room. He runs upstairs, sits on a step, and says
"damn them." They agree to take the child and raise it just as
Hortense was raised by her aunt and uncle. Gilbert and
Hortense pack up their remaining possessions and take the
baby to their new home. Hortense discovers a bundle of cash
and a photograph of Queenie inside the baby's nappy. She
decides to keep both a secret as the van pulls away with
Gilbert, Hortense, and the baby inside.
Analysis
Bernard Bligh's first interactions with the baby prompt an
unexpected reaction. Bernard has revealed himself to be a
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Chapter Summaries 41
virulent racist throughout the novel so his wife giving birth to a
mixed-race baby may have made him angry. Instead Bernard
finds himself emotionally numb. He wanders through the house
like a ghost and is unable to process the reality of the situation.
He then interacts with the baby and finds himself caring for
and coddling the small boy. He surprises himself and Queenie
with his almost loving treatment of a child he knows cannot be
his own. The anger she expects to see in Bernard is replaced
by a quiet gentleness. The baby represents all of Bernard's
worst nightmares because a person of a race that he
considers inferior has impregnated his wife and destroyed his
marriage. Yet he cannot bring himself to hate the baby and
finds that the baby brings out honesty in him that he might
never have found. Bernard explains the reality of his time in
India and the shame of his past by disguising his words in a
baby voice. The contrast between his racist views and his
treatment of the mixed-race child highlights the unexpected
nature of his sudden honesty and suggests that Bernard might
one day be able to come to terms with the way his racist views
negatively impact other people.
Queenie tries to give her baby away to Gilbert Joseph and
Hortense. The proposed adoption causes a scene. Bernard's
temporary tenderness fades, and his contempt for non-white
people returns. Gilbert appeals to Bernard's better nature and
provides a lengthy explanation of how racism is hollow and
harmful. Gilbert provides Bernard with an opportunity to
redeem himself and turn away from the racism which has
defined so much of his past. Gilbert's words are so eloquent
that they completely change Hortense's perception of her
husband and make her think that he might be capable of great
accomplishments. At this moment Gilbert becomes the well-
spoken lawyer he has always dreamed of becoming as he puts
his case to the court of public opinion. Gilbert presents
Bernard with this opportunity to make everybody's lives better.
The moment is an opportunity for Bernard to also find some
kind of redemption. Bernard turns the moment into a racist
insult. He begins to apologize before completing his sentence
and insisting that he has not understood a word Gilbert has
said. Bernard rejects the opportunity at redemption. He proves
himself to be an irredeemable racist and confirms that he
cannot raise a mixed-race baby no matter how much he
seemingly cares for the child. Bernard will always feel the child
is different and will grow to resent him. The dismissal of
Gilbert's eloquent appeal justifies Queenie's plea that the black
couple should adopt her baby and condemns Bernard to a life
of misery. He will never get what he wants whether he wants a
Small Island Study Guide
son or inner peace. His racism will always taint everything he
achieves.
Queenie's parting gift to her son is a large sum of money and a
photograph of herself. Hortense accepts these gifts but keeps
them hidden. She is the product of an illegitimate relationship
herself, and she sympathizes with the child who will grow up
not knowing his true parents. Her experiences being raised by
her aunt and uncle inform her decision to keep Queenie's gifts
hidden. They will be put away for the child's future, and
Hortense's past as an adopted child means that Queenie can
trust her to do the right thing. Neither the money nor the
photograph ensures that the child will have a happy life, but the
intelligent and empathetic way in which Hortense reacts to
uncovering the gift reveals that she is mature and
knowledgeable enough to raise the child with love and care.
The gift provides material support for the baby's future while
Hortense's reaction assures that the baby will also receive the
right emotional support.
g Quotes
"It was warm and slightly sweaty
like anyone else's."
— Queenie, Prologue
The first time Queenie encounters a person of another race,
she is surrounded by misinformed preconceptions and people
who are unwilling to entertain the idea that white and black
people may be similar. The experience is a formative one for
Queenie. Her later interactions with people of color will be
informed by the time she shook the hand of a black man at the
British Empire Exhibition. She discovered that the handshake
was just like shaking the hand of "anyone else," and this
teaches her that there is a common humanity that transcends
her ideas of race. Something as simple as a handshake can be
enjoyed by people no matter the color of their skin. A common,
polite gesture lays the foundation for Queenie's ideas of race
that become more complicated throughout the novel.
"No living person should ever see
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Quotes 42
the underside of a tree."
— Hortense, Chapter 3
The aftermath of the hurricane reveals the physical and
emotional toll that it has taken on the island and the
characters. Hortense has seen the closeness of Stella Ryder
and Michael Roberts and has begun to suspect that the man
she loves is having an affair with the white American woman.
The underside of the tree becomes a symbol of Hortense's
emotional distress. The raw, tangled roots that have been
ripped from the ground symbolize Hortense's emotional pain.
The underside of the tree and the relationship between Stella
and Michael have been revealed by the hurricane, and
Hortense is horrified that she has had to witness either.
"We have a deal."
— Gilbert Joseph, Chapter 7
The hastily arranged marriage between Hortense and Gilbert
Joseph is framed as a mutually beneficial business deal.
Hortense agrees to lend Gilbert the money to travel to
England, and she wishes to follow him at a later date but fears
traveling as an unmarried woman. Their marriage is not based
on love or romance. Hortense speaks to Gilbert on their
wedding night and asks for assurance that he will send for her
when he is established in England. The only assurance Gilbert
can offer is the deal they agreed upon. The handshake
becomes more important to the marriage than love. The
marriage has cost Hortense the friendship of Celia Langley,
and she has forsaken the idea of love so the business aspect
of the arrangement is more important than anything. Gilbert's
statement that "we have a deal" is Hortense's justification for
her rash and unpredictable actions as well as the only hope
she has to cling to.
"They're only lodgers."
— Queenie, Chapter 9
Queenie and Cyril Todd think of Hortense and Gilbert Joseph
Small Island Study Guide
very differently. Queenie sees the Jamaican couple as lodgers
in her house as well as something of a novelty. She laughs and
makes jokes with them, and she thinks a few inwardly
prejudiced thoughts, but she fundamentally views black people
as people. Todd does not offer any non-white non-Briton that
same privilege. He does not want to meet, know, or familiarize
himself with Hortense and Gilbert. They are aberrations to be
removed from the neighborhood. Todd complains over and
over about their presence, but he is ignored. He is not alone in
his sentiments, and other neighbors begin to sell their houses
due to the changing racial demographics of the neighborhood.
Todd's views represent the dominant mode of thought for
most working-class Londoners. The immigrants are not "only
lodgers." In his opinion they are a herald of a wretched future.
"Everyone fighting a war hates."
— Gilbert Joseph, Chapter 16
Gilbert Joseph understands that hatred is an essential
component of war but nothing has prepared him for the hatred
of Americans toward black people. Gilbert draws a parallel
between the hatred the British feel for the Germans on the
other side of the war and the hatred the Americans feel toward
people like him. This parallel reframes American race relations
as though they are a war being fought on a different front. The
prevalence of segregation and race laws and the racist
attitudes of all the Americans Gilbert meets reveal to him the
extreme nature of the war. Gilbert experiences a lot of racism
in Britain, but he differentiates this racism from the raw,
burning hatred that he feels from Americans.
"Palm trees that tourists thought
rested so beautiful on every shore
were my prison bars."
— Gilbert Joseph, Chapter 18
Gilbert Joseph has seen too much of the world to ever call
Jamaica home again. The time he has spent in Britain and
America have shown him that there is a wider world filled with
opportunity even if that world happens to be prejudiced
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Quotes 43
against him. Gilbert often finds himself wishing that he was
anywhere else. He wants to be in Britain while in America. He
wants to be in Jamaica while in Britain, and he dreams of
returning to Britain now that he is back in Jamaica. This sense
of restlessness matches his ambitions and makes the imagery
of the island feel like a prison. The trappings that might seem
like paradise to many people become reminders of his
limitations. The palm trees that appear beautiful to tourists only
reiterate that Gilbert is trapped on the island with no future.
Gilbert's restlessness and ambition turn him against his
homeland and make him dream of a different place to live.
"Later it was the peck from the
chicken's beak."
— Queenie, Chapter 25
Kisses from Bernard are like being pecked on the cheek by a
chicken. The cold, harsh, and painful image of Queenie's
intimate moments with her husband also conjure ideas of life
on the farm. Queenie spent her childhood helping her parents.
She gathered eggs, swept out the hen houses, and picked up
the dead bodies of chickens that died of sickness. The sense
of being pecked by a chicken when kissed by Bernard
immediately makes Queenie think of the animals on the farm.
The intimate moments in the bedroom with Bernard are as
romantic as cleaning a chicken shed and feel just as much like
work. Queenie married Bernard so as not to return to the farm
but has discovered that her sex life and her marriage are so
much like work that she feels as though she never left.
"Not everything the English do is
good."
— Gilbert Joseph, Chapter 32
Gilbert Joseph and Hortense arrive in England at different
times but with the same preconceptions. While in Jamaica they
develop an idea of England that suggests that England is a
wonderful, rich land of opportunity. They arrive in England and
discover that the miserable, racist, English people constantly
insult, humiliate, and mistreat Jamaicans. Gilbert has been in
Small Island Study Guide
England longer than his wife and has come to terms with the
reality of life in England. He teaches her an important lesson
that "not everything the English do is good" in the hope that
she can destroy her preconceptions about England. Once
Hortense unlearns what she knows about England, she can
begin to learn about the benefits of living in the country.
"I, as a visitor to this country,
should step off the pavement into
the road."
— Hortense, Chapter 33
Hortense learns that her race is more important in England
than her manners. She has been raised to value politeness and
good manners above all else. She believes in the correct
etiquette that she was taught at school and judges anyone
who does not measure up to her high standards. The
conversation with Queenie teaches her that her black skin
means that her manners are rendered moot. She is expected
to clear the sidewalk for an English man because she is
considered "a visitor to this country" even though this goes
against everything Hortense was taught. Hortense might judge
people by their manners, but people in England judge her by
the color of her skin.
"Bloody fools, I tell them, what
were they doing?"
— Bernard Bligh, Chapter 41
Bernard Bligh has a sense of self-importance. He considers
himself smarter and more capable than everyone else even
when he is proven wrong. During the fire in the camp, he tries
to teach the fireman how to correctly deal with the fire and has
to be dragged away before his insistent arrogance causes
more damage. He then attacks a local man in the belief that
the man knows who started the fire. Bernard is dragged away
again before he can kill the individual, and he curses the men
who interrupted his brutal interrogation. He calls them fools
and is convinced that the man was just about to talk. He has no
proof for his claims but insists that he is right. Bernard's quote
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Quotes 44
can be applied to any situation in which he finds himself. The
quote reveals the self-importance at the heart of Bernard's
character.
"Nothing for it, I just threw the
money at the wretched whore,
then left."
— Bernard Bligh, Chapter 44
Bernard Bligh visits a brothel and hires a prostitute only to be
overcome by shame and regret. The interaction with the young
girl reveals many of his worst traits. His racist attitudes turn her
into an object that he abuses for his sexual gratification. His
sense of self-importance values his emotional reaction to his
violent tendencies above his own. His domestic sexual
frustrations spill over into an aggressive intimate moment with
a girl he only later realizes is barely a teenager. His love of the
British empire is reflected in his belief that he can simply throw
money at the girl and leave without addressing any of the pain
or damage he has caused. The visit to the brothel exposes
Bernard's numerous character flaws and prejudices and brings
them to a terrifying, bitter climax. With nowhere left to turn,
Bernard now believes that there is "nothing for it," and he has
reached his lowest point.
"She looked older."
— Bernard Bligh, Chapter 46
Bernard Bligh sees Queenie for the first time in years and
immediately begins to take stock of the changes that have
taken place. He assesses her physical form and notes the
changes and the decline. Bernard has always had trouble
viewing other people as people. He surveys his wife like he
surveys his house and notes the alterations and decline with an
eye to how it affects the overall value of the property. He does
not think about how his unexplained absence might have aged
Queenie, and he does not inquire as to her well-being. He
returns to his role as a bank clerk and carefully moves
numbers around in the ledger that determines the value of his
wife. Bernard views Queenie less as a person and more as his
Small Island Study Guide
property so her older appearance should be accounted for in
the books like everything else.
"No one will watch us weep in this
country."
— Gilbert Joseph, Chapter 51
The comfort that Gilbert provides to Hortense reveals that he
also has a streak of pride in him. The mistreatment of Gilbert
by British society has imbued him with a determined pride that
refuses to allow his attackers to see him suffer. He does not
want to allow the people who bully and abuse him to see that
their words and actions affect him. Hortense may be more
explicitly and outwardly proud, but Gilbert has an inner reserve
of pride that is forged in his experiences of racism and abuse.
The comfort he provides to Hortense draws from this inner
reserve, and he refuses to allow British society to see either of
them weep.
"It is a favorite name of mine."
— Hortense, Chapter 58
The connection between Hortense, Queenie, and the baby is
left concealed. The closest the truth comes to being revealed
is the name of Michael. Hortense loved Michael Roberts both
romantically and as a cousin, but she believes that he is dead.
Queenie loved Michael for showing her a different way to exist
and a different way to love. The two women loved the same
man and spent time together not knowing that they held
Michael in common. The baby becomes an expression of this
missing connection. Both women have different reasons to
love the name Michael, but the reasons are almost the same.
The baby's name becomes a deliberate tribute to the man and
an unconscious tribute to the interconnected nature of the
characters' lives.
"I tapped again, this time calling
her name."
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Themes 45
— Hortense, Chapter 59
Hortense knocks at Queenie's door in a role reversal of one of
their first encounters. The day Hortense arrived in England, she
knocked on Queenie's door and was confused when Queenie
answered. At that time Hortense was lost and alone in a
strange new world. Hortense leaves the house with a husband,
a baby, and a future. She has found her place in the world and
finds herself knocking once again on Queenie's door. This time
Queenie does not answer. The roles have been reversed, and
Queenie is now the person who is lost, alone, and scared.
Hortense taps on the door and calls out to Queenie, but there
is no answer. The two scenes act as bookends on the story of
Hortense's time learning how to live in England.
m Themes
Race and Racism
Small Island portrays the negative effects of racism from the
perspectives of those suffering from it and those inflicting it on
others. Race and racism are portrayed from the points of view
of black characters, white characters, and people of mixed-
race heritage. Queenie and Bernard Bligh are white, and they
carry with them racist views both wittingly and unwittingly.
Gilbert Joseph and Hortense deal with different forms of
racism and depend on one another to cope with the prejudice
they experience. Gilbert and Hortense suffer from and deal
with racism differently just as Queenie and Bernard
acknowledge and react to racism differently. The nuances of
race and racism become a key theme throughout the book as
a result.
Gilbert and Hortense are central characters in the novel. Each
of them has a passage of the book which is dedicated to their
past and their perspective. These perspectives allow the
characters to detail the racism they experience and how they
think about race. Gilbert's perspective is complicated by his
ancestry. He is a dark-skinned man, but he has a mixed-race
Jewish father. When Gilbert is in Jamaica, this slight nuance is
enough to distinguish him from other black Jamaicans even if it
does not necessarily make him the victim of racism. Gilbert
Small Island Study Guide
grows up with an awareness that race is a nuanced and
important part of his identity but believes that it is only a part of
a larger whole. His social class, his personality, and his actions
have a greater say in how he is viewed by society.
Hortense's experience with racism is slightly different but
helps to illustrate the nuances of racial identity which exist in
Jamaica but not in Britain. Hortense is the illegitimate product
of an affair between a local government official and a poor
woman. Both of her parents are black, but Hortense's mother
is dark-skinned while her father is light-skinned. Hortense is
born with a skin tone similar to her father, and her light-skinned
racial identity is constructed for her from a young age. Her
mother and her family recognize that her light skin means that
she might have a better chance at success in society so they
send her away to live with her father's relatives. Before
Hortense can even speak, her racial identity is created for her.
Society assumes that she will benefit because her skin is
lighter than that of her poor mother. In a predominantly black
society like Jamaica, the nuances of racial identity operate
differently to race in England. Hortense would be considered
black in England, but Jamaican society allows for nuance
within the scope of black identity.
Queenie and Bernard are also central characters in the novel.
Queenie prides herself on her lack of racist views. She is
friends with black people and assures them that she is happy
to be seen with them in public. Her patronizing tone reminds
Gilbert and Hortense that she still views them as different and
other in some fashion. Queenie is aware of the racial
difference between herself and black people and tries her best
to rise above racism although she does not always succeed.
Her efforts are well-meaning but occasionally misplaced and
awkward. Queenie represents a well-intentioned effort to
overcome racism but reveals the extent to which greater
understanding and empathy are needed because Queenie
rarely seeks advice from black people and rarely allows them
to lead her actions. Her efforts to beat racism contrast with her
husband's unrepentant prejudice.
Bernard hates anyone who is not wealthy, white, and British.
The chapters that focus on Bernard show that he hates black
people, poor people, Indian people, and many others. He
believes himself naturally superior to people of other races
even though he has achieved nothing in his life which might
justify this position. He is a dull and unambitious man who is
trapped in a loveless and sexless marriage to a woman who
does not like him. Yet Bernard cannot entertain the idea that
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Themes 46
someone like Gilbert or Michael Roberts might be better than
him in any way. Bernard is offered the chance to change or
evolve his racist views. The climax of the story involves an
impassioned plea from Gilbert for Bernard to abandon his
racism. Gilbert is eloquent, energized, and impressive. His
speech is enough for Hortense to think that the foolish man
she married might one day be capable of great deeds. Bernard
ignores Gilbert. He is unrepentant in his racism, and he refuses
to change. He continues to wield his racism like a weapon and
uses it to punish people he does not like. Ultimately Bernard is
punished. His demonstration of racism leads to Gilbert and
Hortense adopting Queenie's baby. Bernard is left behind with
a wife who hates him and the lingering embarrassment and
shame of his failure as a person.
Manners and Etiquette
Manners and etiquette dictate how a person should operate in
society. This theme is treated differently by different
characters. Some believe in manners while others do not.
Hortense is the best embodiment of this theme. She treats
manners and etiquette as a demonstration of character. She
believes in good manners and politeness above all else, but this
view is undermined by her actions. Hortense may act as though
she values manners and politeness, but she does not hesitate
to betray her friends and undermine social institutions in the
pursuit of her selfish ambitions. Hortense makes a business
proposal to Gilbert Joseph who is her friend's boyfriend. She
offers to pay for his boat fare to England on the condition that
he marry her. She will then follow him to England in a short
time because she does not want to make the journey as an
unmarried woman. Hortense has betrayed Celia, stolen her
dreams and her boyfriend, and then agreed to marry a man she
does not love to move halfway around the world. Hortense is
not polite in these moments. She uses etiquette as an excuse
to marry Gilbert and demonstrates that the social institution of
marriage means nothing to her. Hortense is manipulative,
ambitious, and unafraid of justifying her actions using the
manners and etiquette she learned in school.
This dependence on etiquette is a shield for Hortense. She
grew up in an unloving household after being abandoned by
her mother, her father, and her cousin Michael Roberts. She
has lost everyone she loves, and all she has left is manners.
Small Island Study Guide
She uses social politeness and the rules she learned in school
to keep everyone at a distance. Hortense does not allow her
husband Gilbert to touch or kiss her because she believes this
is inappropriate. Manners and etiquette are coping devices
Hortense uses to manipulate the world around her. She hopes
to move to England in search of success. She sees England as
a place that can match her ambition and her devotion to
politeness and manners even if she will not or cannot admit to
herself the reality of her relationship with etiquette.
Hortense is a deluded person. She acts selfishly and blames
her behavior on manners and etiquette. Her delusions extend
further than this when she travels to England. She expects that
she will be immediately welcomed because she has learned
and practiced all of the arcane rules of polite society. She
believes that her eloquence and her manners will make her a
success. Hortense arrives in England and is forced to confront
her delusion. People cannot understand her accent, they
patronize her, they treat her impolitely, and no one adheres to
the strict system of etiquette in which she has entirely invested
herself. Hortense discovers that her manners or her politeness
are not important to others. Instead she is viewed entirely
through the lens of skin color. People see her race above all
else and treat her accordingly. Even a proclaimed non-racist
such as Queenie constantly points to Hortense's race as the
most important part of her character. Hortense's worst
moment occurs when she visits the education authority. She
has her letters of recommendation which are physical
representations of Hortense's understanding of manners and
etiquette. The letters mean nothing, and Hortense is laughed
out of the building. She drops the letters in the street, and she
struggles to pick them up. This moment becomes a
manifestation of Hortense's confrontation between delusion
and reality. The physical representations of her politeness and
manners are scattered in the street like her broken ideas of
English society. Hortense must pick up her ideas from the
ground and recreate herself more realistically. Her delusions
are torn apart and scattered through the street, and Hortense
needs to rebuild herself and her future while grasping for the
idea of what she once was.
Redemption and Forgiveness
The characters in Small Island are very different, but they all
Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.
Themes 47
share regret for events in their past. Their inner shame and
regrets guide them through life as they search for a route to
redemption or forgiveness. Queenie has an affair and becomes
pregnant. Bernard is imprisoned and disappears for years.
Gilbert enters into a sham marriage, and Hortense betrays her
best friend Celia Langley. These past mistakes threaten the
characters' futures. They must be resolved before the
characters can hope to find happiness. Not every character
finds redemption or achieves forgiveness, but the shared need
for redemption and forgiveness makes them important themes
in the novel.
The birth of Queenie's baby is the moment when all of the
characters must confront their pasts. The baby represents
many of the most pressing regrets. Queenie knows that the
baby represents the one moment of passion in her life but
acknowledges that there is no way she can raise an illegitimate
mixed-race child in a racist society. Bernard sees the baby as
proof of his failures as a man and a husband, and his growing
affection for the baby cannot mask the extreme racism he has
exhibited throughout the book. Gilbert is asked to adopt the
baby but knows that this would further complicate the sham of
a marriage between him and his wife. Even though their
relationship has been improving, he is torn between selfishly
ignoring the problem and accepting the baby. Hortense
perhaps has the most empathy for the child. She was an
illegitimate baby given up by her mother for the chance at a
better life. The adoption of the baby presents Hortense with
the opportunity to provide a caring, loving home that she never
experienced. Many of Hortense's flaws can be traced back to
her cold, distant upbringing. The adoption of the baby is a
chance for her to achieve redemption for her past sins by
correcting the defining sin in her own life.
Gilbert and Hortense accept the offer, and they leave the
house with the baby. Redemption and forgiveness are not
assured for either of them, but the willingness to provide a
loving home for a poor child means that their actions go some
way to address their past mistakes. The growing bond
between Hortense and Gilbert suggests that their marriage
might not be so much of a sham after all, and the baby
becomes a physical representation of the growing bond
between the husband and wife as well as a shared investment
in the success of the marriage. Both Hortense and Gilbert now
have more than just their self-interest riding on the marriage so
they have more of a reason to make their marriage work. They
forgive each other for the sins and transgressions they have
committed, and the baby allows them to forgive themselves.
Small Island Study Guide Themes 48

Queenie makes a great sacrifice. She gives up the one person

in the world whom she truly loves. Her sacrifice is a benevolent
action. She knows that she and Bernard cannot provide the
baby with the life he deserves. Even in the short time since the
birth, the baby has made Queenie happier than she has been in
years, but she is willing to give this up. The affair she had with
Michael Roberts emerged from her unsatisfying marriage to
Bernard. Queenie is condemning herself to this banal and
wretched existence in the hope that her baby might have a
better life. She gives up everything for a good cause and seeks
redemption for her adultery. Queenie might achieve
redemption, but Bernard does not. He cannot abandon his
racism even when it becomes clear that his racist views will
mean that he will struggle to raise a mixed-race son. Bernard
refuses to listen to Gilbert's pleas and refuses to change his
ways. He is not forgiven by his wife, and he is not redeemed in
the eyes of the people he has wronged. Bernard's punishment
is to return to a life of self-loathing married to a woman who
hates him.

Copyright © 2020 Course Hero, Inc.