Celia Langley is Hortense’s best friend at teaching college. Hortense looks up to Celia—she’s older and more experienced, a better teacher, and much more comfortable at socializing, especially with men. However, Celia’s mother is insane, and her uncouth public behavior ruins the image of respectability that Celia has been crafting for herself. It’s the beautiful Celia who first attracts Gilbert’s attention; but when Hortense realizes he has plans to move to England, she reveals the secret of Celia’s mother and steals him for herself. The dissolution of this friendship is one of the novel’s most notable betrayals.
Celia Langley Quotes in Small Island
The Small Island quotes below are all either spoken by Celia Langley or refer to Celia Langley. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 4: Hortense
Quotes
I could understand why it was of the greatest importance to her that slavery should not return. Her skin was so dark. But mine was not of that hue—it was the color of warm honey. No one would think to enchain someone such as I. All the world knows what that rousing anthem declares: “Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.”
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Celia Langley Quotes in Small Island
The Small Island quotes below are all either spoken by Celia Langley or refer to Celia Langley. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 4: Hortense
Quotes
I could understand why it was of the greatest importance to her that slavery should not return. Her skin was so dark. But mine was not of that hue—it was the color of warm honey. No one would think to enchain someone such as I. All the world knows what that rousing anthem declares: “Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
