Small Island

Small Island

by

Andrea Levy

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Small Island makes teaching easy.
Hortense’s grandmother, who works as a servant in the Roberts house. Although she has to call Hortense “miss” in public, Miss Jewel treats Hortense as family when they’re alone. Miss Jewel is the only adult who behaves kindly to Hortense in her upbringing. Hortense tries to teach Miss Jewel the English poems and geography she learns in school, but Miss Jewel is utterly uninterested in learning about British society. Her reaction shows the absurdity of the colonial curriculum Hortense is already learning to worship.
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Miss Jewel Character Timeline in Small Island

The timeline below shows where the character Miss Jewel appears in Small Island. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3: Hortense
Redemption Theme Icon
Marriage and Women’s Roles Theme Icon
Alberta’s mother, Miss Jewel , takes the young Hortense to her cousins’ house. Alberta agrees to move to Cuba,... (full context)
Manners and Civilization Theme Icon
Redemption Theme Icon
Displacement and Belonging Theme Icon
After Michael leaves, Hortense spends more time with Miss Jewel , helping her with the chores. Miss Jewel has a habit of singing while she... (full context)
Chapter 4: Hortense
Manners and Civilization Theme Icon
Race and Prejudice Theme Icon
...departure; they seem to have forgotten that her father is the famous Lovell Roberts. Only Miss Jewel puts on her best clothes to bid Hortense farewell, giving her granddaughter all her savings... (full context)