England

In Small Island, England represents false hope. Many of the Jamaican characters refer to England as the Mother Country; they imagine the place as beautiful, refined, and ripe with opportunity. Many Jamaican men are willing to fight for England during the Second World War. This idealistic attitude, however, collapses in moments of direct interaction between Jamaicans and the English. Gilbert and Hortense, in particular, quickly realize the country is not the rosy paradise that they presume. England, instead, becomes a marker for the false, paternalistic expectations that colonialism engenders.

Teeth Sucking

Teeth sucking—a habit held by many Jamaicans, in particular men—symbolizes the idiosyncrasy of Jamaican culture. In moments of strong emotion, many Jamaican characters make a distinctive sucking sound with their teeth. This becomes an overt marker of Jamaican identity. In this way, the habit emphasizes that, despite England’s colonialism, Jamaica remains a...