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Charlie O’Rourke / “Batman”
Lawrence is Sarah’s lover, whom she an ongoing affair with over several years, both before and after Andrew’s suicide. Lawrence works for the Home Office, though he is incredibly cynical about the government and claims that it hardly operates at all. Although Lawrence claims to have Sarah’s best interests at heart, he is openly selfish and tries to get rid of Little Bee, even when Little Bee’s relationship with Sarah obviously helps Sarah to grow as a person. Sarah and Lawrence’s affair is built on their mutual unhappiness and Lawrence’s low self-esteem, so Lawrence does not want Sarah to grow as a person or make any changes to her life at all. He is also skeptical of Little Bee as a refugee, and often insinuates that she is dangerous, a criminal, or a parasite that only wants to leech England’s wealth and comfort. In his flagrant self-interest and disregard toward refugees, Lawrence represents the typical citizen of the developed world.
Lawrence Osborn Quotes in Little Bee
The Little Bee quotes below are all either spoken by Lawrence Osborn or refer to Lawrence Osborn. 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 Six
Quotes
I think [Andrew] truly started to believe that Britain was sinking in to the sea. […] Now that Charlie was almost two I suppose I was looking into the future my child would have to inhabit, and realizing that bitching about it might possibly not be the most constructive strategy.
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“I’ve spent two years denying what happened on that beach. Ignoring it, letting it fester. That’s what Andrew did too, and it killed him in the end. I’m not going to let it kill me and Charlie.”
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Chapter Seven
Quotes
“Is it really death that you’re running from? I mean, honestly? A lot of the people who come here, they’re after a comfortable life.”
“If they deport me to Nigeria, I will be arrested. If they find out who I am, and what I have seen, then the politicians will find a way to have me killed.”
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Chapter Eight
Quotes
“Save [Little Bee] and there’s a whole world of them behind her. A whole swarm of Little Bees, coming here to feed.”
“Or to pollinate.”
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Lawrence Osborn Quotes in Little Bee
The Little Bee quotes below are all either spoken by Lawrence Osborn or refer to Lawrence Osborn. 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 Six
Quotes
I think [Andrew] truly started to believe that Britain was sinking in to the sea. […] Now that Charlie was almost two I suppose I was looking into the future my child would have to inhabit, and realizing that bitching about it might possibly not be the most constructive strategy.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“I’ve spent two years denying what happened on that beach. Ignoring it, letting it fester. That’s what Andrew did too, and it killed him in the end. I’m not going to let it kill me and Charlie.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Seven
Quotes
“Is it really death that you’re running from? I mean, honestly? A lot of the people who come here, they’re after a comfortable life.”
“If they deport me to Nigeria, I will be arrested. If they find out who I am, and what I have seen, then the politicians will find a way to have me killed.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter Eight
Quotes
“Save [Little Bee] and there’s a whole world of them behind her. A whole swarm of Little Bees, coming here to feed.”
“Or to pollinate.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
