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Miss Jewel
Lovell Roberts’ cousin who takes Hortense in. He is married to Martha Roberts, and the two have a son named Michael. Philip is a wealthy and respected landowner, but at home, he is ill-tempered, dogmatically religious, and ignorant, forcing the rest of the family to be silent at dinner while he pontificates. Hortense is terrified of him.
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Philip Roberts Character Timeline in Small Island
The timeline below shows where the character Philip Roberts appears in Small Island. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3: Hortense
Philip Roberts is Lovell’s cousin, a wealthy man who controls all the district’s produce. Because of his...
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...her as an accomplice when he climbs trees or goes wading in the stream, but Mr. Philip always says it’s “not godly” for little girls to do these things.
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Every time the family sits down for a meal, Mr. Philip conducts a long prayer, which often turns into a sermon on his own strict religious...
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Eventually, Michael leaves home to attend boarding school. While Mr. Philip chides Michael about remembering his religious principles, Hortense pinches herself so as not to cry....
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...voice and stylish clothes, and he shakes his father’s hand like an equal. After dinner, Mr. Philip begins to read from the Bible as usual, but Michael interrupts him, saying that he’s...
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Chapter 4: Hortense
...Savannah-La-Mar to attend teacher-training college in Kingston, catching a bumpy ride in the newspaper’s van. Mr. Philip and Miss Ma are completely indifferent to her departure; they seem to have forgotten that...
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