'Small Island': reading Act 2, Scene 1

Edmundson shows the link between class and race - migrants automatically fell to the bottom of the social hierarchy. Hope and betrayal remain important themes as the couple do not achieve their middle class ambitions. Pride emerges as an important value among the migrant population - Gilbert does not warn Hortense about life in London. Neither Hortense's "pale skin" nor Gilbert's time in the military gain them additional status. There is a stark contrast between Act 1 and Act 2, showing the realisation that expectations do not match the reality.