The tea-shop (small Island, pgs176-178)

Comprehension:
1) The narrator is Airman Gilbert, a colored Jamaican man. The impact that this has on the scene is that it allows the reader to see through the eyes of a man of the narrator’s social status.
2) Their relationship is sort of platonic, it seems like Gilbert is in love with her as shown “…this pretty woman began to smile. I was then that she had gently laid her hand on my arm.” But Queenie we feel like she is playing around with all her giggling, as shown “I looked to Queenie who was giggling into her hand.” Their relationship is not very serious, especially for Queenie, she doesn’t seem to be very involved in this relationship.
3) a. True. “…if I had seen them before we stepped into the little tea-shop I might have made an excuse for moving no further inside.”
b. False. “ For the sake of Queenie, if I had seen them before…”
c. False. “Queenie, with her back to them had no reason to feel their curiosity.”
d. True. “ Top of the most British Tommies’ list would be the army that hated them most- The Nazis.”
e. True. “Would you like something to eat with your cup of tea? I asked Queenie, louder than was required. –I don’t mind if I do.”
f. True. “ No, she said, lazily raising her eyebrows.”

4) The three American GI’s are incredulous, obnoxious, and aggressive.
5) The GI’s behavior towards Gilbert and Queenie is incredulous and aggressive. This is because they are unable to believe that a white woman is sitting with a colored man and they find this unacceptable. Gilbert expresses that they are obnoxious, as they are staring at him with hatred. (49 words.)
6) The setting of the tea-shop contrasts with the GI’s mood as it is described as a “little tea-shop” with a “genteel atmosphere” and the GI’s mood is described with expressions such as “cocky hatred” and “these three aggrieved GIs twitched with hostile excitement”. (44 words)
7) Gilbert believes that colored men like himself are fighting a