Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Key Terms (Video Notes)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, concepts, and characters from the lecture notes on The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Epistolary

A narrative told largely through letters exchanged between characters; The Guernsey novel is described as epistolary.

German occupation

The period during World War II when German forces controlled Guernsey, imposing curfews and restrictions.

Evacuation

The removal of civilians, especially children, from danger before or during a conflict; thousands of Guernsey children were evacuated before the occupation.

Curfew

A regulation requiring people to stay indoors during designated hours, used by occupiers on Guernsey.

Bunkers

Fortified underground shelters built by the German army on Guernsey; remnants remain today.

Tunnels

Underground passageways used for defense and movement during the occupation.

Protagonist

The main character of a story; Juliet Ashton is the novel’s protagonist.

Antagonist

A character who opposes the protagonist; described as overly conservative and hostile to the Society.

Oscar Wilde

A famous Irish writer; in the novel, he is noted as the writer whose letters were written to Isola Pribby’s grandmother when she was a child.

Charles Lamb

An English writer mentioned as a favorite; his writings are referenced in the novel.

Dawsey Adams

A Guernsey fisherman and key member of the Society who writes letters to Juliet.

Elizabeth McKenna

A member of the Society who is arrested by the Germans for helping others and who dies in a concentration camp.

Remy Giraud

A Society member who learns of Elizabeth McKenna’s death; a survivor who shares the news.

Kit McKenna

Elizabeth McKenna’s daughter; initially skeptical and unfriendly toward Juliet.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The epistolary group of islanders exchanging letters during the occupation; also the title of the book.

London and Guernsey

The two main settings of the novel: London (postwar) and Guernsey (occupied island).

World War II

The global conflict from 1939 to 1945 that frames the occupation and events of the book.

Information blackout

Restriction by the occupiers on outside information; residents had little contact with the outside world.