Girl By Jamaica Kincaid Analysis

Girl By Jamaica Kincaid Analysis
We live in a society where the similarities between female and males are seen at birth. It begins innocently with the toddlers; girls get pink while
boys get blue. The gap between boys and girls develops with time and becomes increasingly apparent. There are still gender stereotypes today, but it
is not as bad as it was in the past. Jamaica Kincaid's short story "Girl" perfectly portrays gender stereotypes. It represents gender concepts as cultural
constructs in the period it was written. These conceptions are comparable to current stereotypes about gender. The book gives us a list of
commands from a mother to a daughter. Men in the society are dominant to the women, and the set of rules is a product of patriarchy whereby the
mother and daughter appear as subordinates to the men in their lives. The article makes one aware of the prevailing masculine hierarchy that exists
in a family, and how it creates firm gender roles for females in the society. puberty bring with it a complex tradition of restrictions and behavioral
guidelines. Kincaid's poem reveals the rigidity and complexity of the social confines the girl is expected to operate underl. A girl is an induction into
the women community as well as an orientation into the act of womanhood (Walkerdine et. al.). The lectured instructions given to the silent girl child
vary from the housekeeping, "this is how you sweep a whole house", to dealing with intimate relationships, "this is how a man bullies you; ...how to
bully a man" to medicine, "this is how to make good medicine (to abort)" (Kincaid).The inane patriarchal society expects gender stereotypes to prevail.
The mother is tasked to give her daughter instructions on how to be a good woman in the stereotyped society. The advice the mother gives to the
daughter cements the gender stereotype and portrays limitations on a woman (Bailey and Carol 107).
Oonya Kempadoo Buxton Spice and Jamaica Kincaid's 'Girl' gives an introduction to the female community and make one aware of the stereotypical
expectations of women. The instructions were given to the girl child mainly encompass domestic chores, but also include guidelines for moral conducts
and social arrangements. The stereotypical role of women for several
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Jamaica Kincaid- Girl Essay
Jamaica Kincaid– Girl The poem "Girl" by author Jamaica Kincaid shows love and family togetherness by creating microcosmic images of the way
mothers raise their children in order to survive. Upon closer examination, the reader sees that the text is a string of images in Westerner Caribbean
family practices.
Jamaica Kincaid has taken common advice that daughters are constantly hearing from their mothers and tied them into a series of commands that a
mother uses to prevent her daughter from turning into "the slut that she is so bent on becoming" (380). But they are more than commands; the phrases
are a mother's way of ensuring that her daughter has the tools that she needs to survive as an adult. The fact that the mother takes the...show more
content...
The story does not give evidence that men help the women with their chores, and this may also give women cause for dissension and hostility. One of
the major points of dissension in the story is the daughter's two interjections into her mother's recitation. At both points, she tries to gain advantage over
her mother's advice by offering objections to her mother's words. Both times, the mother merely continues her barrage of words without validating the
girl's interjections. The mother, too, constantly hints that the girl is intent upon becoming a slut, which creates even more dissension and hostility
between the two. At times in the story it seems as if the mother does not like the daughter and is only giving her advice because it is her duty. It is hard
to determine from the dialogue anything other then the fact that the mother has placed intense demands on her daughter, but that she does not feel that
the daughter will become anything more than a slut.
As far back as bible times women and their daughters were taught to submit to the head of the family for the rest of their lives. Ephesians 5:22–23 states:
"Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is head of the church, his body, of which he is the
Savior."
The bible emphasizes the equality of wives to husbands but did not advise the overthrowing of the head of the family. Still today in many other
religions the wife is submissive to her

Literary Analysis: Girl, By Jamaica Kincaid
Thesis: "Girl" talks about multiple advices that are given to a female during her lifetime, not only by her family but the society in general, not
allowing or giving them the chance to choose their own path and even though it can be considered a story about an old reality, it is still actual and
real for a lot of girls.
"Girl" was first published on 1978 and it was written by Jamaica Kincaid. It certainly contrasts the timing and lives of women during the 70's, who
were only starting to reach some power and freedom. However, society was still imposing their thoughts and rules on their lives, always trying to make
them live the way how they thought was right instead of letting them choose their own path. And although it was written in a different...show more
content...
First, it says "and not the slut you are so bent on becoming", then it goes to "to prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on
becoming", and to finish he writes it as "the slut I have warned you against becoming". That means there is a development and that the girl is
changing and getting older accordingly to the advices that are given to her. It also shows how small actions could affect girls lives towards the way
how they are seen by people around them.
At the end of the text, the author finalizes it with a question that more than talking about the bread also has a whole meaning behind it. After all the
advices given during her whole life, wouldn't she after all become respectable enough to even be allowed to squeeze a bread from a baker? It is not
only about the bread but the whole society, if someone is not clean enough to touch a food, then they will not be allowed to do anything else and that
is what their advices are there for. To walk them through a path where they will be recognized as good and respectable

Jamaica Kincaid Girl Essay
Andrea Sanchez
English 101
Ms. Kristen
29 September 2015 "Girl"
In this time period and it has been a difficult time in society to grow up as a female and even raise a female, due to many gender differences, in
which more things are considered false for females and not for men. In history there has always been a separation between genders or gender
inequalities that have been going on for years and years. In the text, "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid, it represents the several struggles females go through
everyday and it is illustrated at a young age, and is shown throughout the poem using different types of punctuation such as semicolons, sentence
structure, em dashes, and rhetoric to create a demanding tone throughout the short story. Many semicolons...show more content...
In this poem it shows the separation of phrases related to another yet closed thought. It relates to the oncoming text but emphasizes the previous text as
well. In the text it is shown on page 201, "don't squat down to play marbles–you are not a boy,". In this quote the em dashes are a great representation
of a reflection before the em dash. They differentiate an action and a comment. The action or telling of a behavior towards the intended person for
the entire poem with a remark towards her reminding her of her own gender and how her gender should behave in a certain vicinity or situation. The
em dash is also used in the quote to inform the readers of how the girl does an action a male would do but should do it in a lady manner. Although the
girls age can be inferred due to the context clues, she is still being taught how to be, talk, and act like a lady due to her mother's strict rules which was
help shown with the em dash. The em dash connects two ideas into one sentence which helps the author illustrate two types of concepts into one
sentence to help readers further understand the importance the writer is attempting to show in the

Girl Jamaica Kincaid Analysis
In the Story Girl, by Jamaica Kincaid; a common theme is the coming of age, as well what the ideal women is. The reason I say that is throughout the
text the protagonist mother informs her daughter of the risks involved in becoming a slut.
Even though the daughter is not an adolescence yet, the mother worries that her current behavior would transcend her into becoming a slut. The mother
believes that a woman's reputation is everything; therefore she should try anything and everything to protect her daughter's reputation. Nevertheless,
women should do everything in her power to be as innocent and pure as possible. There is an old saying that some women do "act the whore on
Saturday and play the Virgin on Sunday." Her mother does not want her to end up this way either, she teaches her how ideal women should act. Since
this essay was written in the 1940's women were a publicaly shame if they went against the norm of being a proper lady. She teaches her daughter the
proper way to walk, smile, behave, and how to communicate with others. The mother's constant emphasis on you're either a lady or a slut makes the
daughter feel overwhelmed throughout the passage because she does not understand what she is doing wrong.
Like most mothers during this time period, the mother believes that domestic knowledge will empower her daughter in her pursuit to finding a
husband as well as make her a respected member of society. In her eyes there are only two types of women: ideal women, and "sluts." This makes her
mother work hard because she doesn't want her daughter to tarnish her reputation. Household work is known to make a woman more desirable since
man wanted to feel as they were in charge. In other words, a submissive wife is a good wife. The mother teaches her daughter, how to cook pumpkin
fritters, sweep, grow okra, buy bread etc. She believes this work will prevent her daughter from becoming sexually active.
The mother starts out by saying "Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them on the stone heap; washed the colors on Tuesday's and put them on
the clothesline to dry; don't walk bare head in the hot sun; cook pumpkin fritters in very hot sweet oil; soak your little cloths right after taking them off;
when buying a

What Is The Setting Of Girl By Jamaica Kincaid
The short story 'Girl' by Jamaica Kincaid demonstrates the importance of the feminist theory and depicts how marginalized women were in the setting
of the West Indian / Caribbean society through brilliantly employed satire. The story illustrates the "place of woman" as narrated by the author,
asserting the woman's personhood and autonomy in regards to one of the major tenets of the liberal feminism. In the beginning of the story, it seems as
though one is conditioning another on the rules, manners and expected living responsibilities of a woman. However, Jamaica Kincaid perfectly and
carefully connects the constructed livelihood faced by each and every Caribbean girl growing up. It is consistent in showing the reader the lack of
feminism and what it was like being an exploited woman in a patriarchal society. Along with the setting, the piece uses the aspects of feminism and
geographical space to make the piece more relatable and solidifies the...show more content...
In a condescending tone, it states that a woman is nothing more than the things she can do, and only a woman if those things are done rightfully, justly
and accordingly (pleasing to a man) in order to be bestowed the title of 'woman'. All which relates to the issues of femininity, motherhood, andmarriage
: Is that all a woman can be; a baby maker and homemaker and something to procreate with? These are the stirring questions that are raised when
reading the piece. The view of women pinpoints the irony within the piece, "the slut you are so bent on becoming" in Line 11, here misogyny
contradicts everything else that the piece seems to stand for. The short story mentions that a woman would be appealing and pleasing if she does
everything requested of her; however, the second that she strays, she becomes an enemy to everything that is perfected in the androcentric world that
the piece is set

Girl By Jamaica Kincaid Essay
Girl by Jamaica Kincaid is a prose poem about a mother writing to her daughter and telling her how to do things. If by Rudyard Kipling is a father
telling his son that if he can do certain things, he will become a man. These stories are similar and different in many ways, like their different formats,
different points of view, and similar topic.
The formats of If and Girl are different. Girl is written in paragraph format, or a ВЁwall of words.ВЁ The intro states, ВЁ the prose poem is 650
words,ВЁ and, ВЁthe story is entirely one sentence.ВЁ This shows that Girl is written as a paragraph poem. If you look at the poem If, you can tell
it was written in poetry format, with stanzas. This shows that both poems were written in different format, "Girl" written as a paragraph, "If" written as
a poem based on looks and the way the poem says things. This, of course, helps to make the poems sound different. Since "If" has rhythm, it makes it
sound more uplifting and high–spiritual, whereas "Girl" is like a list of chores, it makes you feel like there's a big lump of "Why?" and makes you feel
like you need to...show more content...
Girl is written as a mom telling her daughter how she is to behave. The intro states, ВЁa mother writes to her daughter," which means the mother
was writing to the daughter. If was written as a father teaching his son values. The text says, ВЁyou'll be a man my son!ВЁ which shows a father is
talking to his son. This shows that the poems have different points of view, "Girl" is from the mother and "If" is from a father based on the way of
the writing and what the text says. The mother in "Girl" actually acts more like a father in my opinion, demanding and has extremely high
expectations. And, like I've experienced, she may not know that she may be making her daughter feel bad about herself. The father in "If" sounds
more like a mother to me, caring, loving, and supportive, giving advice of how to live a good, fun yet principled

Jamaica Kincaid's Girl
In the essay "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid there are references to many social problems that were prevalent earlier in society that still apply to today's
society. In this essay the author is giving advice to her teenage daughter where she teachers her the "proper" etiquette and what was expected of a
woman in her view. In this story the author Kincaid seems to be the mother and the teenage daughter is probably her daughter, in a different way of
viewing she may be the daughter herself reflecting on the past, but it's not very relevant to the meaning of the literature. In this essay I will explain
how the way women are viewed in today's society have changed, as well as what remains of the past that has yet to be overcome. I will also try and
analyze and give my theory as to why Kincaid decided to write her story the way she did.
The main cultural issue this story focuses on is women's right and how they're viewed in society. Earlier in society as well as in third world countries
women play a more home wife lifestyle which...show more content...
It's just one task after the other, again and again with a lot of repetition. "Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them on the stone heap; wash the
color clothes on Tuesday and put them on the clothesline to dry; don't walk bare–head in the hot sun;" (line 1) this way of writing is very demanding,
and feels like you have no freedom at all. With this style the author is trying to put you in the daughter's shoes, to make you feel like you're being
lectured and that you have no freedom and can only do what she says. She also uses the word "slut" frequently, which I'm no so sure how I feel
about. Again it feels when she uses the word out of the blue that you're just being lectured, and that even though you haven't done anything wrong
you've already been labeled a slut. By wording it the way she did it may persuade the reader to realize that this way of life for the teenager has no

Jamaica Kincaid Girl
In the short story, "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid, the narrator commands a list of orders to her preadolescent daughter in one single sentence. The author
includes figurative language to emphasize her points and demands upon her daughter. Although the mother is stern throughout the entire short story, it
explains the type of relationship she shares with her daughter and the expectations she holds for her future. Kincaid expresses her expectations for her
daughter through strict similes and powerful themes, in order to impact readers and deliver the importance of femininity. The entireshort story consists
of demands that the mother, the narrator, is expecting out of her daughter. The quick read consists of the mother warning her daughter...show more
content...
Carol Bailey says in her analysis, "By instructing the young female to follow the script, the speaker emphasizes the view that females' survival
depends on performing their gender "appropriately" in societies in which their adherence to these standards is constantly scrutinized and
evaluated" (Bailey, Performance and the Gendered Body). The mother believes that people will judge her based on the way her daughter turns out.
If her daughter can not carry herself like a lady is supposed to than she supposes her daughter will not survive in the world. During that time period,
the seventies, that assumption was fair since women were not given credit for many things and did not have the independence they do have today in
America. In support to that, Logan says, "This veiled advice makes the reader question if the female narrator is a conformist or if she is challenging
societal stereotypes" (Logan, Rhetorical Analysis of Kincaid's "Girl"). Stereotypes connect to the idea of femininity because people paint a picture of
what girls and ladies are supposed to be and act. Therefore the mother says many things that only apply to females. Readers make assumptions that the
mother was denied by society growing up and now she stresses her daughter for the very same reason. The assumption can be made because mothers
typically are encouraging when giving advice

Jamaica Kincaid Girl Essay
Since the beginning of mankind, oppression has been a major obstacle for women to overcome. In "Girl," Jamaica Kincaid illustrates through written
word the struggle women go through due to the expectations set for them. While there is female oppression of different forms, Jamaica Kincaid's
"Girl" is a resemblance of the oppression she felt during her childhood on the small and remote island–nation of Antigua.
In its most basic form, "Girl" vividly paints a literary picture depicting the way an "old–fashioned" wife is supposed to be in the eyes of her male
patriarch. The piece by Kincaid seemingly consists of a single string of instructions and commands from a motherly figure to a daughter. The
instructions could be described as a mother teaching a daughter how to properly do "a women's chore" or how to keep her husband happy. For
example, the motherly figure states, "this is how to sew on a...show more content...
Early on in Kincaid's piece, the motherly figure interrogates the young girl about singing "benna" in Sunday school: "is it true that you sing benna in
Sunday school?...don't sing benna in Sunday school...but I don't sing benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school" (Kincaid, 120). During the
time Jamaica Kincaid lived on the island of Antigua, the British government had reign. As a result of this movement of imperialism, Antiguan
musicians adopted a West Indian form of short song known as benna. Benna was a short hymn that often never went with musical instruments. Its
main purpose was to speak about culturally controversial topics such as sexuality, drugs, and feminism as well as political corruption. As a result of
the controversial lyrics, many Antiguans were jailed for writing benna. While benna was not specific to Jamaica Kincaid, it does show one form of
oppression she faced growing up ("Countries and Their

Coaching of a Woman
Mothers have many lessons to teach their daughters. As the physical changes begin to appear, it is important to begin a new set of lessons. "[D]on't
squat down to play marbles–you are not a boy, you know" is a quote from Jamaica Kincaid's short story, "Girl". The mother and daughter are the two
main characters. The daughter is reflecting on the many things that her mother instilled in her during her childhood. The ironic use of language in this
short story is crucial to understanding the theme of becoming a woman worthy of marriage.
The mother knows that adolescence changes the thoughts of the child and wants to guide her to make positive choices. This is expressed when the
mother tells the daughter, "on Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming" (Kincaid 96). This statement is
shocking to the reader and is ironic because the mother says the daughter will become a slut but means that she will be viewed a sexual object by men.
The mother's intention is to bring the daughters physical changes to light, so that she can have a better understanding of the way society, especially
males, will be viewing her. The changes that are happening to a young girl, will lead to the prospect of...show more content...
The mother suggests many things that must be done around the house, including the basics such as laundry and cooking. One of the examples that
stood out, was when she tells her daughter "This is how to sweep a corner, this is how to sweep a whole house" (Kincaid 96). The example of
sweeping the corner and the whole house area not just instructions on sweeping, they are instilling the fact that women are responsible for all the
responsibilities at home, as the man will be the provider. While it is the duty of the woman to keep the house taken care of she is also expected to
take care of her

Jamaica Kincaid's Girl
Jamaica Kincaid's story of "Girl," is a mind blowing experience between mother and daughter. "This Essay presents a plot summary of Jamaica
Kincaid's "Girl" as well as providing historical, societal, religious, scientific and biographical context for the short story. Kincaid's unusual land
difficult to classify piece of short fiction consists of a brief monologue by an Antiguan mother to her adolescent daughter" (Kim Bencel, 2) This is a
story, not in verse or order that will remind you of days gone by. The mother is hell– bent on making a respectful young lady. Her mother singles out
singing benna in Sunday school, and habitually scolds her loose behavior towards becoming a slut. However, she teaches her how to catch a fish and
how to...show more content...
This is an Antiqua, British story where things are different, but really no different, than the upbringing in rural United States. "Born in the West Indian
Island of Antigua, Kincaid admits that her desire to write came while she was young, but it seemed like avocation that would elude her because she
knew so little about what it involved" (ProQuest Learning, 1). Themes that included things she had perhaps experienced personally. The poem
stresses that the conditions are so poor that mother must prepare her daughter for womanhood and to find a decent man. It teaches her to cook
certain baked goods and to be a good housekeeper. It alerts her to the not so nice part of life, and that smiling at a person you dislike is not the same
smile you render to a person you really approve. Girl is rebellious and is reminded at every stop what to do and what to not do. Mother thinks girl is
hell–bound and about to be a tramp, (slut). She feels that she may never get one of the good boys if she acts in a certain way. Being a woman in poverty,
her anger seems to get the best of her in different ways. The voice of the poem gets harsh after a while. It explores the things of today's taboo
headlines such as abortion. This means, if the man girl choses don't work out, there is a remedy for

Critical Analysis
For a reader in 2017 "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid might seems very surreal and harsh as a story; mostly because of the very grating and mean language
that is used when the mother is talking. The mother's heartless language makes is really uncomfortable even though at the end of the day, she speaks
nothing but love into her daughter's life. She is giving her daughter social and family teachings, sharing with her the cultural and social values that will
help her girl to have a peaceful and respected household and a happy life.
Written in the 1978, "Girl" is a short story that helps to understand how mother–daughter relationship were back then. The story is mostly told in the
second person where the mother is telling her daughter how she should accomplish her daily tasks and the daughter is just listening very carefully. It is
almost a monologue, the girl interrupted her mother only twice, but it was to ask questions, not to talk back. The mother sounds very dominating and
overwhelming giving one instruction after another. The conflict is definitely man vs society because it is a story of a mother trying to raise her daughter
the right way so that her daughter can fit in the society that they are living in without being seen as "less than" or "not good enough". If this story
had a climax it would be when the daughter says "but I don't sing benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school" (14) because it is the only
time the girl gets to talk in the whole story. It is not really a turning point but it is the only time her voice is heard in the story. Since that moment the
mother's language and her intonation is getting slightly nicer and softer. Since this story does not really has a climax the resolution is not really
present neither. "Girl" is quite a strange short story compare to all the other ones that were read in class. It is strange to hear the high expectations that
parents communicate to their children because of the way they are presented and because of the language that is used. All that sounds pretty unusual
and outdated. But in those days it was probably something normal. Also, Kincaid is trying to point out how the world is changing and how women
have much more freedom to do what

Girl Jamaica Kincaid Analysis
Bryony Nguyen
Catherine Conner
English 99
20 November 2017
Girl by Jamaica Kincaid For centuries, women have had the role of being the perfect and typical house wife; needs to stay home and watch the kids,
cook for husbands, tend to the laundry and chores around the house. In her short story Girl, Jamaica Kincaid give us a long one sentence story about a
mother giving specific instructions to her daughter but with one question towards the end, with the daughters mother telling her daughter if she had
done all the instructions to become a so called "perfect" woman, what man would not want her. Kincaids structuring in "Girl," captures a demanding
and commanding tone. This short story relates feminist perspectives. The mother expects a great deal from her daughter to have a certain potential and
she does not hesitate to let her daughter understand it. As a matter of fact, the story is two pages long, made into one long sentence – and almost the
whole time the mother is giving her daughter directions to follow – sends a message to the reader that the mother demands and expects great potential
in her daughter. The daughter is forced to listen and learn from what her mother is telling her to do to be the perfect housewife. Throughout the story,
Kincaid uses the symbols of house and clothing, benna and food to represent the means of becoming a young girl to a woman and being treated like
one in society. From the beginning, the house and clothing functions as the daughter has to

In Jamaica Kincaid's short story "Girl," the narration of a mother lecturing her daughter with sharp, commanding diction and unusual syntax, both
affect the evolution of a scornful tone, that her daughter's behavior will eventually lead her to a life of promiscuity that will affect the way people
perceive her and respect her within her social circle. As well as the fact that it emphasizes expectations for young women to conform to a certain
feminine ideal of domesticity as a social norm during this time and the danger of female sexuality.
The narration of the mother lecturing her daughter with commanding diction leads to the theme of women conforming to domesticity and if they don't
conform then they will lead a life of promiscuity that will affect the way people perceive them. Women in the past believed that awoman's role was that
of a domesticated housewife. The narration of the third point of view in this story and the commanding diction of it places an importance in the
reinforcement of this idea, that if a woman doesn't follow social norms, she will eventually turn to a "slut" one that her family will be ashamed of. She
must set the table for lunch and for breakfast that is "how to behave in the presence of men who don't know [her] very well, and that it the way they
won't recognize immediately the slut that [the mother has] warned her against becoming."(Kincaid 485) through her commanding diction, the mother
is telling her daughter how to set a table, how to cook, she

Short story analysis of Girl by Jamaica Kincaid Have you ever wished that someone had given you a guide on how live the right way? Jamaica
Kincaid does just that in her short story, Girl. The narrative is presented as a set of life instructions to a girl by her mother to live properly in Antigua
in the 1980's. While the setting of the story is not expressly stated by the author in the narrative, the reader is able to understand the culture for which
Girl was written. Jamaica Kincaid seems to be the passive narrator, receiving the instructions from her mother on how to live in their present social
setting. The mother figure focuses on two main categories in her guidance, social manners and domesticity. First, guidance is given for a...show more
content...
Written in 1983, Kincaid narrates the thoughts and moral beliefs of the time by her mother. In Girl, Kincaid uses repetition of the term "slut" to
emphasize that her mother did not want her to develop a bad moral reputation (Kincaid 118–119). Later in the narration though are her mother's
thoughts on abortion, "this is how to make a good medicine to throw away a child before it even becomes a child" (Kincaid 119). It shows that while
the mother instructed her in moral principles, she also understood that things happen to a young woman. The practical nature of this instruction seems
to indicate more modern thought while still living in a society of traditions. Another hint of the time period is the mention of divorce and how to live
after it, "this is how you love a man...and if they don't work out, don't feel bad about giving up" (Kincaid 119). This could indicate that divorce is an
accepted practice in the more modern society that Jamaica Kincaid wrote Girl in. The location of the story plays a large role in understanding the
character's interactions. The story opens with instructions on cleaning clothes upon a "stone heap" (Kincaid 118). In 1983 America, most households
would have already had washing machines or at least a wash board and bucket rather than the older form of washing clothes at the river and utilizing
stones. The next

In Jamaica Kincaid's essay, "Girl" the short story is a monologue however; it is not entirely a monologue since there is a second person point of
view in the story. The girl character is a young adult who is growing up in a critical society and the mother is trying to give her guidance in how to
become a self–possessed woman. The mother worries about her daughter's behavior and she fears it will lead to a life of promiscuity. She believes
that a woman's reputation determines the worth of her life in society. The daughter seems as she is barely reaching adolescence and the mother has a
constant importance on how much she wants her daughter to realize that she is not a boy and she needs to act in a way that community will look at
her as a "nice young...show more content...
The mother believes that there are only two types of women in society; the respectable women and the "sluts". It is generation traditions were the
mother believes that a woman who has domestic knowledge will have a productive life, and receive respect from family and society. The mother
mentions a numerous of instructions for her daughter to follow. Such as, wash clothes, cook, sweep, sew, and iron. She has an idea that becoming a
household woman will bring power and prestige; she also believes that by keeping busy the women will keep away from temptation. The mother
mentions food in the story to show that happiness comes from domesticity and as a tradition; it has to be passed as an old family recipes down to the
future generations of the family. In addition, the mother stresses about the importance of the way her daughter will dress and her appearance; the
appearance shows the community view of a woman's sexual respectability. She also mentions that knowing how to wash, sew and iron allows women
to know there self–worth. Woman who are organize, productive, and well–groomed have a less chance to be label as a

"Girl" Jamaica Kincaid Response Essay
A Mother's Words A mother's words are the ones that ring loudest in a child's ear, are passed down from generation to generation, and the one's that
hold a special place in a child's memory and heart forever. Expectations and guidelines are set at a young age. Morals and values are learned
throughout the years, and life lessons are taught through the wisdom passed down from a mother to a daughter. Every mother has a wish for their
daughter to be the best they can be. But at what point does instruction and wisdom become simply words that have been said one too many times? The
short story "Girl," written by Jamaica Kincaid is presented to the reader as a list of instructions from a mother to a daughter on how to live life to the
...show more content...
The mother also teaches her daughter to cook, clean, and wash which traditionally is up to the women in a household to do. Kincaid makes the
reader think and figure out for him, or herself, what point of life the child is in and what gender they are in order to draw them into the story. Life is
a learning process, and the mother in this story does not seem to understand that. The child in this story is young. The child has her whole life ahead
of her to make mistakes and learn lessons, however; her mother seems to want her to learn anything and everything there is to know at this one
moment in time. The daughter speaks twice through the whole story. Both times she speaks she seems confused and uncomfortable with the
conversation because she is too young to understand what her mom is saying. At one point in the story her mother states, "Don't sing benna in
Sunday school," the daughter's response is "but I don't sing benna on Sunday's at all" (200). In the mother's mind she is just reassuring what she has
already taught her daughter, but in the daughters mind is nothing but confusion. She has obviously already been taught to not sing benna and is
confused as to why she is getting lectured on not singing it again. Her mother is so set on making sure her daughter follows the rules she has made
for her, and becomes the woman she wants her to be, that she is willing to make her daughter feel like she is still

Essay On Girl By Jamaica Kincaid
"Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid "Girl" written by Jamaica Kincaid is an unusual text that depicts a mРѕther's list Рѕf rules that her daughter must fРѕllРѕw in
Рѕrder tРѕ be accepted in sРѕciety. after reading this narrative fРѕr the first time, I read it as a resistant, I had nРѕ idea what culture, time periРѕd Рѕr
what the true meaning behind this list was. I did, hРѕwever, knРѕw that it had sРѕme link tРѕ hРѕw a wРѕman has tРѕ behave. This stРѕry has an
interesting take Рѕn what it means tРѕ be a female. I nРѕticed a cРѕuple Рѕf traditiРѕnal thРѕughts that were stated like, "DРѕn't sit dРѕwn tРѕ play
marbles, yРѕu are nРѕt a bРѕy; this is hРѕw yРѕu sweep a whРѕle hРѕuse; this is hРѕw yРѕu sew Рѕn a buttРѕn." but at the same time, I a lРѕt Рѕf ideas
that were quite the cРѕntrary and...show more content...
altРѕgether, the mРѕm appears tРѕ be sРѕ sРѕlely fРѕcused Рѕn her daughter's behaviРѕr and cРѕnfРѕrmity that she never realizes the inward feelings
and state Рѕf her daughter's heart. It isn't until the mРѕther speaks Рѕf testing the bread tРѕ see if it's fresh that she asks, "YРѕu mean tРѕ say that after
all yРѕu are really gРѕing tРѕ be the kind Рѕf wРѕman whРѕ the baker wРѕn't let near the bread?" at this pРѕint, the mРѕther wРѕnders if her daughter
truly desires tРѕ live and behave the way she was taught. I believe the mРѕther was sРѕ fРѕcused Рѕn her daughter's Рѕutward appearance and
perfРѕrmance during the girl's grРѕwing up years that the mРѕther lРѕst perspective and was unable tРѕ build a deeper and mРѕre persРѕnal
relatiРѕnship with her daughter while she still has the

Girl By Jamaica Kincaid Analysis

Girl By Jamaica Kincaid Analysis

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Girl By Jamaica Kincaid Analysis