“Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid is about a mother teaching her daughter how to into society’s expectations of a woman. Throughout the story, the mother warns the girl about doing things a certain way that would not depict her to be a “slut”. Also, the mother tries to teach her about house chores, church, and becoming domesticated (a house-wife), which society expects the girl to know. In “Girl”, the mother points out a numerous set of chores that the daughter must know. “Wash the white clothes on Monday
Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” is a literary work that details the duties of women in the Caribbean. Kincaid uses this story as a way of conveying the view and work of women not in just the Caribbean, but in the world at the time. Being written in 1978, “Girl” gives a retrospective view on patriarchal society at the time. Words such as “benna”, “okra”, and “dasheen” are associated with a tropical Caribbean area, which makes sense since Kincaid was born and raised in Antigua. Kincaid chronicles what is
control the life of their daughter. Mothers have a great amount of influence upon their daughters, whom they possibly see as a second chance at life for themselves. In the short story “Girl”, by Jamaica Kincaid, the mother gives her daughter a lecture on how a lady is supposed to conduct herself in society. Kincaid reveals the nature of gender identity structure through the mother’s advice about home-making skills, appropriate etiquette, and virtuous morals. Like most women of the time period, the
prepare them for the unexpected turns that life may bring. Every day, people get to be a witness of seeing the dynamic and depth of the relationship between a mother and daughter. In the story Girl by Jamaica Kincaid readers are only able see bits and pieces of a verbally abusive mother and a young girl readers barely know but still feel sorry for. This story lacks depth because readers are unable to see any change or shift in the dynamic of their relationship. This leaves a big gap for anything
Girl revolves around the relationship between Kincaid and her mother. Kincaid’s relationship with her mother seems hostile because her mother speaks to Kincaid in a harsh tone. The mother tries to instill her traditional values on Kincaid in a commanding fashion but Kincaid is growing up in a changing world. The mother’s values probably derive from her own experiences as a young. The mother’s instructions don’t hit home with Kincaid because in an interview Kincaid says she rapidly outgrew the things
“Girl” runs as a stream of conscience in which a mother tells her daughter of her beliefs about life. “The unique form of the story suggests how the power of the mother's voice shapes the girl's sense of herself.” (1) Jamaica Kincaid breaks down the barriers of gender, area and wealth and status by creating a story where the only things we know are that the mother wants her daughter to be respected by all while the daughter is silent. The story is linear in plot progression and has an interesting
In the short story “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid talks about the oppressive nature of how women need to act in society. The short story is a girl’s mother telling the girl on how to act in such a way so she can be married and take care of a family. Kincaid points out to her audience some manners of which a lady would behave such as how to properly do house whole jobs, act in public, and go about socializing/presenting yourself in public. Kincaid uses the examples in her story from her own life growing
skills they should posses, and the image that they should emanate to the public. In the short story, “Girl”, written by Jamaica Kincaid, the arbitrary presumptions of women are put on display. The entire story is a list of rules on what it takes to be a woman, told to a young girl by her mother. Each sentence is a new rule that the daughter needs to follow and in order to keep the story flowing, Kincaid uses specific elements to add energy to her writing. The unrealistic expectations on women are depicted
regards to status, privilege, and power. In both Kate Chopin’s “The Story Of An Hour” and Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” there is evidence of suppression, repression, and dehumanization. Louise Mallard is suppressed by her husband Brently, while the “girl” is dehumanized by her mother. Chopin often wrote about women becoming themselves "but whatever came, she had resolved never again to belong to another than herself." Kincaid writes how she doesn't need a man “The moment he got the idea he possessed me ... that
finished the book Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid. The story is about a ten year of girl names Annie John who lives in the city on an island of Antigua. While she is only still ten, Annie becomes obsessed with death after living near a cemetery for the summer. Later that summer Annie returns back to her home city and is still obsessed with death, she then starts going to funerals to see the once living and watch their family and friends mourn. One day Annie learns that a girl she once attended school with