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Girl by jamaica kincaid gender analysis
Girl by jamaica kincaid gender analysis
Gender roles of women in literature
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Mothers in Mother to Son by Langston Hughes and GIRL by Jamaica Kincaid In order to build a strong, grounded house a person must use brick and cement. A brick is used to build the house, but yet it is the cement that molds and keeps the house together and intact. A family encompasses the same basic rules and needs. The father is the provider for his family, sort of like the brick, but it is the mother who holds the responsibility of teaching right from wrong, and they are the ones who keep strong when everything else is going wrong. Now days there are many single-mother families and the father is non-existent. Therefore, a mother plays a very strong, dominant, and essential role in her family. Mothers always want their children to do right and most of all; want their daughters to be bright young women. In the poem "GIRL", by Jamaica Kincaid, a daughter is remembering all of the things her mother tried to advise her of. The girl in the poem is never given a name because the poem sort of symbolizes how all mothers are when their daughters are growing up. They try to teach them right from wrong. The mother recommends such things as, "don't squat down to play marbles-you are not a boy you know", "don't throw stones at blackbirds, because it might not be a blackbird at all", and, "on Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming". The mother is only trying to teach her daughter to carry herself in such a manner that is lady-like. In the end of the poem the mother suggests that the daughter, "always squeeze bread to make sure it's fresh". The daughter then replied, "but what if the baker won't let me feel the bread?" Her mother was in complete dismay by her daughter's response, "you mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won't let near the bread?" Mothers feel that they do have a certain obligation to mold their children. The mother is frightened that after all she has taught her daughter she won't grow up to be a lady. The role of a mother is not only to distinguish to her children right from wrong, but are also there as a helping hand and guide.
Throughout the story, however, the word girl is constantly used as an insult against her. For example, when a feed salesman comes to the father, the father introduces her as a hired-hand, and the salesman laughs and says, “ ‘Could of fooled me.’ He said ‘I thought it was only a girl.’” The mother also reinforces that she should not be out there when she talks to the father about keeping the girl inside. The narrator sees her mother in a negative light and does not want to become her; she hates housework and describes it as depressing and endless, despite the fact that shortly after she says that the father’s work is “ritualistically important.”
In both these works, the mothers play the most important role in the development of the plot. They represent the pillars of strength and they are the ones that hold the family together and the hope alive. In Lorraine Hansberry's work, Mama is a widow, mother of two children and the head of the household: "There are some ideas we ain't going to have in this house. Not long as I am at the head of this family." (Hansberry 51) Mama is aware of the high position she is awarded in the family, since her husband is dead and she is left in care of the family. Qualities like independence and strength surround her and give her and air of authority. She takes charge when others hesitate and she gives courage to the insecure. "You just got strong willed children and it takes a strong woman like you to keep'em in hand, (Hansberry 52) her daughter-in-law tells her at one point. This symbolizes the love and respect she carries for her, but also the power that Mama radiates over the whole family.
The poem starts with the line, “This girlchild was born as usual,” which suggests that as soon as a girl is born, society already expects her to learn the role she will soon play in when she hits puberty (1). Thus, showing why we are given dolls as little girls to illustrate how we should act and appear according to society. After we learn all the roles we will soon take part in, “the magic of puberty,” hits and girls immediately begin applying the ideals to their own lives (5). As if this attempt to conform is not enough we have other people telling us we are not to perfect. “You have a great big nose and fat legs,” says a classmate to the girl (6). This type of pressure can slowly but surely destroy even the little confidence women do have in themselves.
Over long periods of time change is often inevitable. One such instance of change throughout history is that of family members and their role in not only the family, but also in society as a whole. Although changes can be seen in the roles of every family member, it can be argued that the role of women in the family, especially that of mothers, changed the most. Between the sixteenth century and the twentieth century, the role that mothers played in the family and in society changed greatly.
The story “Girl” takes the form of a series of lessons; the point of the lessons, according to the mother, is to teach her daughter to behave and act properly. Kincaid’s complicated relationship with her mother comes out in the mother-daughter dynamic in the story. The mother mentions practical and helpful advice that will help her daughter keep a house of her own someday and also how to have a life of her own. It can be argued that in Jamaica Kincaid’s short story “Girl” that the mother is loving towards her daughter because the mother is taking time to teaching her daughter how to be a woman, and because she wants to protect her in the future from society’s judgment.
In 1945, Flannery O’Connor transferred to the University of Iowa after receiving a scholarship for journalism. After a few months, she realized journalism was not her dream. She talked t...
The mother has the day-to-day responsibility for the care of the house, raising the children, and upholding the father’s authority. It assumes that the world is dangerous and difficult and that children are born bad and must be made good. The strict father as a moral authority supports and defends his children tells his wife what to do and teaches his children right from wrong. Once children are mature, they are on their own and must depend on their acquired self discipline to
The short story, Girl, by Jamaica Kincaid, can very easily be related directly to the author’s own life. Kincaid had a close relationship with her mother until her three younger brothers were born. After the birth of her brothers, three major values of her mother became apparent to Kincaid. In turn, Kincaid used the three values of her mother to write the short story, Girl. Specifically, these values led to three themes being formed throughout the story. It appears in the short story that the mother was simply looking out for her daughter; however, in all reality, the mother is worried about so much more. Kincaid uses the themes of negativity towards female sexuality, social norms and stereotypes, and the significant
What is a family without a parent? A good parent has the image of a provider. Parent is the one that meets all the material needs of the household. The one who worries that nothing lacks to his/her children. Works double shifts and weekends. A good parent has not yet met the present needs, when others have been created; he/she wears out feverishly. But yet he/ she still have time to have the unique experience of seeing the children grow. Having children is a major life-course event no matter what country people live. Children alter how men and women live and how they can allocate their time. Money is required to support children, and there is also more to do in the households with children. Historically, women have done the extra work chil-dren create. Who engenders ch...
The poem Girl by author Jamaica Kincaid shows love and family togetherness by creating the next generation of women. The poem is basically a guidebook for life on how a woman should take care of their family. Jamaica Kincaid demonstrates the proper task a woman should display. Girl symbolizes the proper way to respect yourself not only as a person, but as a woman. When a woman carries herself respectfully man admire her more. A man is usually attracted to women when mother-like characteristics. Women should hold high expectations of herself more than anybody. Women are not able to perform the set of tasks that a man is able to perform without being called a slut.
Foreign aid to countries can help in many ways. It can be used as a
Mothers, in most cases, are seen as the essential "caregivers" in many societies/ cultures. A novel or textbook, screenplay or script, Hallmark card or holiday, could celebrate "motherhood," and what it entails, at one point in time. The bond of mother and child is shown to be "unbreakable" and we hear stories of mother's lifting cars to save pinned children, essentially sacrificing their lives in order for their children's survival. Growing up, we might hear that being a mother is an "under-appreciated job; and "all the work mothers do whether paid or unpaid - has social and economic values"(1). Mothers can essentially be the shapers of the future society: able to raise children, and possibly even hold down a job, while still being able to cook and clean. Author Ellen Bravo stated, "Only Clark Kent had to be Superman, but every mother has to be Superwoman" (2).
The purpose of this essay is to determine the importance of Symbolic play as a component for the development of cognitive and social skills. Play is second nature to children and they will naturally engage in symbolic play throughout their developing years. Play is one of the recognisable essential factors in children’s learning and development, cchildren’s ability to use language and talk in a practical way coincides with the rise of predictable symbolic play sequences. This is also supported by Deacon’s view that the reason humans are so unique in comparison to the rest of the species is our ability to theorize emblematically. (Deacon, 1997) Freud 1969 established the view that the role of symbolic plays was the skill of controlling impulses
The comparison between two poems are best analyzed through the form and meaning of the pieces. “Mother to Son” and “Harlem (A Dream Deferred)” both written by the profound poet Langston Hughes, depicts many similarities and differences between the poems. Between these two poems the reader can identify his flow of writing through analyzing the form and meaning of each line.
Childhood play is an important part of every child’s development. This behavior starts in infancy, they begin to explore their world through play. Play behavior serves as an indicator of the child’s cognitive and social development. Research on play and development is essential to helping caregivers understand the importance of childhood play. I will be focusing on the psychological aspects of childhood play behavior and its relation to cognitive development.