Girl Jamaica Kincaid Analysis

Jamaica Kincaid, born Elaine Cynthia Porter Richardson, grew up on the island of Antigua during an era of post-colonialism, surrounded by a colonial culture and the brutal history of her heritage. At the age of 17, her mother forced her to move to America so that she could work as a nurse to earn money that she could send home to her family. Instead of doing as her mother told her, she studied photography and writing during her time in America. Eventually, she took a job at The New Yorker, publishing her first piece of short fiction, “Girl.” She kept her writing secret from her family by using the pseudonym Jamaica Kincaid (Kincaid 300). Her story addresses the life of a girl living in the Caribbean and the influential characteristics of her

One indication of this is the heavy use of caribbean foods and dishes. While some of these are more common like salt fish, okra and bread pudding, there are others that are not so common such as dasheen, doukona and pepper pot. Dasheen is a root vegetable cooked very similarly to other starch foods, but has a different texture. Doukona is a dish made with starch food often wrapped in a banana leaf. Pepper pot is a heavily seasoned meat dish that is stewed for a long time. This use of Caribbean food indicates the author’s familiarity with Antiguan culture. Another indication is the household chores that her mother tells her how to do. For instance, her mother tells her how to set a table for tea, dinner, dinner with a guest, lunch and breakfast (Kincaid 301). This type of chore demonstrates the post British colonial lifestyle that came about after emancipation: the civilization of colonial slave heritage. The last indication of the Caribbean upbringing through Jamaica Kincaid’s language is how her mother tells her to respond to certain things. For example, “this is how to spit up in the air if you feel like it, and this is how to move quick so it doesn’t fall on you” (301). There are many interpretations of this piece, as to why she would be telling her daughter it is okay to spit like a boy although she doesn’t want her to act like one. She may telling her daughter how to “chupps” without the effects of offending someone. A “chupps” is when someone sucks their teeth because they are upset at something one has just said or done. The act is seen as offensive, so her mother may be telling her that she can “chupps” but she had better move quickly, so that she will not get the reaction that comes along with it. The word choice in “Girl” is very caribbean, however, she uses no caribbean dialect or “creole,” the mixture of English and African accents coming