Girl by Jamaica Kincaid is a piece about a mother speaking to her very young daughter who is entering adolescence, advising her very specifically how to behave. Kincaid’s use of tone, repetition, intensity, and perspective help shape the main idea that being a female is nearly impossible and that women have to act a certain way with everything they do, even if they lack integrity with these actions.
The repetition in this piece expresses the mother’s emphasis on specific parts of womanhood, as there are several phrases and ideas that are repeated throughout. The mother brings up how her daughter should not be a slut when she grows up, as if the daughter’s fate is to become that way. This emphasises what the mother sees as most important for her daughter, to do everything
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possible to not become a slut by societal standards. The requests and demands of the mother vary through the use of phrases like do or do not, or “This is how…”(Kincaid 200-201). This emphasises whether she is teaching her, advising her, or blatantly telling her. Like the first sentence “Wash the white clothes on Tuesday and put them on the clothesline to dry”(Kincaid, 200). This is a demand, and it also highlights an overall theme that the mother makes. Throughout the piece the mother is constantly bringing up washing and being clean, which is what society expects women to be. This is also a reference to her not becoming a slut, as sluts are seen as unclean and impure which is exactly opposite of what the mother wants for her daughter. The mother never defines her experience with these situations she describes, but it can be inferred from her point of view. She expresses “This is how to make a good medicine to throw away a child before it even becomes a child” (Kincaid, 201). The mother knows precisely how to handle this situation, she must have experience with it herself or with someone close to her. This ties back to one of the mother’s main goals of her daughter’s societal appearance. Even if her daughter does mess up or becomes a slut, she will in no way be seen as one because the evidence will be destroyed therefore maintaining her social appearance. Her persistent warnings against being a slut are apparent in all situations, she has to even dress a certain way to avoid being looked at as a slut. She tells her to keep away from bad boys, to have no contact with them whatsoever. The mother has to have experience with these things, otherwise she wouldn’t be so specific with her daughter. One of the mother’s goals is to make her daughter understand her place as a woman in a patriarchal world. She tells her to attend Sunday school very reverently and respectfully. She also brings up very stereotypical women’s gender roles like washing, cleaning, and cooking. Essentially she does have her daughters best interest in mind, but within boundaries. She believes she is setting her daughter up for success even though it does not necessarily matter if her daughter does exactly what the daughter wants. What matters is if she is liked by society and has a good image for their family or for herself as a woman. The tone of this piece is cold and detached, as though these words that the mother says aren’t caring at all to the daughter. It feels like there isn’t any real emotional connection between the two, just a list of things to do or not do. The tone is often sexual as well, which causes the reader to be uncomfortable because this girl is very young and it doesn’t feel appropriate. The mother states “This is how to love a man, and if this doesn’t work there are other ways, and if they don’t work don’t feel too bad about giving up”(Kincaid, 201). Although this seems inappropriate for such a young daughter, it can be inferred that the mother is warning her of things she wishes she knew especially when she was that young. The mother has sexual history, and it is probably regretful as well. The mother tells the daughter to be flirty and innocently sexy but not to push it too far, do not actually do anything slutty. (BREAD QUOTE) The mother’s goal for her daughter is to appear to be very likeable by everyone, so baker will let her feel the bread. There are very fine lines that women have to balance between, making it almost impossible to function as a person. Some of these things the mother requests are very specific, anchoring back to the nearly impossible imaginary rules that society has designed for women. When her mother tells her to “cook pumpkin fritters in very hot sweet oil”(Kincaid, 200), it is as if her mother is living through her and telling her what she wishes she knew at her age. Even with the smallest details of things, there is a specific and correct way to do as a girl. The mother may seem condescending to her daughter, though she is only trying to tell her how to function to protect herself. Her mother places an importance of the improper things that her daughter might do, like “this is how to spit up in the air if you feel like it and this is how to move quick so that it doesn’t fall on you”(Kincaid, 201). So even with silly things or unladylike actions, there is a proper way to do it. If women want to be liked in society they have to do these certain things a particular way, especially as a young woman just entering adulthood. There are different levels of intensity in this piece.
For example, there is mention of catching a fish, followed immediately by the mother telling her daughter how to take care of a man. One of these is not important or lasting, and the other is a serious topic. Another example is the mother telling her daughter how to make a pepper pot, immediately followed by telling her how to get rid of an unwanted child (Kincaid, 201). The purpose in this contrast is to display that all of these things are equally important in society’s eyes. The tiny, seemingly insignificant things women do they will still be judged for, for there is a specific way for everything. Juxtaposition is used by the mother telling her to be a really good girl, almost perfectionist, but repeating the word “slut” almost consecutively after. Slut is a harsh word that is not associated with innocence or purity which is what the mother wants her daughter to be seen as. So even if she isn’t innocent, which she won’t always be, she needs to act like it in order to be liked and accepted. The juxtaposition brings emphasis to both the idea of a perfectionist and the mother’s fear of her daughter becoming a slut, two very different
extremes. After all the specific advice and counsel that the mother gives the daughter in Girl, it is apparent that being a woman is essentially impossible in a world where women are judged for every action and expected to act a certain way. In reading this piece, the words from the mother at first seems harsh and unnecessary. However after analyzing it further, the mother is only trying to ultimately help her daughter succeed, even if by outrageous standards.
Girl Time is a book written by Maisha T. Winn who is a former public elementary school and high school teacher. She has worked extensively with youth inside and outside urban schools throughout the United States. Winn provides information in the book about girls incarcerated in juvenile detention centers and girls who have been previously incarcerated.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus in his quest to validate his claim that the world was round and that it should belong to his Spanish patrons, the king and queen of Spain, set sail on his ship Santa Maria. He soon discovered the “New World”, which was new to him, but not to the Antiguans who lived there. Cultural imperialism was one of the most prominent means Western countries like Spain and Britain used to colonize other parts of the world at the beginning of the fifteenth century. The Cambridge dictionary defines cultural imperialism as one “culture of a large and powerful country, organization, etc. having a great influence on other less powerful country.”
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.”
Some examples of metaphor within the piece are when it says “your laughter’s so melodic it’s a song” and “your creativity’s a compass that leads you to what you love”. An example of evocative language in the piece is “you don’t need any miracle cream to keep your passions smooth, hair free or diet pills to slim your kindness down.” These metaphors and instances of evocative language help emphasise the message that it doesn’t matter what you look like, the most important thing you can love about yourself is ____. Metaphors, evocative language, and repetition are also used to describe the expectations laid upon women by society. One particular phrase that uses both metaphor and evocative language “because the only place we'll ever truly feel safe is curled up inside skin we've been taught to hate by a society that shuns our awful confidence and feeds us our flaws”. Other examples of evocative language include “a reminder that the mirror is meant to be a curse so I confine her in my mind, but when he or she shouts ‘let me out!’ we're allowed to listen.” and “Don't you shatter the illusion you could ever be anything beyond paper fine flesh and flashy teeth and fingernails.” One instance of repetition includes “echoic accusations of not good enough, never good enough”. Another phrase that uses both evocative language and repetition
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.
In the short story, “Girl,” the narrator describes certain tasks a woman should be responsible for based on the narrator’s culture, time period, and social standing. This story also reflects the coming of age of this girl, her transition into a lady, and shows the age gap between the mother and the daughter. The mother has certain beliefs that she is trying to pass to her daughter for her well-being, but the daughter is confused by this regimented life style. The author, Jamaica Kincaid, uses various tones to show a second person point of view and repetition to demonstrate what these responsibilities felt like, how she had to behave based on her social standing, and how to follow traditional customs.
It is said that a girl can often develop some of her mother's characteristics. Although, in their works, Kincaid, Hong Kingston and Davenport depict their protagonists searching for their own identities, yet being influenced in different ways by their mothers. Jamaica Kincaid's poem Girl, is about a young woman coming-of-age receiving helpful advice from her mother. In this poem, Kincaid addresses several issues where a mother's influence is beneficial to a young woman's character. The mother, or speaker, in Girl, offers advice to her daughter- advice that she otherwise would not learn without being told or shown. The mother advises the daughter about everyday tasks, and how to go about them properly (in her opinion).
This paper argued that the mother in Jamaica Kincaid’s short story “Girl” 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. Kincaid showed that the mother cared and loved her daughter. The mother wants her daughter to know how to run a home and how to keep her life in order to societies standards. Alongside practical advice, the mother instructs her daughter on how to live a fulfilling
The daughter alludes to an idea that her mother was also judged harshly and made to feel ashamed. By the daughters ability to see through her mothers flaws and recognize that she was as wounded as the child was, there is sense of freedom for both when the daughter find her true self. Line such as “your nightmare of weakness,” and I learned from you to define myself through your denials,” present the idea that the mother was never able to defeat those that held her captive or she denied her chance to break free. The daughter moments of personal epiphany is a victory with the mother because it breaks a chain of self-loathing or hatred. There is pride and love for the women they truly were and is to be celebrated for mother and daughter.
In the short story “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid is a story that everyone can related to. The story is about a mother telling her daughter what to do, what not to do and how to do things. Kind of like society or parents or a friends of what to do. There has also been always been expectations of what to do and how to do things in life regards of gender, nationality or religion. The male has he’s duties and the female has different duties. However, in the typical society today, a person is supposed to graduate from high school and go straight in to an Ivy League university, to get a degree in a field of study that makes lot of money. While working a person must save money for that dream big house with the white picket fence. At the same time, you have to look for that perfect spouse so you can have the big beautiful dream wedding. After the wedding it’s the romantic honeymoon to Bora Bora. After a couple years the baby comes, and you are a happy family. Typically, that is what parents teach their children of what is what is expected of them.
Works like “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, “I Want a Wife” by Judy Brady and “Ain’t I a Woman” by Sojourner Truth all have the elements of what a woman is supposed to be according to sexual politics. In doing this she lists off things that the Daughter should be acting out upon. “Don't squat down to play marbles—you are not a boy, you know” (Kincaid 68). The mother is demonstrating how the daughter should act in the presence of boys and explaining she is not one.
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
Girl by Jamaica Kincaid, is a story about a mother who tells her daughter what to do and how to act. The girl in the story wants to become a normal teenager, hang out with her friends and do fun things so we assume. Her mother on the other hand, wants her to start preparing meals, wash the clothes, and not to talk to boys among other things. Numerous times within the story the mother believes the daughter wants to become promiscuous, so the mother is continually trying to show her how to do things and how to act so that she doesn’t become a promiscuous woman. It seems as if the girl doesn’t have a choice to live a normal life, or to live her life the way that she wants to just like any other girl her age. Instead,
Alice Munro’s “Boys and Girls” is a story about a girl that struggles against society’s ideas of how a girl should be, only to find her trapped in the ways of the world.
Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” shows in society how a woman should be placed and what it means to be a woman. A women doesn’t question her partner, instead she is subservient to him. A woman’s duties include staying at home taking care of the children and cooking; while the man works and brings home the money. A feministic approach to Kincaid’s “Girl” points to the idea of the stereotypes that women can only be what they do in the home, they should only be pure and virtuous, and their main focus should be satisfying their husband.