This Is How You Turn a Girl Into a Woman

Stories have a beginning, middle, and an end. This is not your typical short story piece. Girl by

Jamaica Kincaid is an expressive, one-page portrait of womanhood. This methodical monologue is

narrated by a strict and caring mother. Kincaid writes a “how-to guide” on the transformation from a

little girl into a woman, by means of exposing gender roles. Most sentences start with “This is how

you...” which directly informs the reader of what, or what not, to do to be a respectable woman. Girl is

written in a very poetic style that is reminiscent of modern slam poetry. The words on the page beg to

be read aloud. Coming in at under 700 words, the message of this story packs a punch.

Though written as one block of text, Kincaid has direct topics that develop depth as one reads

further. The opening lines describe simple chores a woman is assumed to complete in a household.

“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;” From cooking, to cleaning, to light farming labor, the narrator

describes “woman's” work. Though this short story was written in the late 1970's, the gender role of

women is true today. Many women are the caretakers of the households. They are typically required to

maintain the home, care for children, and hold a job in contribution to the family. The number of men

taking on “motherly” roles families have been increasing, but the majority of women typically take on

this role. Just as her mother taught her, and her mother's mother was taught, the narrator informs her

daughter of the roles of a woman.

“This is how to bully a man; this is how a man bullies you; this is how to love a man, and if this

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to strength. Moving quick from hasty decisions is beneficial in personal growth. The message I receive

from this line is to embrace your passions, but be quick to learn from them if they don't go as planned.

One of the most beautiful human instincts is intuition.

Jamaica Kincaid has composed beautiful messages in Girl about strength, willpower, and rising

above gender roles to be powerful. In conclusion, the little girl asks, “But what if the baker won't let me

feel the bread?”and her mother replies, “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?” This is the perfect ending to this story. Is one

really going to grow up being weak and easy? No, not if one finds power through self-worth. It is

simple to be easy and let others take advantage, but it takes strength to be self-aware.