essay girl by jamaica kincaid

A Summary and Analysis of Jamaica Kincaid’s ‘Girl’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘Girl’ is a short story by the Antigua-born writer Jamaica Kincaid (born 1949). In this very short story, which runs to just a couple of pages, a mother offers advice to her teenage daughter about how to behave like a proper woman. ‘Girl’ was originally published in the New Yorker in 1978 before being reprinted in Kincaid’s collection At the Bottom of the River in 1983.

At just 650 words, Kincaid’s story can be regarded as a piece of flash fiction or micro-fiction. However, it doesn’t tell a ‘story’ in the conventional or traditional sense. You can read ‘Girl’ here before proceeding to our summary and analysis below.

‘Girl’: plot summary

The story comprises one single sentence of 650 words, and takes the form of a dialogue between a mother and her daughter. Although this is not stated in the story, the setting – as Kincaid has subsequently pointed out – is Antigua, the Caribbean island where she was born and raised, and the reference to numerous local foods, such as okra, salt fish, and dasheen, all hint at the story’s Caribbean setting.

The mother gives advice to her daughter, the ‘girl’ of the story’s title. Initially, this is practical domestic advice about washing and drying clothes, as well as cooking tips, such as how to cook salt fish. It is also parental advice along the lines of not walking bareheaded in the hot sun.

But as the mother’s advice continues, we begin to learn something about her attitude to her daughter: she tells her to walk like a lady on Sundays, rather than the immoral and unkempt woman she is determined, according to the mother, to become.

The mother tells her daughter not to sing ‘benna’ in Sunday school: a reference to benna , a calypso-like genre of singing popular in Caribbean countries and characterised by scandalous gossip and a call-and-response format. At this point, the daughter’s voice breaks in, in italics, and protests that she has sung benna in Sunday school, so she is being cautioned against doing something she already knows not to do.

The mother appears to ignore her daughter’s interjection, continuing to give her advice, including how to wear a different smile for people she doesn’t like, people she actively hates, and people she does like. She then tells her how to dress so she doesn’t look like ‘the slut I know you are so bent on becoming’. This phrase is repeated several times in the story.

The mother carries on, becoming more critical of her daughter’s attitude and behaviour. She mentions Obeah , a mystical religion with its roots in African beliefs and rituals, and tells her daughter not to judge by appearances. She also offers medical advice, including how to bring on an abortion and how to catch a fish, as well as how to catch, or attract, a man to become her husband.

Indeed, much of her advice focuses on the kind of domestic chores a wife would be expected to perform for her husband in traditional societies.

The story ends with the mother advising her daughter how to squeeze a loaf of bread to tell whether it is fresh. The daughter speaks again – only the second time she has done so in the story – to ask what she should do if the baker won’t let her touch the bread. The mother responds, is her daughter really going to be the kind of woman the baker won’t let near the bread?

‘Girl’: analysis

Kincaid’s story is about a mother passing on her wisdom to her daughter, but one of the clever things about the way Kincaid organises the story is the way she seamlessly weaves in moral advice about reputation among the more everyday, domestic knowhow she thinks her daughter needs to know.

The mother is concerned not just with ensuring her daughter becomes a good wife when she grows up, but ensuring that she is seen as a good woman, rather than a ‘slut’ (the word the mother uses several times in this short story) who is viewed as immoral and promiscuous by her neighbours and the wider community.

The title of Kincaid’s story, ‘Girl’, is significant because it becomes clear that the daughter in the story is actually a girl on the cusp of adulthood. This, then, is the mother having ‘the talk’ with her daughter, if not quite about the ‘birds and the bees’ then about how to be seen as a woman of good morals.

Kincaid hints at the girl’s adolescence through several suggestive details, such as the ‘little cloths’ she mentions early on: a reference to the girl’s underwear. This is a subtle allusion to menstruation and what the girl should do when she starts her monthly bleeding.

Given its brevity and the headlong structure of this one-sentence conversation, we as readers are not given any deeper knowledge about how the mother views the society of which she is a part. Does she approve of the patriarchal structure of her society, where women are prepared for their roles as good daughters, and then good wives and good mothers, from an early age? On one level, she is upholding this structure by uncritically presenting her recommendations as merely ‘the way things are’, we might say.

But this might simply mean that she wants her daughter to have a good life and an easy life, if not in terms of the daily grind of household chores, then in how she gets along with her neighbours and friends. By doing as the mother advises, her daughter will be thought of well by the community, and that will make her life easier.

Nor do we know whether she is right to return – as she repeatedly does – to sexual matters and the kind of young woman she fears her daughter is ‘in danger of becoming’.

The first of her daughter’s two interjections suggests that her mother may be misjudging her own daughter, since when her mother tells her not to sing benna in Sunday school, she responds that she doesn’t do that, implying this is an unfair ‘criticism’ of her behaviour.

This suggests – though it can only be inferred on our part, rather than confidently asserted – that the mother is concerned with her daughter being led astray, and her fears about her conduct and reputation may be unfounded, or at least exaggerated.

If this is so, then it only serves to underscore the traditional patriarchal structure of the Antiguan society that Kincaid is seeking to depict in ‘Girl’.

Of course, this would also be true of many other societies around the world, although assuming the story has a contemporary setting (if not in the 1970s then perhaps recalling Kincaid’s own girlhood, from a decade or so before), it implies that – assuming the mother’s attitudes are typical of the values held by that society more widely – there was still a strong sense of the importance of family in Antiguan society when the story was written. And a woman’s good reputation as a loyal wife and hard-working mother is important in upholding those values.

The story is also notable for its use of grammar: it consists of a single sentence, most of which is spoken by a mother who is giving advice to her daughter. The mother’s monologue is briefly interrupted by the girl on just occasions, but otherwise, this story consists of the mother’s words of wisdom to her daughter – about life, relationships, housekeeping, and the importance of reputation.

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Essay: Girl by Jamaica Kincaid

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Throughout time mother/daughter relationships have been tattered as woman’s liberation has taken place. Many mothers have the “old fashioned” opinion about what a woman should be. The short story “Girl”, by Jamaica Kincaid, is a prime example of this relationship. The theme in “Girl” strongly suggests that a woman should be domestic and there is a certain way that she should act. Many elder women feel that a woman’s role in life is to be domesticated. The theme of girl reinforces this opinion. The third person point of view places an important part in the reinforcement of the idea that a woman’s place is in the home. “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.” (Kincaid 296) This is the mother telling the daughter that this is the way to do things. The mother also goes on to describe other household chores and how to do them correctly. “This is how you sweep a corner.” (Kincaid 296) She tells her daughter how to set a table for different meals, how to cook things, and how to pick out bread. The story does not tell a woman how to have a successful career, to go to college, or how to work outside of the home. Considering the year that this story is written, 1978, women’s liberation is taking place. This gives setting a role in the interpretation of the theme. Many young girls started to rebel against their mothers as they decided to work out of the home. The young girl in the story is building resentment towards her mother because she feels that should be allowed to make her own decision on whether or not to be domesticated. This leads to the issue of why the point of view in this story is so essential. The mother telling this story never once stops to hear the daughter’s input on these issues. She just simply tells the daughter that she needs to be domestic and there is no objecting to it. The characterization of this story is also important part to understanding the theme. This reinforces the idea that elder woman feel that a woman’s place is in the home. Many women in society feel that a woman should act a certain way. This is once again reiterated in this story. The mother tells the daughter how to act. She tells the daughter how to act, how to dress, and how to talk. “Always eat your food in a way that it won’t turn someone else’s stomach.” (Kincaid 296) A woman should be allowed to make her own choice on how she eats. “On Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut that you are so bent on becoming.” (Kincaid 296) The mother is emphasizing that a way that a woman walks determines her sexual history. Once again this reiterates that a woman must act a certain way to not be judged. The setting of this story once again plays a major role in the theme of this story. “This is how to behave in the presence of men who don’t know you very well.” (Kincaid 296) The mother tells her daughter how to act in front of men, so that she will find an acceptable man. The theme definitely demonstrates that a woman is expected to behave in a certain manner. “Girl” tells the story of a sad mother/daughter relationship and the pressure that young girls faced when sent out into society. Many elements of literature demonstrate this in the story. However, the theme strongly suggests that elder woman feel that there is a right and wrong way to be as a woman. Throughout the story, the mother repeatedly accuses the daughter of being determined to become a ‘slut.’ This suspicion doesn’t seem to be provoked by the girl’s behavior. The girl seems to be well behaved as indicated by her first line of input in the story, ‘but I don’t sing Benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school.’ This is a respond to her mother’s question on the girl’s singing of Benna, a music genre, in Sunday school, which was followed by instructions on not to sing Benna in Sunday school. The last line of the short story, ‘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’? could be interpreted as the mother again challenging the girl’s morals. But I think this is instead challenging the girl’s strength as a person. It seem ironic that the mother has harshly demand the girl to learn all of the mother’s habits and methods, not giving the girl much of a word in any of her decisions, and then expects her to have the strength of her mother. Strength that was learned through experience, not instruction. The subjective identity of the narrator is, in a sense, inextricable from the Girl, a ‘we’ of mother-daughter identity. The Girl’s minor presence ‘ two brief and seemingly inconsequential challenges ‘ suggests that perhaps it is the Girl who is narrating and working out her own identity through speaking, through recreating and re-enacting (with language) the complicated relationship with her mother, the complicated identity of learning to be a girl/woman, a (re)enactment through assembling the severe and protective and loving and damning instructions on how to be. The motives behind the sternness seem to be protective (despite their sometimes cruelty), and through this protectiveness the identities of the mother, and her mother, and her mother and the Girl, and her daughter, and her daughter. Implicated in this merging as readers; having been addressed as ‘you’ throughout, it is hard to escape thinking about ourselves in the Girl’s place, the imposition of authority as we’ve experienced it, as imposed by our own parents, the ways these impositions can both protect and limit us. There is an anxious even urgent quality to the writing ‘ its nervousness rooted in doubts about the assumptions on which the instructions depend (assumptions about gender roles and division of labor, courtship, social appropriateness, and most severely/menacingly sexual identity, i.e. ‘like the slut I have warned you against becoming’ ‘ ‘you are not a boy, you know’ .. ‘the kind of woman the baker won’t let near the bread’). We are addressed directly ‘ you you you.

But then someone speaks on our behalf, a small voice: but I don’t sing benna on Sundays, what if the baker won’t let me feel the bread? ‘Girl’ is written in a verbal style as dialogue / monologue / performance. The writing has force, feels urgent, the stakes feel high as if there are consequences for not following instructions, although we are not told what the consequences might be. The audience extends beyond the story’s immediate horizon ‘ beyond the narrator/author’s relationship with her daughter to anyone who has been a daughter or had a daughter, perhaps to anyone who was raised by their mother. The writing reads like a declaration, but what exactly is being declared is more ambiguous: a declaration of love for certain, of the difficult labors of women, of the troubled complexities of navigating social worlds as a girl/woman, of the damning limitations put on girls, of the ways these limitations are passed down generation by generation, of the complexity of our relationships with our mothers, of the ways we recreate our parents in our relationships with our children. The voice is stern and commanding, brooking no backtalk. But there seems to be a logic at work other than the validity of the mother’s voice ‘ her intent is being undermined. Twice the daughter’s voice intervenes, resisting the mother’s scolding, but it isn’t clear where the daughter’s voice comes from. The narrator seems to contain both voices. The girl becomes present in her absence which looms over the whole affair (including the title); a kind of absence that suggests a deeper connection between the girl and the narrator, perhaps that they are the same person. The phrases are a mother’s way of insuring that her daughter has the tools that she needs to survive as an adult. The fact that the mother takes the time to train the daughter in the proper ways for a lady to act in their culture is indicative of their familial love; the fact that there are so many rules and moral principles that are being passed to the daughter indicates that mother and daughter spend a lot of time together. The reader gets the impression that the advice that the mother gives her daughter has been passed. Social values held to be important in human society are effectively portrayed in literature. Through literary works, individuals/writers are able to express their subjective interpretations of life and social reality as they experience it. Literature as the mirror of social reality is explicitly expressed in the literary work, Girl by Jamaica Kincaid. This literary work illustrate literature as a medium through which Kincaid was able to express her views about the values and norms imposed on women by the society, and sometimes, their own community and social group as well. In Girl, the theme of conflicts between a mother and her daughter and traditional and Western or modern values are portrayed by Kincaid’s effective illustration of her relationship with her mother. Jamaica Kincaid, a contemporary American Caribbean writer, illustrates in her work the dynamics of human relationships among immigrants trying to assimilate with the dominantly Westernized English society. Written in 1978, Kincaid details in her short narrative, Girl, issues that the protagonist (or Kincaid) experiences as she and her mother’s values clash against each other. In addition to exploring emotions of loss inherent in the mother-daughter bond, Kincaid also crafts her main characters as metaphors for the oppressive forces of colonization. Moira Ferguson comments in her critical analysis of Annie John, that Annie’s mother exists as an allegory to “an imperial presence,” an external force that “protects and indoctrinates” and inspires the girl’s rejection of colonial domination. The colonialist themes that run throughout Kincaid’s fiction infuse depth and political significance into her work. As Diane Simmons in World Literature Today states, “At heart, Jamaica Kincaid’s work is not about the charm of a Caribbean childhood, nor is it about colonialism. Nor, finally, is it about black and white in America. At heart, her work is about loss” (466). In other words, to read Annie John solely on a polemic level is to miss much of the artistic texture and universal themes that give life to her prose. For her work on Annie John, Kincaid was selected as one of three finalists for the 1985 international Ritz Paris Hemingway Award. In addition, Kincaid is a recipient of the Anifield-Wolf Book Award and The Lila-Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund Award. Kincaid also received a nomination for the 1997 National Book Award for My Brother, a gripping chronicle of her relationship with her youngest brother, during his losing battle with AIDS. Despite the praise and numerous honors, there are those who condemn Kincaid’s work, specifically A Small Place, for its “ill-chosen rage.’ A Small Place, is “a short but powerful book that can best be described as an anti-travel narrative” (Dictionary of Literary Biography, 135). In this 81 page, slim volume of nonfiction, Kincaid examines the brutal effects of Antiguan colonial oppression and relentlessly indicts its white perpetrators. She writes accusatorily and directly to her white readers: “Have you ever wondered to yourself why it is that all people like me seem to have learned from you is how to imprison and murder each other, how to govern badly, and how to take the wealth of our country and place it in Swiss bank accounts? Have you ever wondered why it is that all we seem to have learned from you is how to corrupt our societies and how to be tyrants? You will have to accept that this is mostly your fault”. (34-35). Girl,” the first and probably most important piece of the collection, highlights Kincaid’s evocative use of language, as she explores themes of enculturation and the “patriarchal politics of oppression”

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Analysis of Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl”

Jamaica Kincaid’s (1978) “Girl” illustrates a mother-daughter relationship involving biases linked to family roles, community relations, and societal norms and culture shaping personal identity and behavior. The girl represents Kincaid in her youth. The short story shows that the mother prescribes behaviors that she deems appropriate for females. She imposes these behaviors on the girl, who is expected to obey and conform. In addition, it is apparent that the child and her identity are constrained within these prescribed feminine behaviors, in contrast to masculine ones. Such a constrictive condition is a result of the parent’s dominant behavior toward the girl, and the family’s tendency to yield to social pressure. Considering Kincaid’s background and the cultural keywords used, the short story emphasizes how certain sociocultural characteristics are passed on through generations. The story touches on social problems involving the mother and her daughter and illustrates the significance of familial relationships in shaping individual behavior. Kincaid also points to social issues, such as sexism or sex discrimination, gender stereotypes, and the effects of societal pressure on personal development.

In depicting a conversation or argument between a mother and her daughter, Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” includes the following points:

• An overbearing mother
• The mother’s pessimism about the girl
• Norms, stereotypes, and biases against women
• Family as a means of perpetuating social issues through generations

An Overbearing Mother

The overbearing and controlling nature of the mother is observable in Kincaid’s short story. Most of the story reflects what the parent says about what the girl should do and not do. For example, the mother teaches her daughter to wash clothes in a certain way, and to “cook pumpkin fritters in very hot sweet oil.” The mother also tells the girl to not sing benna in Sunday school, and not “speak to wharf-rat boys.” These directions show that the mother wants to control various aspects of her daughter’s life, including how chores are done, how relationships are developed outside the family, and how the girl presents herself to the outside world.

The mother-daughter relationship characterizes the woman’s motherhood and parenting style. The text is mostly about the mother’s thoughts, ideas, perspectives, rules, and instructions for the girl. Throughout the story, it is only twice that the girl responds to her mother. The girl says that she does not sing benna in Sunday school, and asks the hypothetical question, “what if the baker won’t let me feel the bread?” Kincaid’s emphasis on such a familial relationship can be seen as a reflection of a lack of healthy communication between the two females. It seems that the parent does not have the will or desire to know and accommodate the child’s thoughts and point of view. This situation makes the reader wonder about the sociological meaning of the mother-daughter relationship, and what the girl really thinks or does in her home and outside when interacting with boys, churchgoers, the baker, and other people.

The Mother’s Pessimism about the Girl

Kincaid’s short story illustrates the mother’s pessimistic or negative view of the girl. The word, “slut,” is mentioned thrice to emphasize the mother’s belief that her daughter is becoming one or has already become one. The mother also finds ways to establish this belief through assumptions and negative interpretations about the girl and her activities. For example, after telling her daughter to squeeze bread to check for its freshness, the girl replies by asking, “what if the baker won’t let me feel the bread?” The mother interprets this question as an indicator that the girl will really be that “kind of woman.” This sarcastic remark is a pessimistic interpretation. The mother focuses on a supposed undesirable future of the girl, and seemingly disregards other possibilities. For instance, it is possible that the girl innocently says that the baker might not let her feel the bread, perhaps because of other reasons. The mother’s derogatory perspective tells the reader that she thinks poorly of her daughter, no matter what the girl says.

The mother’s negativity is also shown in other parts of Kincaid’s story. The mother asks if the girl sings benna in Sunday school, then lays down the rule that the girl should not do so. When the daughter says that she never sings benna in Sunday school, the mother ignores the young lady and just continues giving instructions and rules, without much consideration for the possibility that the girl actually does not sing benna in Sunday school. This part of the text illustrates the mother’s firmness in her negative perspective that the girl sings benna. In relation, the mother prescribes a way of getting rid of an unwanted pregnancy. This guidance reflects the mother’s assumption and expectation that the girl will eventually have an unwanted pregnancy. Thus, the text depicts the mother as a pessimist regarding her daughter’s life and future.

Norms, Stereotypes, and Biases against Women

The mainly one-sided conversation between the mother and her daughter shows Kincaid’s view of the norms, stereotypes, and biases in society. The short story presents what the mother thinks is appropriate, based on sociocultural expectations, customs, and traditions. For example, the parent instructs the girl that she should not squat to play marbles because she is not a boy. Also, the mother teaches the girl to “walk like a lady” on Sundays. Here, the teachings, directions, and guidance appear to be part of the girl’s training in preparation for life, as she gets older and becomes a woman. However, the same teachings, directions, and guidance inculcate not just positive or beneficial information, but also negative norms, stereotypes, and biases.

It is clear that the mother thinks that women and men should have different manners and conduct, especially when interacting with each other. Some of her directions provide positive training for the girl. For example, the mother teaches her daughter how to catch and prepare fish. However, the reader is given a picture of a society, where norms, stereotypes, and biases discriminate against women. The mother’s rants and rules show that girls should not squat like a boy; should do household chores, such as cooking, baking, setting the table, sweeping, sewing, and washing and ironing clothes; and should walk like a lady. Furthermore, the teaching on how to prepare medicine, in case the girl becomes pregnant and wants to stop it, implies that females may suffer from unsafe remedies instead of receiving safe healthcare. This maternal guidance creates a division between the sexes and discriminates against women. With such sexist training under her mother, the girl is given less freedom to do what she wants to do, relative to males.

Family as a Means of Perpetuating Social Issues through Generations

Kincaid’s “Girl” reflects the family’s role in perpetuating social issues from generation to generation. As the basic social unit, the family provides a social environment that nurtures children. However, societal problems, such as biases and discrimination, are also passed on from parents to their children. In the short story, the conversation between the mother and her daughter represents the family. In turn, this family represents a community or society that imposes pressure on individuals, such as sons and daughters, to follow sexist or discriminatory rules and social expectations.

The mother instructs her daughter to not squat like a boy, to do household chores, to “walk like a lady,” and so on. These lessons describe a society that separates men from women. It is a social environment where women are mainly limited to the home and men can go out without much restriction. This means that families set discriminatory rules that put pressure on their children. These children, then, become adults who set similar discriminatory rules for their own children in the future. This cycle perpetuates the ills of society.

Points to Ponder

The mother in Kincaid’s “Girl” symbolizes motherhood or, more generally, parenthood and its role in perpetuating stereotypes, biases, and discrimination. One might consider how this situation agrees with the saying, History repeats itself . As the mother sets an example to follow, the girl could eventually become just as gender-biased as her mother. Such similarities between generations are also alluded to in other literary works, such as E.B White’s essay, “Once More to the Lake.”

Many questions arise upon reading Kincaid’s short story. For example, how do the story’s socially constructed systems fit within ethical and moral systems? In terms of forbidding the girl to squat like a boy to play marbles, how does the mother’s instruction affect the girl’s personal development, identity, and social skills? How do the parenting style and rules in the short story reflect the mother as a teacher, a guide, and a role model for the girl? How does the mother see her daughter as a student or follower? Would the mother give the same or similar rules to the girl’s siblings? How would the familial training differ between the girl’s sisters and brothers? Is the mother’s parenting style a result of her own conformism to peer pressure, and her own obedience to her church, faith, or religion?

Kincaid, J. (2003). Girl . In A. Charters (Ed.), The story and its writer: An introduction to short fiction (6th ed., pp. 320-321). Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s. (Original work published 1978)

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Jamaica Kincaid

Ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

The speaker, whose voice is that of the titular girl’s mother , begins her monologue with instructions on how to do laundry. According to mother there is a proper way and a proper day on which to wash whites (“on Monday” and “on the stone heap”) and colors (“on Tuesday” and “on the clothesline to dry”).

Mother also provides advice to the girl on how to maintain a proper appearance. She should not expose her “ bare-head ” to the sun and should be careful of how she walks, and she should also mind the length of her dress hems, to avoid appearing to be a “ slut .” It is especially important for the girl to be on her best behavior in Sunday school, where she is advised against singing benna .

The remainder of Mother’s advice includes mundane lessons on personal hygiene, cooking, gardening, tailoring, and entertaining, but also more significant lessons on how to terminate a pregnancy, how to budget, how to love—presumably, a man—and how to tolerate the failure of love.

The story ends with Mother’s insistence that the girl should always feel bread “to make sure it’s fresh.” The girl questions whether the baker would “let [her] feel the bread,” which leads Mother to wonder if any of her advice matters since the girl will become “the kind of woman who the baker won’t let near the bread .”

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By Jamaica Kincaid

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; don’t walk bare-head in the hot sun; cook pumpkin fritters in very hot sweet oil; soak your little cloths right after you take them off; when buying cotton to make yourself a nice blouse, be sure that it doesn’t have gum in it, because that way it won’t hold up well after a wash; soak salt fish overnight before you cook it; is it true that you sing benna in Sunday school?; always eat your food in such a way that it won’t turn someone else’s stomach; on Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming; don’t sing benna in Sunday school; you mustn’t speak to wharf-rat boys, not even to give directions; don’t eat fruits on the street—flies will follow you; but I don’t sing benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school; this is how to sew on a button; this is how to make a buttonhole for the button you have just sewed on; this is how to hem a dress when you see the hem coming down and so to prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on becoming; this is how you iron your father’s khaki shirt so that it doesn’t have a crease; this is how you iron your father’s khaki pants so that they don’t have a crease; this is how you grow okra—far from the house, because okra tree harbors red ants; when you are growing dasheen, make sure it gets plenty of water or else it makes your throat itch when you are eating it; this is how you sweep a corner; this is how you sweep a whole house; this is how you sweep a yard; this is how you smile to someone you don’t like too much; this is how you smile to someone you don’t like at all; this is how you smile to someone you like completely; this is how you set a table for tea; this is how you set a table for dinner; this is how you set a table for dinner with an important guest; this is how you set a table for lunch; this is how you set a table for breakfast; this is how to behave in the presence of men who don’t know you very well, and this way they won’t recognize immediately the slut I have warned you against becoming; be sure to wash every day, even if it is with your own spit; don’t squat down to play marbles—you are not a boy, you know; don’t pick people’s flowers—you might catch something; don’t throw stones at blackbirds, because it might not be a blackbird at all; this is how to make a bread pudding; this is how to make doukona; this is how to make pepper pot; this is how to make a good medicine for a cold; this is how to make a good medicine to throw away a child before it even becomes a child; this is how to catch a fish; this is how to throw back a fish you don’t like, and that way something bad won’t fall on you; this is how to bully a man; this is how a man bullies you; 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; 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; this is how to make ends meet; always squeeze bread to make sure it’s fresh; but what if the baker won’t let me feel the bread ?; 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? ♦

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“Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid: Analysis

“Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid that depicts a mother’s advice to her daughter in a single sentence of dialogue with instructions and warnings to her daughter.

Introduction: “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

Table of Contents

“Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid that depicts a mother’s advice to her daughter in a single sentence of dialogue, in which the mother provides a series of instructions and warnings to her daughter. The instructions cover various aspects of domestic life, including cooking, cleaning, sewing, and child-rearing. Throughout the story, the mother’s voice is both commanding and critical, highlighting the expectations placed on women in Caribbean society. The story’s popularity can be attributed to its simple, yet evocative style, and its ability to capture the complexity of relationships between mothers and daughters. It also serves as a commentary on the oppressive nature of gender roles and societal expectations.

Main Events in “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

• Domestic Chores and Skills: The mother begins with a relentless list of household duties: washing clothes, cooking techniques, gardening, and maintaining a clean house. (“Wash the white clothes on Monday…”, “cook pumpkin fritters in very hot sweet oil…”)
• Social Propriety: Instructions on how to behave in polite society emerge: curtseying, table manners, walking appropriately, and interacting with others. (“don’t walk barehead in the hot sun”, “don’t squat down to play marbles…”)
• Avoiding ‘Sluttish’ Behavior: The mother’s warnings take a sharp turn, focusing on how to avoid being perceived as promiscuous and how to deal with unwanted male advances. (“this is how you sew on a button…”, “this is how to bully a man…”)
• Womanly Skills for Attracting Men: Contradictory instructions surface, emphasizing feminine wiles to attract men. (“this is how to make a good medicine to throw away a child…”)
• Home Remedies and Superstition: Advice veers into folk remedies and superstitious beliefs. (“this is how to make ends meet…”)
• Defiance and the Daughter’s Voice: The daughter briefly interrupts twice, once to question and another time to protest.
• Mother’s Assumptions of Bad Character: The mother assumes the daughter has an inherent inclination towards improper behavior. (“on Sundays try to walk like a lady…”).
• Preventing Pregnancy: The advice returns to more overt warnings about becoming pregnant and its social consequences.
• Social Expectations of Women: The mother harps on avoiding shame and maintaining a reputation as a respectable woman and future wife.
• The Cycle Continues: The story implies that the daughter, now armed with all this ‘wisdom’, will someday pass the same on to her own daughters.

Literary Devices in “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

• Allusion : Possible allusions to biblical themes or proverbs within the mother’s instructions (e.g., not throwing stones at blackbirds might reference the idea of casting the first stone).
• Anaphora : The repetition of phrases throughout the story, most notably “this is how…” and “don’t…” These repetitions reinforce the relentlessness of the mother’s advice.
• Antithesis : Contrasting ideas placed next to each other to highlight their differences. Examples include the conflicting instructions about attracting and repelling men.
• Asyndeton : Purposeful omission of conjunctions (“and,” “or,” “but”) between a series of words or phrases, creating a sense of urgency and breathlessness.
• Diction : The mother’s choice of words is simple and direct, reflecting the practical worldview she is imparting. The word “sl*t”, though jarring, drives home the mother’s fears about her daughter’s potential behavior.
• Foreshadowing “>Foreshadowing : Hints of the cycle of womanhood and the expectation that this knowledge will be passed down to the next generation.
• Imagery : Vivid use of sensory details, particularly in the descriptions of food preparation and domestic tasks, to ground the story in the realm of lived experience.
• Imperatives: The mother uses a barrage of commands in instructing her daughter. This reflects the controlling nature of their relationship and the weight of societal expectations.
• Juxtaposition “>Juxtaposition : The placement of domestic instructions alongside warnings about sexuality and reputation creates a stark contrast and adds complexity to the narrative.
• Metaphor : Possible metaphorical readings of washing and cleanliness relating to ideas of purity and reputation.
• Parallelism : Similar grammatical structures are repeated throughout, mirroring the repetitive nature of the advice and emphasizing its overwhelming quality.
• Polysyndeton : Deliberate use of many conjunctions to slow the pace and emphasize the sheer volume of instructions the daughter is receiving.
• Repetition : Key words and phrases are repeated for emphasis and to hammer home the mother’s central points and warnings.
• Symbolism : Everyday objects and acts (e.g., bread, stones, okra) could be interpreted as carrying additional symbolic meaning within the context of the story.
• Tone : The mother’s tone is a complex mix of authoritative, accusatory, protective, and at times resigned.

Characterization in “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

Major characters.

• Authoritarian: She dispenses instructions and commands relentlessly, leaving no room for questions or negotiation. (“Wash the white clothes on Monday…”, “don’t sing benna in Sunday school…”)
• Prejudiced: Her view of the world is one where girls are inherently susceptible to promiscuity and bad reputations. (“…not like the sl*t you are so bent on becoming…”).
• Protective: Despite her harsh tone, elements of her advice reveal a desire to shield her daughter from harm and social consequences. (“this is how to make a good medicine to throw away a child…”, “this is how to bully a man…”)
• Complex: She simultaneously embodies societal expectations of women while also imparting ways to navigate or subvert them within those constraints.
• Largely silent: We hear her voice only twice, in brief instances of questioning or protest. (“…but I don’t sing benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school…”)
• Oppressed: The barrage of instructions and accusations weigh heavily upon her, restricting her sense of agency.
• Resistant: Her small acts of defiance show a spark of an independent spirit beneath the surface.
• Implied future: The story suggests she will likely internalize and eventually perpetuate these same patterns to her own daughters, hinted at in the cyclical nature of the advice.

Minor Characters

• Potential threats: The mother warns against “wharf-rat boys” and focuses on protecting her daughter’s reputation to avoid the attention of undesirable suitors.
• Objects to manipulate: Instructions on attracting men, then bullying them, reveal a view of men as targets to gain control over rather than partners.

Note on Characterization

The unusual structure of “Girl” offers limited direct insight into the characters’ personalities. Instead, their characterization is achieved through:

• Dialogue: Mostly one-sided, the mother’s words reveal her worldview, beliefs, and anxieties.
• Actions: The mother’s relentless instructing and the daughter’s small rebellions offer glimpses into their behaviors and reactions to each other.
• Social Context: The cultural expectations of gender roles heavily influence both the mother’s advice and how the daughter is likely to internalize these messages.

Major Themes in “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

Writing style in “girl” by jamaica kincaid.

·  Sentence Structure:

• Dominance of imperatives: Commands that enforce the mother’s authority and the urgency of her instructions. (“Wash the white clothes on Monday…”, “don’t sing benna in Sunday school…”)
• Short, simple sentences: Mirror the straightforward and practical nature of the advice being dispensed.
• Run-on structure: Contributes to the overwhelming, breathless feel, as if the mother has endless rules to share.

·  Repetition:

• “This is how…” : Emphasizes the idea of a singular ‘right’ way to do things.
• “Don’t…” : Reinforces warnings about undesirable behaviors.
• Key words like “sl*t”: Drives home the core anxieties the mother has around her daughter’s behavior and reputation.
• Authoritative: The mother asserts her dominance in setting social and moral rules.
• Accusatory: Assumptions of the daughter’s misbehavior create a sense of tension and guilt. (“…the sl*t I know you are so bent on becoming…”)
• Protective at times: Hints at a desire to shield the daughter, however misguided. (“…this is how to make a good medicine to throw away a child…”)

·  Minimal Characterization:

• Lack of traditional dialogue: Reinforces the one-sided nature of the mother-daughter relationship.
• Brief interjections from the daughter: Show small acts of resistance to her mother’s control.

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

Questions and thesis statements about “girl” by jamaica kincaid.

1. How does Jamaica Kincaid use the dialogue between the mother and daughter in “Girl” to critique traditional gender roles in the Caribbean society?

Thesis statement: Through the dialogue between the mother and daughter, Kincaid presents a scathing critique of traditional gender roles in Caribbean society, highlighting the ways in which women are expected to conform to rigid societal norms and how this perpetuates cycles of oppression.

• Domesticity as a woman’s primary domain: The mother’s relentless instructions on household chores and cooking reinforce the idea that a woman’s place is in the home.
• Reputation as paramount: The constant warnings about avoiding “sluttish” behavior reveal the intense social pressure for girls to maintain respectability and avoid damaging their prospects.
• Manipulation within a patriarchal system: Advice on attracting men, then “bullying” them, shows women are expected to navigate a system where they have less inherent power.

2. What is the significance of the repetition in “Girl” and how does it contribute to the overall meaning of the story?

Thesis statement: The repetitive nature of the mother’s instructions in “Girl” serves to underscore the restrictive nature of gender roles in the Caribbean and how the perpetuation of these roles hinders individual growth and self-expression.

• The relentlessness of societal expectations: The repetition of “this is how…” and “don’t…” mimics the way these societal norms are relentlessly drilled into girls.
• Loss of individuality: The repetition creates a sense of suffocation, suggesting the daughter’s own personality and desires are being erased.
• Cyclical nature of oppression: The structure implies these same instructions will be passed on to further generations, perpetuating the cycle.

3. How does the setting in “Girl” reflect the cultural values of the Caribbean society in which the story is set?

Thesis statement: The setting in “Girl” serves as a reflection of the cultural values of the Caribbean society, highlighting the ways in which gender roles are deeply embedded in the fabric of the culture and shape the behavior and expectations of its inhabitants.

• Focus on domestic tasks: References to cleaning, cooking, and gardening highlight the importance placed on household skills for females.
• Religious Influence: The line about “benna” songs in Sunday school indicates the role religion plays in shaping morality and social codes.
• Island imagery: Mentions of okra, dasheen, and potentially coastal settings could imply a specific Caribbean island context, further grounding the thematic issues of the story.

Short Question-Answer about “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

Literary works similar to “girl” by jamaica kincaid.

• “Telephone Conversation” by Wole Soyinka: A poem that exposes the absurdity of racial prejudice through its depiction of a phone call seeking housing. It shares thematic similarities with “Girl” in its use of dialogue to illuminate complex social issues.
• “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara: This short story explores socioeconomic disparity and its impact on children’s worldview. Similar to “Girl,” it delves into social injustice and the formation of individual consciousness within a larger societal context.
• “ Everyday Use ” by Alice Walker: This short story examines generational conflict and differing interpretations of cultural heritage within a family. It resonates with “Girl” in its exploration of familial relationships and the clash between traditional and evolving values.
• “Borders” by Thomas King: This short story centers on a woman’s unwavering determination to assert her indigenous identity when crossing the US-Canada border. It mirrors “Girl” in its themes of self-definition, resistance to imposed boundaries, and finding one’s voice.
• Selected Poems by Lorna Goodison: Goodison’s poetry often explores themes of Caribbean womanhood, identity formation, and struggles within a postcolonial framework. Her work aligns with “Girl” in its bold voice, vivid imagery, and exploration of the individual within broader social dynamics.

Suggested Readings: “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

• Cudjoe, Selwyn. Caribbean Women Writers: Essays from the First International Conference. U of Massachusetts P, 1990.
• Ferguson, Moira. Jamaica Kincaid: Where the Land Meets the Body . U of Virginia P, 1994.
• Simmons, Diane. Jamaica Kincaid. Twayne, 1994.
• Bouson, J. Brooks. “‘Oh, You Want to Be Miss America’: Jamaica Kincaid’s ‘Girl’ and the Politics of Restoration.” Callaloo , vol. 30, no. 4, 2007, pp. 1343-1355.
• Brown, Opal Palmer. “‘Listen to Your Mother’: Maternal Narratives and the Inheritance of Inequality in Jamaica Kincaid’s ‘Girl’ and Edwidge Danticat’s ‘Breath, Eyes, Memory.’” Women’s Studies Quarterly , vol. 38, no. 3/4, 2010, pp. 147-167.
• Simmons, Diane. “The Rhythm of Reality in Jamaica Kincaid’s ‘Girl.’” Studies in Short Fiction , vol. 27, no. 4, 1990, pp. 521-527.
• Postcolonial Studies at Emory. [ Website] Department of English, Emory University. [invalid URL removed]
• The Norton Anthology of American Literature. [ Website] W.W. Norton & Company. [invalid URL removed]

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Summaries, Analysis & Lists

“Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid Analysis, Summary & Themes

“Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, a prose poem/short story, was first published in 1978 in the New Yorker.  It later appeared in Jamaica Kincaid ‘s first short story collection, At the Bottom of the River , and it can be read in the Amazon preview. “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid is one long run-on sentence of about 650 words. It’s a popular short story for students .

“Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid Analysis

Although the value of a summary is limited considering the story’s length, we’ll start with one anyway just in case it’s useful. Afterward, we’ll look at themes and some questions.

“Girl” Jamaica Kincaid Summary

A mother advises her daughter about many things—how to wash clothes, not to walk bareheaded in the sun, how to cook, how to eat, how to walk, not to sing benna in Sunday school, who to avoid, not to eat fruit in the street, how to sew and iron, how to grow food, how to clean house and the yard, how to smile at people, how to set the table, how to behave around men, hygiene, how to play like a girl, not to pick people’s flowers, not to throw rocks at blackbirds, how to make medicines, how to fish, how to bully a man, how a man will bully her, how to love a man, how to spit in the air without it getting on you, how to budget, and how to check bread for freshness.

(End of “Girl” summary by Jamaica Kincaid)

“Girl” Theme: Mother/Daughter Dynamics

The dominant mother’s role depicted is of teacher. Her speech is a stream of instructions and warnings. The advice is mostly concerned with doing practical things for herself and around the home, as well as how to behave publicly.

A major takeaway from this litany is the lack of warmth. There isn’t a single word of love or encouragement anywhere. Of course, the mother could be motivated by love, at least partly, but this doesn’t come through in her communication with her daughter. The speech is didactic and critical, and expresses a very narrow view of a mother.

Indeed, the structure of the story could be interpreted as a symbol of the mother/daughter relationship. With no setting, action or exposition, the story could parallel the mother’s interactions with the daughter. All she does is preach to her and criticize her. The story’s limits seem to parallel the relationship’s limits.

“Girl” Theme: Communication

Related to the theme of mother/daughter dynamics  is the theme of communication.

Almost the entire story is one-way communication from the mother to the daughter. Its tone, discussed above, doesn’t give the impression of a close, loving relationship.

There are two instances in the story where the daughter speaks up, which are italicized in the text. The first time, she says she doesn’t sing benna on Sundays and never in Sunday school. It’s noteworthy that this is after her mother has already moved on to other subjects. The implication is that the mother talks but doesn’t care about what the daughter says. Her defense was also ignored.

The second time, she asks how to squeeze the bread if the baker won’t let her touch it. The mother turns this into a criticism, once again questioning the girl’s morals.

The story suggests the communication between the two is poor, with the mother spouting instructions, and ignoring or criticizing the daughter’s responses.

“Girl” Theme: Expectations for Females

The mother’s words cover the traditional role a woman would fill—lots of advice about keeping a home and interacting with men. Washing clothes, selecting food and cooking it, cleaning, setting a table, preparing home remedies, and knowing how to deal with men are all covered.

The tone is mainly neutral, but it’s distinctly harsh in one area—that the girl is promiscuous. Due to its repetition, it’s the part that stands out the most. It’s very important for a woman to have a good reputation in this area. The girl’s reputation doesn’t seem to be in question, though. The mother asked if it was true she sang benna in Sunday school, implying someone was talking about this. There’s no indication someone has impugned the girl’s character. The first time it’s said is particularly jarring:”. . . the s¦ut you are so bent on becoming.” It’s clear the mother strongly disapproves of any behavior that tends in this direction. The tone is even harsher considering the girl could be acting in a perfectly normal way. The story also ends with the mother accusing the girl of “being the kind of woman who the baker won’t let near the bread,” making it the last thing we remember.

Interestingly, the kind of behavior that could get a girl in trouble isn’t uncommon. One of the things the mother teaches the daughter to make is a medicine “to throw away a child before it even becomes a child.” We can infer this is a piece of common knowledge that is passed on to girls. Not being promiscuous is one thing, but concealing it is just as important.

“Girl” Theme: Power

Kincaid has acknowledged that the power contrast between the mother and daughter is like the relationship between Europe and Antigua, “a relationship between the powerful and the powerless”, in her words.

Antigua had a small, wealthy white population and a large, poor black population. The local culture was subsumed by the British system.

Antigua was a British colony until 1967 when they became an Associated State with Barbuda; they gained full independence in 1981.

Kincaid explained that while the mother is showing the girl how to be in the world, she doesn’t really think the girl will get it right. She’s dismissive and views the girl with scorn. Kincaid explained, it’s “not unlike the relationship between the conquered and the conqueror.”

“Girl” Analysis Questions

1. why might a blackbird not be a blackbird after all.

This bit of advice expresses a belief that the blackbird might contain the spirit of a person or something else. This is consistent with the other statement about throwing back a fish so something bad won’t happen to you. The mother passes on these mystical beliefs to her daughter. These things contrast with the reference to Sunday school, where some form of Christianity is taught.

2. Why shouldn’t the girl sing benna in Sunday school?

Benna is an uptempo Antiguan music (Calypso) known for having gossip in the lyrics. It wouldn’t be appropriate to sing in a Christian setting. Again, we see the importance of appearances. The girl isn’t told not to sing these songs at all, just not when it would look bad.

3. How should the narration be taken? Is it happening in real-time?

I don’t think so. It reads like a remembrance of the things the girl’s mother had told her over a period of time, probably years. For example, “this is how to sew a button” couldn’t just be said and left at that. Obviously, the mother said that at the beginning of a demonstration, and would have explained further as she went. This applies to many of the other things said, as well.

A person would have to have a classifiable disorder to rant the story’s narrative in one sitting, without any explanations and running things together without any transitions. The presentation suggests this is how the girl remembers her relationship with her mother.

Some additional terms from the story:

• Okra: a mucilaginous, high-fiber vegetable
• Dasheen: a large-leaved root vegetable
• Doukona: a spicy pudding made from plantains
• Pepper Pot: a beef stew

For such a short story, “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid is a remarkably complete reading experience. I hope this analysis of “Girl”, the summary and the look at themes has been helpful.

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Summary and Study Guide

Summary: “girl”.

Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” was first published on June 26, 1978 in The New Yorker and was later included in Kincaid’s debut 1983 short story collection, At the Bottom of the River . According to Kincaid, her works, including “Girl,” can be considered autobiographical. Kincaid grew up on the Caribbean island of Antigua and had a strained relationship with her mother before Kincaid moved to New York City. These same cultural and familial contexts are present in “Girl.”

This study guide cites the 1978 version of the text found in The New Yorker . Since the text is rather short and compact, references to direct quotes will include the respective line numbers in citations.

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“Girl” is a dramatic monologue told predominantly in the second person. The text, which is considered a prose poem, follows no chronology and lacks a traditional plot structure. The speaker is presumed to be a mother preaching to her daughter, although their relationship is never clearly stated. The mother’s voice is exacting, and her speech cautionary. The story is a single paragraph comprised of a series of commands and instructions connected with a semicolon. The girl, having reached sexual maturity, receives instructions intended to help her become a respectable woman and is told how adults should behave. On two occasions, the daughter’s voice interrupts the mother in protest, but the mother merely continues with her monologue in a distant and often accusatory tone , using “don’t,” “do,” and “how to.” The story explores the detrimental gender roles and expectations imposed upon young girls who are emerging into womanhood.

Although the narrative is not linear, there is a tonal shift as the mother’s intention progresses from educating her daughter in domestic duties to empowering her to assert her individuality. The daughter’s voice also occasionally breaks through that of her domineering yet caring mother, giving readers a glimpse at the young, innocent girl who will soon be a woman.

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Many of the mother’s directions include practical advice that will aid the girl in keeping a house of her own one day. She tells the girl to place freshly washed white clothing on a stone heap on Mondays and to save the color clothes to wash on Tuesdays. The mother also tells the daughter how to properly soak salt fish, cook pumpkin fritters, iron her father’s clothes, grow okra and dasheen, and sweep the house and yard. From these regional details, readers can infer that the story takes place in the British West Indies. The instructions suggest that the women reside in a poor rural setting in which imparting such advice is vital for daily life.

It also soon becomes apparent that the girl has approached sexual maturity. The speaker’s instruction to “soak your little cloths” when she removes them—a reference to menstruation—alludes to this fact. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that many of the mother’s directions are intended to prevent the girl from turning into the “slut” that her mother obviously believes the girl will become. She tells her not to sing benna (suggestive Antiguan folk songs) while in Sunday school, never to speak to the “wharf-rat boys,” and not to eat fruit on the street, as it will cause flies to follow her.

Such advice is interspersed with guidance about practical matters such as cleaning and cooking. She also tells the girl to avoid walking bareheaded in the sun. However, the mother’s main aim is to keep the daughter from becoming or being perceived as a “slut.” The mother’s commentary begins to introduce more serious issues such as etiquette and respectability, telling her to always walk like a lady and to be the “perfect” woman to fit into the community in which they live. The speaker also tells the girl about a medicine to induce abortion and observes that if her advice on how to love a man does not work, the girl should not regret giving up. She warns that men and women oftentimes “bully” one another.

The mother also provides social advice, telling the girl how to smile at anyone she does not like, as well as at those she sincerely likes. Furthermore, she informs her about how to avoid evil spirits. For example, she says what appears as a blackbird may indeed be something else entirely.

The delivery of the mother’s instruction suggests the ways in which adults model actions and behaviors for their children. Seemingly, the daughter is learning as she watches. Meanwhile, the speaker’s negative tone implies she has little hope that her daughter will progress into a decent state of adulthood, such that the girl’s protestation contributes to the tension of the story. In any case, the mother has the final word. At the end, when the daughter asks what she should do if the baker will not allow her to test the freshness of the bread by squeezing it, the mother wonders whether the girl will become the “kind of woman the baker won’t let near the bread” (Lines 52-53).

The mother’s advice comes across as castigating, caustic, and condescending. She passes on to her daughter the litany of female duties and attributes, developed and sanctified over generations, likely in the same manner the woman’s own mother had passed them on to her. The mother presents a generational gender mandate in the presence of an inevitable mother-daughter distancing typically signified by impending adolescence.

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Girl by Jamaica Kincaid Analysis

Girl by jamaica kincaid analysis: introduction, jamaica kincaid “girl” analysis of the mother character, girl (jamaica kincaid) analysis of the relationship theme, girl by jamaica kincaid essay conclusion, works cited.

The short story “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid is a narrative about a girl between the ages of ‘innocence’ and ‘transformative entrance’ into adulthood. Her mother trains her how to be an ideal and respectable lady. She believes that she is the only person who can rescue the girl from a promiscuous life.

She is convinced that the girl is almost lost because of the way she conducts herself (Kincaid 4). The voice of the mother dominates the narrative. There are only two instances where the daughter interjects in response to her. The language used by the maternal figure, as well as the instructions she gives to her daughter, tell a lot about her character. It also describes the relationship she has with the girl.

The mother shares her knowledge of the domestic code of conduct with her daughter. It is an indication of her intelligent nature. She knows how to co-exist with other people. She commands the respect of family members and the society. She has a wide knowledge of domestic matters (Kincaid 4).

The woman is also compassionate. She cares about her daughter and warns her against being careless with her sexuality. She says, “So prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on becoming” (Kincaid 4). Whenever the daughter says something that is unusual, the mother reprimands her.

The girl’s mother is also autocratic and domineering. She tells the girl that she needs to be a domestic professional. The woman does not expect any objection from her child. The daughter has been denied the freedom to make her own decisions on whether or not to be domesticated (Kincaid 5).

She is a street mother who leaves no room for negotiations with regard to female respectability. A critical review of the narrative reveals that the woman is outdated. She holds old-fashioned opinions about what a woman should be. In addition, she is convinced that a woman should be a domestic helper (Kincaid 3).

She is an active participant in various issues both at the family and at the community level. For example, she is involved in such community projects as fishing. However, she is also unsympathetic. She commands the girl to learn the entire mother’s way of doing things. The woman does not give her daughter the freedom to make decisions. On the contrary, she commands her by providing instructions (Kincaid 3).

The fact that the mother takes the time to guide her daughter is an indication of familial love. She expects a lot from the young lady. The girl is well aware of this fact. However, the strict instructions from the mother appear to intimidate the girl (Kincaid 4).

The relationship between the two characters is very mechanical. For example, the conversation between them is one-sided. The daughter is quiet and listens to the mother pensively. The mother wants her daughter to be hygienic. She teaches her how to wash clothes, sweep the house, and clean the compound (Kincaid 3). She wants her daughter to have morals. She teaches her proper sexual conduct befitting a well-bred girl.

She shows her to conduct herself in front of men. The aim is to ensure that she gets a responsible husband (Kincaid 3). However, the daughter feels like she is denied the freedom of self-determination. She is not allowed to make her own decisions. Her meek objections are discernible when she says, “But what if the baker won’t let me feel the bread?” (Kincaid 4). Her mother does not tell her how to become a career and modern woman.

Kincaid’s “Girl” is full of irony. The mother expects her daughter to learn how to become a respectable strong woman like her. She forgets that strength is gained through experience and not instructions. She should give her daughter the freedom to think for herself, make mistakes, and learn from them.

Kincaid, Jamaica. At the Bottom of the River, New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1983. Print.

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Mothers and Daughters: “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid Essay (Review)

This short story focuses on the theme of relationships between mothers and daughters, which also reflects the problem of parents and children on a larger scale. In her story, the author seems to reflect on her own experience. The mother of the girl prescribes her daughter certain rules and behaviors, expecting that she would strictly follow them. In turn, the girl feels constrained in these imposed behaviors, which limits her life. It should be stressed the mother gives both positive and negative advice, but the girl’s perspective and ideas are quite a few in the story, which can be interpreted as the overbearing of the mother in her daughter (Jayasree 83). On the one hand, the actions of the mother are guided by love, and she wants the best for her child. On the other hand, the mother is an old-fashioned and too strict woman, who leaves the main character without social interactions and personal opinion.

Another important problem that is raised by this story is that the society promotes stereotyped thinking in children. Namely, the thoughts that are translated by the mother to her daughter represent female discrimination, and it creates the gap between the sexes. According to the mother, a woman should be limited by her house, while men are not restricted. The mother also uses the word “slut”, which shows that he treats her daughter derogatively. One can conclude that the mother does not teach her daughter how to live in the modern and how to become happy. It would be better, however, if she left some place for the girl to think independently so that she can make her own mistakes and learn from them.

Jayasree, K. “Linguistic-Literary Camouflage in Jamaica Kincaid’s” Girl”.” IUP Journal of English Studies , vol. 13, no. 2, 2018, pp. 81-87.

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IvyPanda . "Mothers and Daughters: "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid." June 13, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/girl-by-jamaica-kincaid-review/.

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Essays on Girl by Jamaica Kincaid

Choosing an essay topic for "girl" by jamaica kincaid.

When it comes to writing an essay on "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid, choosing the right topic is crucial. This short story is rich in themes and symbolism, making it an excellent source for analysis and interpretation. In this article, we'll discuss the importance of the topic, provide advice on choosing a topic, and offer a detailed list of recommended essay topics to help you get started.

The Importance of the Topic

Choosing a compelling and relevant topic for your essay on "Girl" is important for several reasons. First and foremost, a well-chosen topic will make the writing process more engaging and enjoyable for you as the writer. Additionally, it will help you to explore the various themes and motifs present in the story, allowing you to delve deeper into its meaning and significance. A strong topic will also grab the attention of your readers, making your essay more impactful and thought-provoking.

Advice on Choosing a Topic

When selecting a topic for your essay on "Girl," it's important to consider your own interests and strengths as a writer. Choose a topic that excites you and that you feel passionate about. Additionally, consider the scope of the story and the themes it addresses. Look for topics that allow for in-depth analysis and critical thinking. Finally, consider the audience for your essay and choose a topic that will resonate with them and spark their interest.

Recommended Essay Topics

Gender and identity.

• Examine the portrayal of gender roles and expectations in "Girl."
• Discuss how the protagonist's identity is shaped by her environment and upbringing.
• Analyze the ways in which gender and power are intertwined in the story.

Family and Relationships

• Explore the dynamics of the mother-daughter relationship in "Girl."
• Discuss the theme of intergenerational conflict and its impact on the characters.
• Analyze the role of tradition and cultural expectations in shaping family dynamics.

Race and Colonialism

• Examine the influence of colonialism on the characters' lives and experiences.
• Discuss the ways in which race and ethnicity intersect with gender and class in the story.
• Analyze the symbolism of food and domestic labor in the context of race and colonialism.

Social Expectations and Pressures

• Explore the theme of societal expectations and the pressure to conform in "Girl."
• Analyze the ways in which the characters navigate social norms and constraints.
• Discuss the impact of social status and class on the characters' lives and choices.

Symbols and Imagery

• Analyze the significance of specific objects and images in the story, such as the sewing needle or the basket of fruits.
• Discuss the use of domestic space and household objects as symbols of power and control.
• Examine the role of language and dialogue as symbolic elements in the story.

These are just a few examples of the many possible essay topics you could explore in "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid. Whether you choose to focus on gender and identity, family and relationships, race and colonialism, social expectations and pressures, or symbols and imagery, there are countless opportunities for insightful and thought-provoking analysis. By choosing a topic that resonates with you and allows for in-depth exploration, you'll be well on your way to crafting a compelling and impactful essay on this powerful and evocative short story.

Stereotyping and Gender Issues in Girl by Jamaica Kincaid

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