...Raising a Young Woman Through the story “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, the narrator who happens to be the mother of the girl is giving her daughter advice on duties a woman must do. As the mother is telling her child what she must do and act she is also advising her to not become a slut. The story may come off as if the mother is demanding but it is a lecture she is getting across to the child as she becomes a young lady. The way the mother comes across is harsh and demanding but she is only preparing her daughter to become a well-mannered young woman. In the Kelly Falla essay it also mentions the “frustration within the mothers tone and demeanor.” As the lecture begins the mother is rambling on about how a woman needs to up keep, cook, clean, do certain number of things, and behave around others. The young girl appears to not speak through-out the story, it may be because of how the mother is coming on to her or she is retaining the information that is being given to her. When the mother mentions the father in the story she is referring to all men in...
Words: 546 - Pages: 3
...Faye Jones ENC 1102 Professor Kenefick 9:30 – 10:45 “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid (Post-Modernism) Based on our lecture in class, I view “Girl” as a Post-Modern work. If “Girl” is viewed as ‘Modern’, the work is seen as nurturing, however if viewed as ‘Post-Modern’, the work is seen as abusive. The structure and language convey a tone of repressiveness and obedience. The mother is preaching at the girl to tell her how to act. The daughter meekly accepts what the mother says and only twice does she speak against her mother. Even then, she spoke in a passive manner. The mother-daughter relationship lacks real intimacy. The use of the word “slut” tells us the mother does not have a high opinion of the daughter even before the mother’s orders can be carried out. The mother is extremely dictatorial, which in itself is not a nurturing quality. Post-Modernism is work that denotes negativity and hopelessness and is meant to shake up the audience. Kincaid does an excellent job of this. Her use of sentence structure (the long sentences); the excess use of semi-colons; and the open ending of the story are demonstrative of Post-Modern writings. An important element is ‘deconstruction’ for example, how the story is really more of a speech and not a formalized story with definite structure. Another example is the writing style, which is the narrative. We do not know exactly who is speaking, and absolute clarity is absent because in Post-Modern writing it does...
Words: 290 - Pages: 2
...In the passage Girl by Jamaica Kincaid consist with writing that comes with a list of rhythm but also giving instructions on what this girl should be doing or even acting. The mother who is giving her daughter advice and commands in order for her not to become a “slut”. The tone is straight forward but also a little rough so her daughter could be afraid of committing inappropriate acts. But also this passage gives advice mostly in a way of a list, things the girl need to accomplish. As a reader you can also sense how between the mother and daughter there is tension. The girl might not be disagreeing with the mother but because she's not saying anything and the conversation is stiff just her mother talking seem there is conflicting feelings....
Words: 473 - Pages: 2
...Creative Paragraph for “Girl” We lived in a small New England town, one of those towns where everybody knows everybody, but not in a good way. She was a good friend of mine; we became friends at church, although we also went to the same high school. She was a nice girl, a sweet girl. But as our friendship grew stronger and the more time we would spend together, the more time I would spend at her house, with her and her family, her mother rather of had us there then anywhere else. It quickly became quite evident that my friend was leading two different lives. At school and around friends she was very outgoing, very talkative, and even a bit flirty with the boys in our school. She was always singing and dancing as well. At her home she was much, much different. She had a mother who believes whole heartedly that women hold a certain place in this world, and there for should act accordingly. She had her own extensive and very peculiar set of policies and procedures when it came to being a woman. Do this, don’t do that. Personally I would find it very hard to live that way, but it soon became clear to me, that she did as well. She often questioned the things her mother had told her, it’s not that she didn’t want to learn from her mother, she did, very much so, she just didn’t want to be forced into it; she was a girl who liked having choices. I often wondered why her mother was like this, why was she so set in her ways when it came to who she wanted her daughter to...
Words: 333 - Pages: 2
...In Jamaica Kincaid's story 'Girl' we see that the mother is very disciplined in what to do and what no to do in order to be a proper lady. What kind of personality would one expect in this woman? Perhaps one that is harsh? Or perhaps one that is caring? If we take a close look at 'Girl' we will be able to answer this question with more clarity. Immediately we see that the mother is instructing her daughter on how to be a proper woman. The tone used in this story can help paint a picture in the reader's mind. The reader can imagine the mother sitting before her daughter, speaking in a firm, yet gentle voice. The language and instructions that the mother are giving can make the character appear flat and stale. When reading the story the same tone of voice can be heard coming from the mother. Throughout the story there is no change in the mother's language....
Words: 708 - Pages: 3
...Girl By Jamaica Kincaid Reading Response Question: What does this story suggest about the ideas of womanhood and femininity? The short story Girl by Jamaica Kincaid has many suggestions on how exactly womanhood be. The mother is very convinced that her daughter is going down a road of promiscuity and if she doesn’t change her ways, a slut she shall be. The instructions the mother gives are specific and they come quickly. Throughout the entire story, the daughter only responds once. Both responses prove that the daughter is naïve. She says, “but I don’t sing benna on Sundays at all, and never in Sunday school,’’ and she says at the end, “but what if the baker won’t let me feel the bread?” The exact responses prove that the daughter is trying to take the information in at her best ability but she is too young to get that full message that her mother is sending her. Her mother continuously says, “the slut you are bent on being,” because of how she acts which seem to be just childish acts that all children go through at a young age. Her mother’s obsession with femininity comes into play when she says, “ don’t squat down when you play marbles,” and “this is how you love a man.” She wants her daughter to find her womanly identity and master the art of womanhood without have to depend on a male. Not once did he r mother mention the help of a man when catching food or fixing things around the house. The mother believes strongly in independence and she feels that her daughter...
Words: 421 - Pages: 2
...Comparison and Contrast of “Girl” and “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” Over a lifetime a person is forced to make many decisions. The way a person lives their life is that individual’s decision. Often times, one choice is better than another, yet society doesn’t always support what is best. In the poem “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” by Adrienne Rich, and the short story "Girl" written by Jamaica Kincaid, illustrates the ways women reacts to a society dominated by men, and how their lives are molded by different decisions they make. A woman can simply ignore the restraints they face and suffer the consequences, or she can take a stand, challenge her authority, and enjoy the life she deserves. In Adrienne Rich’s poem, "Aunt Jennifer’s Tiger,” one could assume that the poem is about a woman, who is saddened by her husband’s death. So, the woman knits a magnificent panel that has tigers on it to remind her of her husband because she misses him. But actually, Aunt Jennifer is creating this panel because she desires to be brave, just like a tiger surviving in the wild. Tigers have energy. They are fearless creatures that are free to roam and do not fear men. Aunt Jennifer’s is a woman whose soul burns with creative fire and passion; but she has been defined by the rules of others for some time that she is unable to express herself. Her role in society is decided by a patriarchy; which means society is male dominated and women should occupy the margins (Webster). Aunt Jennifer feels like she is...
Words: 1775 - Pages: 8
...Christy Mondesir Mrs. Shah English 11 6 April 2015 Learning to let go of mommy’s hand: Nothing is more special than the relationship between a mother and a daughter, but nothing is more tragic than when that relationship falls apart. Jamaica Kincaid’s “Annie John” is about the relationship between a mother and a daughter that slowly breaks apart in postcolonial Antigua. Their relationship deteriorates, because Annie (Miss Annie Victoria John's daughter) is coming of age and is exposed to death at a young age, which causes her to become distant from her mother since she does not tell Annie much about death and Annie is eager to know. Kincaid shows that death, coming of age, and post colonialism are important themes that are explored throughout...
Words: 2017 - Pages: 9
...Compare/Contrast Essay Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman” and Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” talks about how hard it was towards being a female for their times. Sojourner Truth gave a speech during the Women’s Rights Convention in 1851, saying that women should deserve the same equality as men. On the other hand Jamaica Kincaid’s short story “Girl” talked about how to make a girl into a respectful woman and not a slut. Both dialogues have similarities and differences. The stories are talking about how hard working a woman can be, men being in control, and in religion. Both Truth and Kincaid will talk about how hard working a woman could be. Sojourner Truth speaks about how she’s a hard working lady, someone who doesn’t needs the help of a man. “Look at me! Look at my arms! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! I could work as much and eat as much as a man – when I could get it – and bear the lash as well!”(Ain’t I a woman?). “ Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them to the stone heap; wash the color clothes on Tuesday and put them on the clothes line to dry”(GIRL).Of these both quotes talk about how Truth and the “Girl” character managed to be a hard working woman without a man’s help and managed to get through these rough times. Secondly, both Ain’t I a Woman and Girl talk about how feminist took over during their time period. A man during Truth’s speech said, “Women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and...
Words: 622 - Pages: 3
...10/28/12 English In the story “Girl” there is a variety of things being said and it is easy to tell this is a mother, daughter relationship going on. I say that because most of things being said by the mother are things that usually only a mother would tell her daughter. The speaker in the story is the mother and the listener in the story is the daughter. In the story the mother is giving plenty of advice and telling the daughter what is appropriate and what is not. I can tell that all the information the mother was giving was too much for the daughter to take in because the daughter did not really say much at all while the mother was lecturing her. The life being described in the story “Girl” is really loose and care free which is why the mother is being strict on the daughter. The location is important because that is where most of the things that the mother is warning the daughter about are happening. I somewhat sensed that about the location in the story when the mother said “On Sunday try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming”. This quote showed me that there is something that the mother does not want the daughter to experience in that location. The advice the mother is giving in the story “Girl” is strict and controlling. The mother is not suggesting that the daughter take the advice, she is actually demanding that the daughter listen to her and take the advice than suggesting that she do so. An example would be when the mother says “Wash...
Words: 488 - Pages: 2
...In the short story, “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid the female authority figure’s advice will result in the girl living an unhappy life. When talking to the young girl the narrator’s voice does not sound so kind. It sounds as if she is taking all of her anger out on the girl. It is very easy to tell that the female is not a good mentor for the young lady. One example of this, “this is how you throw away a child before it even becomes a child.” (Kincaid, 70) When the narrator says this it implies that she has had an or many illicit relationships with other men. The narrator says over and over again about how the girl wants to live to be a “slut.” The girl does not speak very much throughout the story, but when the narrator scolds her daughter and...
Words: 252 - Pages: 2
...relationships” Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” (1978) is a short story; single sentence of advice a mother imparts to her daughter. Her daughter only twice interrupts the mother to ask a question and defend herself. The advice is meant to be useful but it is also demeaning. It seemed to be meant to help her daughter to have a productive life but also to scold her at the same time. In general, a mother tends to think highly of their daughters and wants to teach them all of the important aspects of life. The reality of the matter is that a Mother can only teach her child from her own experiences, weather the experiences are positive or negative. This is why I feel that “Girl”, shows the various ways that a relationship between a mother and daughter can be complicated. A mother’s womanhood, self-esteem, vulnerability and education all plays a major roles on how she instructs her daughter. The online resource enotes.com, “Girl: Introduction”, states that Jamaica Kincaid was born Elaine Potter Richardson in 1949. Native of Antigua, in the British West Indies, but changed her name when she started writing because her family disliked her career choice. She went to New York at the age of 17, taking a job as a nanny. During this time she met New Yorker columnist George S. Trow, who eventually helped her publish in the magazine. Much of Kincaid’s work deals with the ramifications of Antigua’s history as a colony of Great Britain. Like all of Kincaid’s fictions, “Girl,” deals with the...
Words: 1202 - Pages: 5
...reminder of slavery is a real fear throughout the novel as Jamaica Kincaid alludes to the objectivization of the human body. During Annie’s extended illness late in the novel, Annie recalls how “[…]my father carr[ied] me on his back, my mother walk[ed] by his side with her head bent down. The doctor, a man from England […] now examined me from head to foot, poking me here and there […]” (110). The use of the word “poked” to describe how the doctor examined Annie’s body during the examination likens her as well as other...
Words: 541 - Pages: 3
...cultural traits. * “You” in life and debt was referring to white americans. But false representation. Well incomplete anyway. * In the film: there is a world in this somewhere but I cant getinto this right now. * Listen to the you vs we in the place of consumption. The identity shifts. * Roots the movie: look it up. * Genealogical study boomed in the wake of this tv series. Xpecially in the black comm. * Tourism was centered as a developmental strategy (especially in Jamaica, Senegal, third world and developing countries) * Tourism becomes linked to this roots phenomenon. * Slave forts were”disneyfied” or arguably so, that brought in a lot of tourist dollars. * People that write about tourism: faily uniform in critiquing the commodification of the tourist. * Neocolonialism. Fueled by the west’s search with “having an authentic experience”.in by doing so, it creates a larger distance with the sensorial and the real. * “A Small Place” – Jamaica Kincaid....
Words: 627 - Pages: 3
...Essay: Eating Sugar In today’s society it is not unusual that prejudice and anxiety inhibit us from trying to relate to the different cultures around the world. This narrow-mindedness is created by a tiny knowledge of circumstances. We are simply informed of all the misery, corruption and extremism outside our nation, with only all the appalling facts mentioned in the media world – the distance between nationalities is increased all the time, which makes it hard for people with different cultures to meet and communicate. If a foreigner came to your rescue, while you were in the most need of aid, how would you react? This issue is one of the main subjects in the short story Eating Sugar. The British short story Eating Sugar is written by Catherine Marriman, and was first published in Getting a Life by Honno in 2001.The set of the story takes place in the mountains in Thailand with an omniscient third-person narrator. We are introduced to a married couple, Alex and Eileen, who are on holiday in Thailand to visit their daughter, Suzanne. Alex, the father, is very suspicious of the natives, but in the end he overcomes the suspiciousness. Eileen anxious behavior makes it possible for Alex to suppress some of his fear, which makes him seem only uninterested. To try to describe his character I find it appropriate to use Duane Hanson’s, Tourist 2, a sculpture, from 1988. Duane Hanson sketches a typical image of tourists with cameras and Hawaii-shirts. This could be used...
Words: 786 - Pages: 4
