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Jamaica Kincaid as the "Girl"

            
             Jamaica Kincaid's short story "Girl" is simply a story that involves a mother and daughter in a seemingly one-way conversation. And through this conversation, the reader is left to discover the conflict underlying mother's words. Though this story is not simply written, there is an apparent conflict between the two characters in the story and the "Girl" is in fact Kincaid herself.
             The story defies conventional story writing as it lacks a specific plot and little character development. One can even say that the girl is flat and lacks little detail. Also missing from the story is a specific setting. The only thing that can be gathered from the story about the setting itself is the time period in which the story occurs. From the dialogue in the story, it's easy to assume that the story takes place before the 1980's. This assumption can be backed by the apparent obedient and house keeping role of the woman describe in the story. The social setting in which Kincaid grew up in was obviously one in which the wife stayed home and took care of the house, children, and husband which translates into the story.
             The story creates two very distinct characters, a nagging mother and her daughter. "Kincaid sat at the typewriter in her Hudson Street apartment and attempted to recreate her mother's voice in its first fictionalized incarnation" (Paravisini-Gebert 51). During the story the mother makes it clear to the daughter that a woman's sole purpose in life is to wait on man and ensure his happiness. The story also uses the mother's voice as way to deliver instructions to her daughter in a nagging manner. Kincaid must have been thinking about her own experience as a young girl. .
             The mother in Kincaid's story seems to be very cautious and protective of her daughter. She wants her to grow up and know how to perform household duties correctly and perform them well. She takes on the responsibility of making her daughter the kind of woman that is acceptable to society.


Essays Related to Jamaica Kincaid as the "Girl"

1. Girl by Jamaica Kincaid

Feminist writer, Jamaica Kincaid, puts the mother-daughter relationship under a microscope in her prose poem "Girl"-- she examines the societal pressure, deep rooted prejudice, and double standard, which force a mother to cut the corners of her daughter's being as she shapes her way into womanhood. The never ending duties of being a "proper woman", slut-shaming, and misdirected nurturance in "Girl" depict the suffering that arrives rudely, and unwelcomed, in a girl's coming of age. ... This clearly shows how young girls are treated differently than boys. The behavior of a girl is a...

  • Word Count: 588
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Girl by Jamaica Kincaid

Since Jamaica Kincaid's story "Girl" was written in 1978, the role that women play in society has profoundly changed. ... Kincaid takes advantage of the use of single sentences when portraying the mother giving her daughter advice. ... In one instance she tells her daughter, "this is how a man bullies you; this is how to love a man" (Kincaid). ... "Girl" is addressing and describing the stereotypical roles of a typical Caribbean woman living in the 1970's. ... Kincaid did an excellent job portraying what expectations a mother has for her daughter as she...

  • Word Count: 990
  • Approx Pages: 4

3. Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl": A Uniquely Crafted Look At A Woman's Place

Jamaica Kincaid's short story, "Girl" is unique in that while it clearly lacks a precise plot, it delivers a message as clearly as more traditionally crafted pieces of fiction. ... Through strict limitations of style, tone, and point of view, Jamaica Kincaid delivers a somber story of the relationship between a mother and a daughter and the relationship of women and the society that engulfs them. ... But sometimes, as evidenced in "Girl", a plot itself is expendable. ... However, in "Girl" we are given nothing other than a strict ideology developed by the mother that Kincaid wants us t...

  • Word Count: 1033
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

4. Girl by Jamaica Kincaid

Jamaica Kincaid wrote "Girl" in 1978. "Girl" is a story about a young female, a girl, getting advice from an older woman in a long single sentence narrative. ... This fact further amplifies the power and truth of Kincaid's story. ... A girl is supposed to like everyone. ... It is this fear that keeps girls down. ...

  • Word Count: 917
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Girl

Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl- The main character in story "Girl" written by Jamaica Kincaid, learns through her mother's fierce instructions and advice that she must be perceived as a woman and not as a negative stereotype of womanhood. ... Second, the title "Girl- symbolizes the mother's awareness of her daughter. ... At this point in her life, girl is seeing the changes in her mind and body. ... Girl is really growing closer to her mother and has the best friend in her. ... Girl sees her mother as an idol and wants to take after her mother's identity. ...

  • Word Count: 836
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Girl

On the mother/daughter relationship in the story "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid, is Dictatorial, Commanding, and Frustrating. ... The story the "Girl" is a very good example of how the mother tries to fix her mistakes through her daughter's life. ... (Kincaid p406) The mother is just trying to prevent her daughter from becoming the town outcast. ... In the story "Girl" its no different the mother/daughter relationship is probably the same as many other relationships in the country. ... The relationship in the story "Girl" it's dictatorial, commanding, and frustrating....

  • Word Count: 576
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

7. The Narrative Style of Jamaica Kincaid

The story being analyzed, for narration, in this paper is author Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl". ... This story, "Girl", is basically a set of instructions from a mother to her daughter. ... Considering the past of the author, Jamaica Kincaid, the daughter in the story is likely to be a "village raised child", like the saying says "It takes a village to raise a child.... It's all fused some way or other. (20) This shows that "Girl" is not the only story the mother and daughter theme occurs, it is a recurring theme throughout all of Kincaid's st...

  • Word Count: 1351
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Essay Response to Girl by Jamaica Kincaid

The story "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid, is one that is relatable to many cultures across the globe. ... One can be positive that millions of young women around the world hear the same stories and get the same advice from their mothers as the young girl in "Girl." The story highlights the details on what exactly it means to be a "girl" in certain societies, and the expectations that are involved with becoming a respectable woman. ...

  • Word Count: 1435
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography

9. Girl

Girl Jamaica Kincaid's short story "Girl" will at first appear to be just another dialog between a grandmother and a granddaughter in which the grandmother is giving the granddaughter age old advice. ... The superego in "Girl" is a list of rules and advice that the girl has received over time by many different people. ... The id in "Girl" is also being represented by some of the advice that the girl has received over time. ... On four separate occasions in "Girl" the superego tells the girl that, because she is a woman she will become a slut, the id. ... Jamaica Kincaid's sh...

  • Word Count: 1324
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

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