Jamaica Kincaid’s (1978) Girl depicts a conversation between a mother and her daughter. Narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator (mother) the reader realises after reading the story that Kincaid may be exploring the theme of powerlessness. In this way, Jamaica Kincaid’s Girl effectively illustrates some of the ills of society, and how parents could propagate discrimination through generations. Moreover, the mother does not ask about whether or not the girl still plays marbles by swatting like a boy. I would relate this to how gender and the roles associated with gender can greatly define one's identity. The story shows that the mother does not consider much of what the girl thinks. Also, forbidding the girl to play marbles, even when with boys, can lead to issues in the way the girl makes social interactions with males. There is a sense that the narrator’s daughter is powerless when it comes … At the same time, however, Kincaid uses the run-on sentence structure almost as a list to display the mother’s domestic accomplishments to highlight her wisdom and power. Jamaica Kincaid: Girl. The poem “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid is a lengthy poem describing society and the social structure in the early 50’s from what it sounds. Structure and the Prose Poem Kincaid’s use of semicolons to separate the mother’s advice and commands creates a prose poem that vividly captures the daughter’s conflicting feelings for her mother. The story is one long, winding sentence teaching all the things a girl needs to learn in order to be a good woman. In effect, the mother provides specific directions that she expects the girl to follow. 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”). These statements show that the mother believes that there are some things that females cannot or should not do. Another important aspect of the story is that the mother tells the girl about the situations when the girl should do or not do those things. For example, the mother says that the daughter should not play marbles like a boy, and that the girl should do household chores. For instance, the mother tells the girl that she should not walk bareheaded if the sun is up, and that the girl should walk like a lady on Sundays. How does Kincaid use punctuation and sentence structure to create a demanding tone in the story? The story provides a warning to the reader regarding the dangers of being overbearing on children. She cares about peoples preception of her and her daughter, and that plays a big role in how she instructs her daughter. Tone Genre What's Up With the Title? These things that should not be done include singing benna in Sunday school, as well as swatting like a boy to play marbles. For instance, the mother tells the girl how to prepare medicine in order to abort pregnancy. Point of view changes the way readers understand the story. Jamaica Kincaid's story "Girl" allows readers a glimpse into the strict, demanding manner in which parents reared their children almost twenty years ago. Unlock these features. She is the one giving her daughter the list of things that she should remember. The Mother In Jamaica Kincaid's Girl By Jamaica Kincaid 975 Words | 4 Pages The story “Girl” takes the form of a series of lessons; the point of the lessons, according to the mother, is to teach her daughter to behave and act properly. In the story, the mother provides a lot of information about what to do, such as what to cook, what to do in the house, and what to do outside the house. All of the clauses, including both the mother’s advice and the daughter’s few responses, are strung together with semi-colons. Kincaid’s short narrative, ‘Girl’ (1978), the first story of the collection, At the Bottom of the River, is a notable example of Kincaid’s au-tobiographical writing. These stereotypes establish the gap between the sexes. Her people, in her view are worse than they were during the colonial times. The daughter uses the few opportunities she has to speak to protest her mother’s belief that she’ll grow older to become a “slut,” suggesting that the daughter has already begun to resent her mother. The mother is a representation of the idea that women should be limited to the home and that men can go out without restriction. Copyright by Panmore Institute - All rights reserved. What is the significance of the parallelism (repetition to make a point) of the slut comments? More importantly, by simply repeating the word “slut”, the mother keeps labeling her daughter in a derogative way. Vision, Mission, Intensive Strategy, Five Forces, SWOT, Whole Foods Market External Factors & Consequences, Analysis of E. B. 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Society imposes stereotypes on children. Summary Girl By Jamaica Kincaid. The main points in the short story include: The information that the mother gives to her daughter includes positive and negative ones. Considering Kincaid’s background as well as the cultural keywords used, the short story emphasizes how certain cultural characteristics are passed on through the generations. In combination, syntax and diction help writers develop tone, mood and atmosphere in a text along with evoking interest of the readers. See our Privacy Policy page to find out more about cookies or to switch them off. Kincaid uses a non-traditional structure for “Girl.” For example, there are no periods or paragraphs. Jamaica Kincaid’s story “Girl” depicts the harsh reality of many women’s lives and the sexist pressures placed on young girls. The story illustrates that the mother does not have the will or desire to accommodate the thoughts of the girl. “Kincaid’s ‘Girl’ and Point of View” Point of view is an essential element of a story. This story is unique because of the style Jamaica Kincaid decided to write it in, she uses literary elements to convey the theme of coming of age or even the passing down of tradition and or culture, by including a unique style of plot, conflict, figurative language and symbols, … Girl” consists of a single sentence of advice a mother imparts to her daughter, only twice interrupted by the girl to ask a question or defend herself. A prose poem is one that lacks rhyme, lines, and the traditional form of poetry as well as the narrative structure of conventional fiction. Jamaica Kincaid’s short story Girl (1978) provides a glimpse of the relationship between a girl and her mother. The advice and commands spoken in one long, unending breath create a smothering sense of duty and even oppression that stifles real, two-way communication. It is apparent in the mother’s lines that she just keeps saying about what she thinks is appropriate for her daughter, and not what the daughter thinks. The Girl short story forms the first published piece of work of Kincaid. Caterpillar Inc. Based on different points of view, readers are able to better understand characters and the ways in which they interact with one another. Reflections on Jamaica Kincaid’s Short Story, Girl Seeing a child who is ostracized for being a slut is a mother’s worst nightmare. Reflections on Jamaica Kincaid’s Short Story, Girl Seeing a child who is ostracized for being a slut is a mother’s worst nightmare. She intends the advice to both help her daughter and scold her at the same time. Plot Analysis; Allusions; Quotes; Flashcards; Quizzes; Write Essay; Teaching; Tired of ads? The short story “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid is a story of the belief that happiness steams from a life of domesticity. By Jamaica Kincaid. syntax determines how the chosen words are used to form a sentence. She expects and imposes these behaviors on the girl (Kincaid). In-depth explanations of Girl's themes. Parataxis is used in one of Kincaid’s most famous short stories, “Girl,” a one-paragraph story that consists of a list of advice from a mother to her daughter. Kincaid uses semicolons to separate the admonishments and words of wisdom but often repeats herself, especially to warn her daughter against becoming a “slut.” Besides these repetitions, “Girl” doesn’t move forward chronologically: there is no beginning, middle, or end to the stream. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The narrative is presented as a set of life instructions to a girl by her mother to live properly in Antigua in the 1980’s. The short narrative is composed of a series of instructions and prescriptions and evidently it lacks encouragement and authorization and points to the considerable distance between the girl and the female parent. Kincaid descents from Africa and explores the issues of gender, class, and race in most of her work. Why do you think Kincaid did not create a specific setting for this story? This short story is a long, run-on sentence dialogue between a mother and daughter of what is expected from the daughter since she is a girl. The central topics of gender roles in a family structure, and the expression of female sexuality and will be examined. Girl The speaker, whose voice is that of the titular girl’s mother, begins her monologue with instructions on how to do laundry. For GDPR compliance, we do not use personally identifiable information to serve ads in the EU and the EEA. she tells her daughter how to do such household chores as laundry, sewing, ironing, cooking, setting the table, sweeping, and washing. In this regard, the mother is overbearing on her daughter. Some of the information is beneficial to the girl, such as soaking salt fish in order to reduce the salt content of the food, and not going out in the sun with a bare head. Jamaica Kincaid’s narrative “Girl” provides a brief glance on the demanding and rigorous parenting manner. A look into the mother’s beliefs on the necessity of serving your husband and remaining sexually conservative will be the focus. For instance, this is how you sew on a button. Kincaid’s story mainly shows the perspective and thoughts of the mother. Her most remembered work is a prose-poetry called Girl, a child following the instruction of a sharp-tongued mother teaching her how to become a woman, in contrast, what it is like for a woman growing up in Antigua. Join today and never see them again. A prose poem is one that lacks rhyme, lines, and the traditional form of poetry as well as the narrative structure of conventional fiction. We use cookies for website functionality and to combat advertising fraud. Such constrictive condition is a result of the mother’s dominant behavior toward the girl. What's Up With the Ending? Sometimes, parents can be overbearing on their children. Get started + This is a premium product . In the short story, ‘Girl’, Jamaica Kincaid utilizes the use of symbolism by incorporating tangible items such as the trunk, marbles and Benna, which is effective, in my opinion as it serves the purpose of evoking the reader to consider their significance and creating comprehension of the prevailing human conditions. Justin D. Edwards (2007) considers Kincaid’s ‘Girl’ as the first example of “Kincaid’s lyrical and hypnotic tone” in the way this brief narrative makes use of There is no introduction of the characters, no action, and no traditional plotline. Free, fun, and packed with easy-to-understand explanations! The short story “Girl,” deals with the experience of being young and female in a poor country. 5. Previous Next . For example, in talking about singing benna in Sunday school, the mother keeps saying that the girl should not sing benna in Sunday school, without even considering the probability that her daughter actually does not sing benna in Sunday school. The mother also demands that the girl should not eat fruit when out on the streets. This is illustrated in the entire story, which presents very little of the perspective or thoughts of the girl. Through Kincaid's careful structuring of "Girl," readers capture the commanding tone of the story. For nine years Elaine was an only child, and felt happy and loved. It takes the form of a series of lessons; the point of the lessons, according to the mother, is to teach her daughter to behave and act properly. She began school when she was four, the sam… The mother also prescribes information about the things that the girl should not do. Point of View: Point of view is the manner in which a story is narrated or depicted and who it is that tells the story. Kincaid uses a variety of literary styles in her work including satire, irony, simile and sarcasm to express herself. … Pre-adolescent girl who is listening to all that her mother is instructing her. Jamaica Kincaid does just that in her short story, Girl. [Last Name] 4 Cultural roles, upbringing and mode of cultural transfer As evidenced in the story by Jamaica Kincaid, cultural roles and upbringing place im-mense pressures in the girl child. Antigua creates the setting of the book. While the setting of the story is not expressly stated by the author in the narrative, the reader is able to understand the culture for which Girl was written. The story shows that, in this relationship, the mother tries to prescribe the behaviors that she deems appropriate for females. In this regard, the story focuses on the significance of familial relationships in shaping individual behavior. As a result, the reader is left to wonder what the girl thinks. It can be argued that this situation recreates in the daughter the kind of discrimination against females that the mother has experienced, probably in her younger years. It appears that the mother does not think about the social aspect of her daughter’s life in relation to her interactions with other children. Antigua was a colony of Great Britain, when Kincaid was born on May 25, 1949, and given the name Elaine Potter Richardson. used by Caribbean people merely twenty old ages ago. 4. She uses these styles effectively and manages to produce a vivid picture of what the world is to her. This article may not be reproduced, distributed, or mirrored without written permission from Panmore Institute and its author/s. Elaine’s mother, Annie Richardson Drew, was a believer in obeah, a West Indian religion incorporating magic and ritual. Jamaica Kincaid’s short story Girl (1978) provides a glimpse of the relationship between a girl and her mother. The mother informs her daughter how to do what? The mother does not have the will or desire to know more about her daughter. In a literary work, film, story or other narrative, the plot is the sequence of events where each affects the next one through the principle of cause-and-effect.The causal events of a plot can be thought of as a series of events linked by the connector "and so". The story is “sweet and mysterious” in such a way that these rules are suggesting how a girl should act and be. With so many rules and exceptions, the reader is introduced to the stereotypes of being a girl. Girl Analysis. Newsletter. The mother also tells the girl how to do other things she'll need to know about, including how … How does this form … Such medicine is homemade and can have adverse effects on the health of the girl. The girl represents Kincaid in her youth. The directions and ideas that the mother gives to her daughter are discriminatory of women in society. The poem Girl is a Prose poem because it does not rhyme, have lines, and it lacks the traditional form of poetry. In Girl by Jamaica Kincaid we have the theme of powerlessness, domesticity, independence, identity, inequality, sexuality, freedom, tradition and control. Kincaid’s complicated relationship with her mother comes out in the mother-daughter dynamic in the story. The short story “Girl,” like many of Kincaid’s books, deals with the experience of being young and female in a poor country. The girl represents Kincaid in her youth. This condition is illustrated in Kincaid’s Girl. The book offers a guide on the desirable behavioral traits for a person to live right. Raised in Antigua, a small and beautiful island nation in the Caribbean, Kincaid experienced first-hand the colonialism that affects so many of her characters. Kincaid’s use of semicolons to separate the mother’s advice and commands creates a prose poem that vividly captures the daughter’s conflicting feelings for her mother. The story shows that, in this relationship, the mother tries to prescribe the behaviors that she deems appropriate for females. The poem Girl by Jamaica Kincaid, appears to be something like a lecture from a mother to her daughter. In addition, it is apparent that the girl is constrained within these prescribed behaviors. The layers of advice and commands spoken in one long, unending breath create a smothering sense of duty and even oppression that stifles real, two-way communication. In contrast, the daughter says a few lines. The mother states most of the lines of the story. She expects and imposes these behaviors on the girl (Kincaid). However, some of the information has the potential to be disadvantageous to the girl. And remaining sexually conservative will be the focus of Kincaid for this story, or mirrored written! About the things a girl her mother ; teaching ; Tired of ads is how you sew a. 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