Girl By Jamaica Kincaid Analysis

However with a contrast of how her mother succeeded she also repeats a line “ This is how you hem a dress when you see the hem coming down and so to prevent yourself from looking like a slut I know you are so bent on becoming “ this line shows that she is letting her make her own decisions however guiding her towards the right direction. The mother uses these undertones to prove points without saying them for example when she says this is how you smile at a boy you completely like, this undertone makes it clear that she wants her daughter to meet the one before she pushes her independence. The story girl uses many undertones and small hints while also explaining the mother's success to freedom this makes the short story have a deeper meaning of freedom and looking to people for success.

In Jamaica Kincaid’s Girl, a mother simultaneously berates her daughter with instructions and teaches her what society expects from her. Kincaid uses repetitive details frequently throughout the story. For example, the mother tells her daughter “how to hem a dress” and “behave in the presence of men” so that the daughter can avoid “looking” and being “recognize[d]” as the “slut” she is “bent on becoming” (437-8). Her mother’s message of avoiding acting ‘slutty’ exposes modern gender stereotypes. The repetitive details suggest that a girl must dress and behave a certain way to avoid being branded a slut.

In the story “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaide shows that the authority figure’s advice is having a negative impact because she’s forcing the girl to conform to social norms. Throughout the entire story the speaker is reading off a list of things the girl has to do. The only time the speaker brings up a fun topic she turns it into something negative when she says “don’t squat to play marbles- you are not a boy, you know;” This is telling the girl that she cannot have any fun because she is a girl. Telling girls to act in a certain manner can affect their self esteem in a negative way. When someone is forced to conform it is a rejection of individuality which leads to a lack of respect and appreciation for that person.

Just as the the zig-zag patterns Abuelita uses while knitting, each zig and each zag represent a hill that you have to get over and conquer, which Esperanza does. Abuelita tells her granddaughter about how she had to restart her life when she moved from Spain to Mexico just like Esperanza is going to have to do

She goes on to say, "it will probably grow back" (6), indicating that even if her sister’s attitude is resolved for a little while, it will come back. These characteristics of a tongue make the reader believe that the sister is sarcastic and does not easily accept opinions or changes. Magarell uses cooking, a much less violent subject, in order to describe the tongue. She uses ingredients in order to make the tongue more sweet and savory, stating that it’s, “best with horseradish” (4).

Little Girl disobeys this command and the Tomato Plant Girl comes into

The role of the Aunts in Gilead is not only to train the Handmaids at the Rachel and Leah Re-education Center, but to sustain the rituals of Gileadean society. The Aunts break the spirits of the Handmaids-in-training in order to guarantee their complacency. According to Lee Briscoe Thompson in Scarlet Letters: Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Handmaids are isolated from one another not physically, but mentally by being taught how to betray other women. The Aunts teach that “the only storytelling permitted or rewarded are informing on others or testifying against oneself”. This encouragement for betrayal creates an atmosphere of paranoia and fear amongst Handmaids, thereby, ensuring the Handmaids will obey the rules outlined by the Aunts.

She exclaims “Go and wash your face, Maggie. And for goodness’ sake tie those laces.” and also “Take that surplice off, Christina.” These command words display a forceful tone which shows that Kate controls the family because she treats them not like her equal and she speaks down to them, telling them what to do as though they are children and not her sisters.

In the poems ‘The Pomegranate’ and ‘This Moment’, Boland writes about her observations as a mother. In ‘The Pomegranate’, she learns that in order to allow children to grow and develop, we need to allow them to mistakes. She references back to the Greek myth of Ceres and Persephone, at first reminiscing that she as a young girl she related to Persephone, “an exiled child in the crackling dust of the underworld”. Yet, now, as a mother she relates to Ceres “ready to make any bargain to keep her” daughter safe and protected, however she knows that she can’t shelter her daughter if she is to grown up which is why “[she] will say nothing”. Boland celebrates the ordinary every day life in ‘This Moment’, using similes like “one window is as yellow as butter” showing the domestic setting of this poem.

“Have dinner ready, prepare yourself, prepare the children, minimize all noise, be happy to see him, listen to him, make the evening his”, here is what young women learned at school in the 1950’s in America (Vanessa Martins Lamb). Women with the constant social pressure of being well dressed and being taught to have good etiquette is the training that most women have to go through in order to obtain the perfect housewife image till her marriage. The reader of this novel views it a way to harm the role of women and how they are viewed, in a male dominant society. The novel set during the time where women were oppressed by the male dominant society to remain in her position of a housewife inside the “kitchen walls” and condemned to accept fighting all alone with the daily routine (“1950-1970”).

When I first read the “girl” I think this is a mother to daughter advice. They live in a poor social life. “Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them on the stone heap.” (Kincaid) The theme of the story is to remind the daughter not to become a slut.

In “Marigolds” by Eugenia Collier the coming of age short story where a now grown up Lizabeth reminisce her childhood especially going into Ms.Lottie’s garden. Ms. Lottie, who did not like children but treated her precious marigolds gets them destroyed by Lizabeth. After destroying them, Lizabeth realizes her errors believing she became a women in that moment. This short story has several literary device that are used in it to help deepen the meaning. The use of imagery, symbolism and metaphors in “Marigolds” helps the reader that it is important to not lose

Give up a penny for the poor child, mister, the poor child is hungry, missus(250).” The feeling that Frank has at that time, I bet Angela has the same feeling either. However, she doesn’t mind to use her dignity to exchange a meal for her children. As a mother, Angela is doing her best to get the basic needs for her children. Even though the process of getting that meal is disgraceful, she choose to hide this ugly truth for her children and hold up the shameful feeling in her heart.

In Staples article, she gives an example of how it was hard to motivate the women in Pakistan and Afghanistan. She explains how the women aren’t willing to waste their time finding someone to care for their child and animals while they are being taught how to read. Staples is very informational about this topic in her article. What is more, I’ve noticed in society how women have more to lose than men. Once I went to Mexico for family vacation and I noticed how an elderly woman and her two children were asking for money and food.

Children seek after rebellion and grow up before their parents' eyes losing their innocence, desiring to go against their parents’ will to break the family norm. Sometimes these behaviors are expected and sometimes they are difficult to accept. Gwendolyn Brooks’ “a song in the front yard,” was written from the perspective a young girl desiring change and rebellious adventure. The young girl desires to go to the backyard, a place of unknown. While the front yard is beautiful and cultured, the back yard appears more appealing and favors a secret, forbidden garden requiring an invitation.