Girl By Jamaica Kincaide Analysis

Kincaid also goes on to say that there are alternative methods if the relationship doesn’t go well and that a woman should not feel bad or sad about this. In other words, Kincaid is concluding that a woman has the freedom to pursue a variety of solutions in order to be happy. The moment where the another writes about how a woman can spit in the air if she wants to, Kincaid refers that a woman has the freedom to behave like a man just if she likes it or if the situations demands to behave like man to achieve what she wants in a society where man has more privileges than a woman. Kincaid makes this part ambiguous because throughout the story she presents how a girl must behave in a specific situation and at the end, she gives the woman the liberty to do whatever she desires to

She leads her troop through negativity and rude words. She picks on girls like Daphne and Laurel because they are easy targets and help build up Arnetta’s inner self. Those girls are independent leaders and have no urge to have a following with their choices. Arnetta sees this and she has envy. She does not have that type of inner strength to just ditch her clan and do what Arentta thinks is right.

As Cordelia cannot adjust to the social expectations required in her family and in attempt to liberate herself from the constant surveillance performed over her, she refocuses her gaze to Elaine. Elaine presents an easy outlet for Cordelia’s frustrations because she is completely unaware of gender restrictions (43-44). As noted earlier, two events demonstrate Cordelia’s cruel treatment of Elaine. The first incident occurs when she digs a hole in her backyard and the three girls bury Elaine alive in it. While the second event happens as Cordelia throws Elaine’s hat into the ravine and forces her to bring it.

Especially in that time, women were not treated as equals in many circumstances. Women are also set a standard to be ladies, doing things such as wearing dresses and not playing outside like males are allowed to. A quote in To Kill a Mockingbird states, “Miss Maudie on a jury would be impressive. I thought of old Mrs. Dubose in her wheelchair- ‘Stop that rapping, John Taylor, I want to ask this man something.’ Perhaps our forefathers were wise.”

This mother is strong believer in domestic knowledge and believes that through this wisdom her daughter will be spared from a life of promiscuity or being, in her words, a "slut". Most importantly, it allows readers to see the detrimental measures of gender roles that are brought upon young girls just coming into womanhood. It is through the understood setting, constructive

How do the roles of women in society reflect how they are expected to act, speak, dress, and conduct themselves? For example, women are generally expected to dress and act in a feminine manner by being polite, accommodating, and nurturing to others. However, as seen in Tyrese Coleman's powerful story, “How to Sit”, the grandmother is perceived as a wild, selfish, and fiercely independent woman, who is forced to harass her granddaughter in order to shape her as the woman she wishes she could still be. The narrator describes her actions toward her granddaughter as cruel although they are done with a great deal of tenderness. She is, in a way, teaching the lesson of harnessing sex to have a power that transcends race.

Girl--by Jamaica Kincaid--is a piece about the duties of women, and about everything that is expected of women during their lives. The story is written in a way that it seems as though a mother or older woman is instructing a younger girl. The condescending tone of the older woman in the short story can be seen throughout the piece as phrases such as “be sure that” and “you mustn’t” (Kincaid 320) are used frequently. Mustn’t is a word with a harsh, negative connotation to it, that implies an unfavorable consequence if the order is not obeyed.

Also the author as able to strengthen her argument by adding supporting views from authorities (Jean Baker Miller), which emphasized how women tend to avoid the appearance of power as she never take credit for her achievements and usually blames it on being lucky. At the end of the essay the author advocates several strategies women should pursue in order to get tough such as “taking credit when credit is due” (Par.10), because taking credit when it is deserved is a sign of confidence and determination, also she explains how women should express their anger in different

The sexism is often subtle but is always effective in getting the point across that you should just “act like a lady” or “man up.” For example Scout,a young girl that dresses like a “tomboy”, is constantly asked queries such as “What are you doing in those overalls?” You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady. You’ll grow up waiting on tables if somebody doesn’t change your ways.” She is told that if she does not dress like a lady she will be forced to work due to the fact that she will not get a husband.

The way the mother talks to her daughter we can automatically tell that the mother is in complete control of her daughter and is not going to have anything less of greatness from her daughter. The mother’s unwillingness to talk to her daughter calmly and nicely shows how much she wants her daughter to be a lady and how much control the mother has over the daughter. With the mother’s strict tone and commanding instructions we can obviously tell how much the daughter is scared or intimidated by the mother. The daughter feels like she has to listen and obey all of her mom’s

In Toni Cade Bambara’s short story “The Lesson,” Miss Moore, an eccentric and odd woman that had “been to college” and found herself, “responsible for the young ones’ education” took them out (Bambara 330). One summer day Miss Moore took the local children out for some education; she took Sylvia, Sugar, Flyboy, Junebug, Big Butt, Mercedes, and Rosie Giraffe out to the city. The story is narrated by Sylvia as they take a taxi to Fifth Avenue where there are many wealthy people. They go to F.A.O. Schwarz, an expensive toy store where they see a fiberglass sailboat. Sylvia is hesitant to enter, but when she does it angers her.

When asked if the phrase “like a girl”, sounded like a good thing, the young girl explained, “I don’t really know if it’s a bad thing or a good thing. It sounds like a bad thing. It sounds like your trying to humiliate someone…it shows you’re not as good as them” (Like a Girl). As girls are trying to figure themselves out, they are vulnerable to constant phrases and stereotypes that drop their confidence levels even before they begin to obtain them (Like a

The society sees Hester as corrupt, but does not call Pearl the same. Pearl’s name even represents purity, something she definitely was not born of. However, Pearl is able to grow up as normal as possible, though not a lot is said about her life and she does act a bit

The author thinks women can hardly wear anything without a fear of being judged. She provides few pieces of evidence on how women usually are targeted and not men in this society in respect to interpretation. She argues on how different forms have Mr. as a suffix which shows nothing, but in the case of women there is Mrs. and also Miss which reflects the marital status of women. She raises her point also about how a woman changes her surname with the men after marriage. I personally believe that she had some evidence and her argument really made me think twice o and made me think why women are judged so much and she was also definitely true in her argument.

No matter how people learn lessons, they will stay with the person forever, and help them through life. In the short stories “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara and “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, there is lesson that a character will learn about life. Although, in “The Lesson”, the teaching was more profound and had a deeper meaning behind it, while “Girl” was a parent forcing instructions on a child in order for the child to learn how a woman is to live. This being said, the teaching is more profound in “The Lesson” than the one given in “Girl.” “Girl” is a short story that teaches that there are many lessons we learn throughout life from parents, or in this case, a single parent.