Characterism And Symbolism In Girl By Jamaica Kincaid

In the short story “Girl”, by Jamaica Kincaid is told from the perspective of two different people. There is a bonding relationship that is happening between the two people in this short story. The mother seems to be the main character in this essay uses a very strict tone to her daughter. The daughter is being told about how to do things in her life the correct way. The daughter barely speaks during this essay, she is doing more analyzing than arguing with her mother. When the mother gives the daughter advise she was trying to give her words of wisdom. But, at the same time, some of the ideas the mother gave to her child was offensive like “slut”. The mother has different perspectives throughout this essay with a lot of different

Society is often seen to have different biases or perspectives on topics such as the role and perception of women. The short story, “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, consists primarily of a catalog of commands and instructions, the purpose of which is to make sure that the mother’s daughter is constantly in check and not getting into any trouble. Jamaica Kincaid utilizes a wide range of techniques such as symbolism and diction in order to showcase the theme of how the depiction of women rely mainly on how they present themselves in the public and how they are so easily described as impure or filthy.

The mother also teaches her daughter to cook, clean, and wash which traditionally is up to the women in a household to do. Kincaid makes the reader think and figure out for him, or herself, what point of life the child is in and what gender they are in order to draw them into the story.

Written in 1983, Kincaid narrates the thoughts and moral beliefs of the time by her mother. In Girl, Kincaid uses repetition of the term “slut” to emphasize that her mother did not want her to develop a bad moral reputation (Kincaid 118-119). Later in the narration though are her mother’s thoughts on abortion, “this is how to make a good medicine to throw away a child before it even becomes a child” (Kincaid 119). It shows that while the mother instructed her in moral principles, she also understood that things happen to a young woman. The practical nature of this instruction seems to indicate more modern thought while still living in a society of traditions. Another hint of the time period is the mention of divorce and how to live after it, “this is how you love a man…and if they don’t work out, don’t feel bad about giving up” (Kincaid 119). This could indicate that divorce is an accepted practice in the more modern society that Jamaica Kincaid wrote Girl in.

In Jamaica Kincaid’s short story “Girl,” the narration of a mother lecturing her daughter with sharp, commanding diction and unusual syntax, both affect the evolution of a scornful tone, that her daughter’s behavior will eventually lead her to a life of promiscuity that will affect the way people perceive her and respect her within her social circle. As well as the fact that it emphasizes expectations for young women to conform to a certain feminine ideal of domesticity as a social norm during this time and the danger of female sexuality.

In “Girl”, by Jamaica Kincaid, the mother is warning her daughter about what to expect, and how to act, in society. The story represents a time when the daughter knew that her mother loved her enough to spend the time to give her the advice, but is also emotionally distant. I believe this to be representative of Kincaid’s life, and how after her brother’s were born she felt that her mother did not have enough time for her.

To begin, Kincaid’s use of symbolism to strengthen how the girl’s image is very important is shown with the constant reiteration of the upkeep of clothes. “ this is how to hem a dress when you see the hem coming down and so to prevent yourself from looking like the slut…” (320). In the past the type clothes worn and how they looked told a great deal about a person's social status. The girl's mother believes that if her clothes are not neatly kept people will look down on her and lose respect for her. Kincaid using clothes is a good symbol because she has the mother

The short story “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid was a bittersweet warning from a mother to her daughter. The reader is experiencing the viewpoint of the protagonist through the soliloquy of her mother’s instructions that batter her like bugs smacking the

In order for readers to be able to bloom their visual imagery from “Girl,” Kincaid uses repetition in two main ideas throughout the short story. The first idea she really wants to get across is singing benna, a type of music that centers on scandalous gossip. She writes, “is it true that you sing benna in Sunday school?” This is toward the beginning of the story, and readers who do not recognize the word “benna” will be

“Girl” provides a relationship between a mother and daughter. The story represents Kincaid in her youth years. A mother giving her daughter advices on becoming a “women.” Kincaid makes sure

In Jamaica Kincaid’s story, Girl, a mother is talking to her daughter about all the proper things she must do to be considered a good girl to her family and to the public, and when she grows up, a proper lady. She must follow the rules that are given to her by her own mother and by society. The mother also teaches the daughter how to act when things don’t go her way. She is told that along with being a proper lady, she must also be able to get what she wants and be independent. This story was written in the late 1970’s and gender roles, for women, back then were not being “followed” because women wanted equal opportunities (Women In the Workforce). “Gender stereotypes are beliefs regarding the traits and behavioral characteristics given to individuals on the basis of their gender” (Deuhr). This essay will discuss the gender roles that were given to women in the story, during the late 70’s, and in today’s society.

For centuries, women have had the role of being the perfect and typical house wife; needs to stay home and watch the children, cook for husbands, tend to the laundry and chores around the house. In her short story “Girl”, Jamaica Kincaid provides a long one sentence short story about a mother giving specific instructions to her daughter but with one question towards the end, with the daughter’s mother telling her daughter if she had done all the instructions to become a so called “perfect” woman, every man would want her. Kincaid’s structuring in “Girl,” captures a demanding and commanding tone. This short story relates to feminist perspectives. The mother expects a great deal from her daughter to have a certain potential and she does not hesitate to let her daughter understand that. As a matter of fact, the story is about two pages long, made into one long sentence - almost the whole time the mother is giving her daughter directions to follow - conveys a message to the reader that the mother demands and expects great potential in her daughter. The daughter is forced to listen and learn from what her mother is telling her to do to become the perfect housewife. Throughout the story, Kincaid uses the symbols of the house and clothing, benna and food to represent the meanings of becoming a young girl to a woman and being treated like one in society. Women are portrayed to appeal to a man to become the ideal woman in society, while men can do anything they please.

It was brought up during the discussion that the person giving Kincaid these unforgiving standards was her mother and that her intent wasn’t malicious, but loving. This idea softened my thoughts about this piece; these rules aren’t being dispensed in anger, it is in fear that her mother imparts her knowledge attempting to keep her daughter safe and secure. In our society today, the word “slut” is equated with promiscuity, however it seems that within this context it is synonymous with “outcast.” Of course no mother wants to see her daughter rejected from society. That type of rejection is especially frightening for the mother in this context because her daughter’s image holds a great impact on her very survival.

In the poem Jamaica Kincaid use the Point of view of the mother teaching the daughter how to clean, prepare clothes and prepare food for the husband so the daughter can be a perfect wife for the husband. “ Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them on the stone heap; wash the color clothes on Tuesday and put them on the clothesline to Dry”. This shows the point of view of the mother teaching the daughter on what days she should wash the clothes. On mondays the daughter should wash the white clothes and on tuesday she needs to wash the color clothes and uses a clothespin on a clothes line so it can dry.“This is how you set the table for dinner, This is how you set the table for dinner for an important guest; This is how you set the table for lunch; This is how you set the table for breakfast.” The mother is trying to show the daughter how to prepare the table for the important guest and to prepare the meal and set the table for every meal such as breakfast, lunch and dinner. And Jamaica Kincaid show how her mother did this to her and she learned from her mother teaching her how to set the table for every meal of the day. And setting the table for an important person when they show up.Jamaica

“Girl” is a succession of instructions from a mother to a daughter – instructions on how to do house chores, on suitable clothing to wear, on walking and behaving like a lady, on gardening, on ironing and hemming, on playing marbles with boys, on fishing, on getting a man, on cooking, on how to “spit in the air if you feel like it”. Not only is the voice in the story intended to help the daughter, it is also told to scare and scold her. The writing brings to life a world where okra can grow too close to the house, where there are red ants to worry about and benna songs to sing in Sunday school, where learning to fish is as important as how to make medicine “to throw away a child before it becomes a child”.