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- The mother in Kincaid’s “Girl” symbolizes motherhood or, more generally, parenthood and its role in perpetuating stereotypes, biases, and discrimination.
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The girl’s mother is the main speaker in the story. Her authoritative voice, which offers the girl a list of guidelines on how to conduct herself, makes up the bulk of the story, with very few interruptions or protests coming from the girl.
The mother sees herself as the only person who can save her daughter from living a life of disrespect and promiscuity. She believes the girl has already started down this path because of the way she walks, sits, and sings benna (Antiguan folksongs) during Sunday school, and she imparts her domestic knowledge to keep the girl respectable.
The mother gives advice to her daughter, the ‘girl’ of the story’s title. Initially, this is practical domestic advice about washing and drying clothes, as well as cooking tips, such as how to cook salt fish.
- An Overbearing Mother
- The Mother’s Pessimism About The Girl
- Norms, Stereotypes, and Biases Against Women
- Family as A Means of Perpetuating Social Issues Through Generations
- Points to Ponder
The overbearing and controlling nature of the mother is observable in Kincaid’s short story. Most of the story reflects what the parent says about what the girl should do and not do. For example, the mother teaches her daughter to wash clothes in a certain way, and to “cook pumpkin fritters in very hot sweet oil.” The mother also tells the girl to ...
Kincaid’s short story illustrates the mother’s pessimistic or negative view of the girl. The word, “slut,” is mentioned thrice to emphasize the mother’s belief that her daughter is becoming one or has already become one. The mother also finds ways to establish this belief through assumptions and negative interpretations about the girl and her activ...
The mainly one-sided conversation between the mother and her daughter shows Kincaid’s view of the norms, stereotypes, and biases in society. The short story presents what the mother thinks is appropriate, based on sociocultural expectations, customs, and traditions. For example, the parent instructs the girl that she should not squat to play marble...
Kincaid’s “Girl” reflects the family’s role in perpetuating social issues from generation to generation. As the basic social unit, the family provides a social environment that nurtures children. However, societal problems, such as biases and discrimination, are also passed on from parents to their children. In the short story, the conversation bet...
The mother in Kincaid’s “Girl” symbolizes motherhood or, more generally, parenthood and its role in perpetuating stereotypes, biases, and discrimination. One might consider how this situation agrees with the saying, History repeats itself. As the mother sets an example to follow, the girl could eventually become just as gender-biased as her mother....
In "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid, the mother imparts advice on proper behavior, domestic duties, and morality, emphasizing societal expectations for women. The daughter...
Complete summary of Jamaica Kincaid's Girl. eNotes plot summaries cover all the significant action of Girl. In this single-sentence story, a mother instructs her daughter in the ways...
The mother wants to control her daughter’s physical actions in the domestic sphere as well as her sexual expression. While the mother initially comes across as traditional and conservative, she also has expresses feminist ideals as she tries to imbue her daughter with a sense of self-worth and empowerment.
