Kincaid’s “Girl” Analysis
The Mother in This Story
She is not a good mother. The reason is I don’t appreciate her teaching styles and values. I suggest that if she really cares about her daughter, she should be a model of kindness. That is, if she wants to be a good mother, she should form a secure attachment with her daughter, listen to her, and help her to cultivate a growth mindset.
First, the mother likely gives her daughter too many commands, ranging from “Wash the white clothes on Monday,” to “Don’t eat fruits on the street.” She should spend time with her and respond to her needs.
Second, the mother doesn’t encourage her daughter to share her ideas and feelings. In this text, she interrupts her and almost doesn’t communicate with her.
Third, the mother doesn’t set her daughter up for success in school and for her future careers. In this text, she teaches her how to be the perfect woman in society, ranging from “This is how you iron your father’s khaki shirt,” to “This is how you set a table for dinner.”
The Daughter in This Story
The type of young girl is probably an innocent and romantic one. Nevertheless, it seems to her mother that she has a lots of bad manners and will probably not fit into the society that they live in. Therefore, her mother resorts to nagging in an effort to gain compliance, ranging from “Cook pumpkin fritters in very hot sweet oil,” to “Prevent yourself from looking like the slut.”
In short, her mother gives too many commands that aren’t all that important. As a result, her voice will become like background noise. My suggestion is only give the most important instructions.
The Meaning of the Title
The title means a universal experience of girlhood. This story tries to express the difficulty of mother-daughter relationships, the contradictions of femininity, life under patriarchy, adolescent sexuality and the legacy of colonialism. In this text, the mother tries to pass down certain beliefs from her culture to her daughter via demanding. For example, she says “On Sundays try to walk like a lady,” “This is how you sweep a whole house,” “This is how to behave in the presence of men who don’t know you very well” and “This is how to make doukona.”
