Julian Martinez-Ariza
Professor Rebecca L. Salois
Survey of Caribbean Literature in English
9/19/2024
“Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid is a short story that presents a mother’s advice to her daughter, offering a little view into the ideals of womanhood that she must hold on to. These Ideals are mostly focused on the traditional roles expected by women with in society. Through a series of warnings and advice the mother hopes to blend her daughter into a woman who will conform to societal norms. The mother’s view of femininity is congruent with the idea of domestic competence. Much of her advice focuses on domestic skills such as cooking or washing clothes. which she sees as important to a woman’s identity
“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”
While these may seem as simple tasks they are expectations that a woman are responsible for maintaining such that the mother, beliefs that it is a functional way of securing a respectable position in society. A woman who is skilled within the domestic world is seen as valuable.
Outside of the domestic bubble that is mostly mentioned in this story, she also warns her daughter against becoming a “slut”. she instructs her on how to behave in and out doors, how to walk, and how to smile to different people.
“always eat your food in such a way that it won’t turn someone else’s stomach; on Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming;”
The repeated use of the word slut is a reference to the concern the mother has of her daughter’s behavior and how it may be perceived by others. This is closely tied to the idea that failing to behave in a certain manner may lead to social rejection.
“this is how to make a buttonhole for the button you have just sewed on; this is how to hem a dress when you see the hem coming down and so to prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on becoming”
The Mother’s advice while filled with concern it is likely that it may have shaped her own upbringing. These experiences and expectations have lead her to internalize these values but also passed them on to her daughter as a form of protection. However this advice is also a reflection of the potential limitations her daughter may face as woman. while the mother’s advice is intended to protect her daughter, it ultimately suppresses her personal growth. At the end of the day “Girl” is a reflection of the societal norms imposed on women. While the advice is a form of guidance it is ultimately a potential boundary that has no room for independence or self expression.
Kincaid, Jamaica. “‘girl,’ by Jamaica Kincaid.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 19 June 1978, www.newyorker.com/magazine/1978/06/26/girl.
I agree with your analysis of Girl and how the mother’s advice reflects societal expectations placed on women, especially around domestic tasks. The repeated use of the word “slut” really highlights the mother’s fear of social judgment and her attempt to protect her daughter. Overall, you captured how the mother’s well-intentioned advice ultimately limits the daughter’s personal growth and freedom, showing how these societal pressures can suppress individuality.
Julian, I completely agree with your point about women only being seen as valuable if they’re “domesticated”. Unfortunately, the mother perpetuates these ideas in the way she decides to raise her daughter. Now the reality is that it’s all the mother knows. The issue is the mother seems to be resistant to change. Instead of enforcing the ideals of the old, she should be empowering her daughter. Instead of telling her daughter to get in line, she should be telling her to chase her dreams. Ultimately the mother wants to protect her daughter, yes, but she is blind to the fact that she’s hurting her. Just as you said, her guidance offers no room for independence or self-expression. Likely the mother dealt with this as well, and consciously or not, shes confining her daughter to that same box.