Looking into Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” through the young girl’s perspective, readers will understand that there are lots of things going on in the narrator’s mind although she doesn’t get the chances and/or opportunities to say much. Throughout the entire poem, “Girl” gives us an insight on a mother daughter relationship and the amount of advice given to the daughter by the mother on what a girl should be doing and how she should be behaving. It gives readers an idea of how a woman is told to live and act, which are necessary to instill in oneself for a daily living.

Looking at it through the young girl’s point of view, I would feel a sense of suffocation and unhappiness. For example, being told not to eat fruits on the streets because flies will follow is really not something to even have to think upon and follow. Why do such minor things have to be highly advised on? All those advises would make me feel like a robot following rules to do chores and trying to find perfection in every little thing that I have to do. It would be tiring and hard to live in a place where I have to keep myself a certain way and if I don’t do something correctly, I would constantly be seen as looking like a “slut”. After all I’m a human and I may have flaws. I can make mistakes and I will learn from those. I’m too young and I wouldn’t want so much burden and responsibilities on myself that I won’t be able to keep up with things. It’s pressurizing. That’s not the life I would want to live where there is no freedom to do the things I would wish to do as a young girl. At this age, I would want to go out and play with other young children and enjoy life. I don’t wish to grow up so fast and lose out on my childhood and innocence. I would want to voice my opinions, question norms, be heard, and not be ignored. Instead of standing there like a statue and having to hear all the things I have to do as a girl, I would love to just have a normal conversation with my mother and more understanding with one another.

Ekramul Islam