Girl By Jamaica Kincaid Analysis

“Advice To The Young Adolescence”
Culture and knowledge can distribute many positive outcomes to a person’s life and this outcome should be shared not just around friends but around neighborhoods. Whenever one is faced with a situation and reality, it is quite natural to feel uneasy not knowing what to do during a tough situation. For example, someone can have a hard situation in life and at that moment they don’t have the experience to think of good advice that people with knowledge suggested. Things can really fall out of hand and in that situation they can reflect who they are and regret not listening to people with knowledge. People with knowledge and experience can be a positive influence towards people that need the help and advice they need for a better future.
Jamaica Kincaid in her story “Girl” explains how a mother gives her knowledge towards her daughter to save her life from violence and promiscuity. The mother advices her to be careful from any dangers in the world even though her daughter doesn’t seem to have reached the adolescence stage. She believes that a woman’s reputation or respectability
determines the life someone has and the quality of life in the community. Her character shows more and more advice towards her daughter which makes the reader read even more and finding out more about her knowledge.
She gives advice about sexuality and how it should be guarded and even concealed to maintain respectable front. The mother adds, “On Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are bent on becoming” (57). The mother’s daughter is just a self-conscious adolescent that is listening to her mother talk about the importance of being a lady and listening to her knowledge. Consequently, the mother links at many tangential objects and focuses on the topic of sexuality. The mother focuses on how to keep a decent reputation and how to uphold respectability: “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 bent on becoming” (57).
The mother gives a reality view on her daughter by giving her advice and her character shows that she cares about her becoming a decent woman. The mother constantly emphasis on this theme shows how much she wants her daughter to realize that she is not a boy: “ Don’t squat to play marbles—you are not a boy, you know” (57). She suggest that acting like a girl can win her respect from the community. The mother believes that there is two types of women: the respectable and decent woman and the “sluts”. Kincaid relates to the story because Antiguan women has domestic knowledge and if they remain respectable, they get respected by the family and the community. In this case, the mother is giving her knowledge on how to act respectful. Household work does indeed keep women busy and the chances from temptation seems high and in this case the mother describes how to make foods: “Soak salt fish overnight before you cook it” (57).
Jamaica Kincaid tells how readers recognize the reverence the mother has of domesticity because of her numerous advice. The mother adds, “when you are growing dasheen, make sure it gets plenty of water or else it makes your throat itch when you are eating it” (57). The tone of the story seems to be calm and not forceful. The mother explains her instructions and the daughter doesn’t really answer her back my questions her: “but what if the baker won’t let me feel the bread?” (58). The mother repeatedly emphasizes food throughout her lecture to reinforce her belied that happiness does come from domesticity. What is surprising is that Kincaid described the acts and art of making pumpkin fritters, pudding and doukona. Upon these foods, foods that have meaning towards Antigua and these are the foods described in the story that the mother suggest on her daughters. Kincaid brings this imaginary vision about foods and rules makes the reader want to read more. Mentioning these specific foods and knowledge gives the story a visual presentation on how times were back in the day: “When buying cotton to make yourself a nice blouse, be sure that it doesn’t have gum on it” (57).
The mother tells her daughter not to sing benna in Sunday school: “don’t sing benna in Sunday school”(57).
Bienna is part of the Antiguans culture which identifies spreading rumors and gossiping under the uncomprehending British people’s noses. Singing bienna is sinful so her mother advises her not to sing. Even though there is a lack of information about the daughter not having any thoughts about benna like her mother, she still focuses on her being a great women and being respectful towards herself and the community. The mother also advices her how to love any man: “ this is how to love a man, and if this doesn’t work there are other ways” (57). This quote is highly important because the mother explains how you should love men. If there is love involved in the community, there will be respect and love one another. The mother teaches respectability
there.
Cloth is a symbol of appearances of culture and how proper housekeeping reappear throughout the story to describe respectability: “wash the color clothes on Tuesday and put them on the clothesline to dry” (56). The mother knows that a person’s clothing reveals much about a character. Kincaid wants the reader to explain that if people have proper clothes it can be highly respectable. A person’s clothing can reveal some character and personality on how a person is.