Kincaid's "Girl"

After reading “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid I get the feeling this could possibly be about Jamaica’s life growing up. Kincaid was born in Antigua, a Caribbean Island. You can tell from the language used in “Girl” that it is set in a Caribbean or Tropical place, as opposed to America. Words like benna, dasheen, doukona, and pepper pot are not common in America but people from the Caribbean would probably know what they mean.

“Girl” is more along the lines of poetry to me rather than fiction. The whole thing is one sentence. It is more than likely a mother telling her daughter all about life and what to do and not to do, giving her the motherly advice that we all receive. She tells her everything from how to do household duties, to how to love a man, and even how to spit. Several times the mother gives reference on how the girl is not to become a slut, because she believes her daughter is “bent” one becoming one. To me this signifies there is a huge generation gap between the two, what one thinks is right is not what the other believes. It seems as though the mother wants her daughter to do only the things she thinks is right and if she doesn’t she will become a slut, or someone looked down upon.

I found it significant that the daughter only responds twice to her mother. Once stating that she doesn’t sing benna on Sunday, and the other time asking what if the baker won’t let her feel the bread. The first time the mother doesn’t even acknowledge her daughter but the second time she states, “You mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won’t let near the bread?” and the story ends. This shows the mothers disapproval of the kind of person she believes her daughter is going to be. Also I feel the daughter had respect and fear of being ridiculed for her mother, and this was why she only spoke twice.