Girl

Jamaica Kincaid

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1978

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Themes

Tension in the Mother-Daughter Relationship: Mother Knows Best

Kincaid takes readers into the sacred space of knowledge shared among women. The speaker in Kincaid’s “Girl” details every aspect of the domestic sphere that women need to know to survive and in turn to help their family and society to survive as well. By sharing the helpful hints, tricks, and secrets of domestic life and womanhood, the mother indoctrinates her daughter into the community of women. The knowledge that the mother imparts to her daughter varies widely. For instance, one bit of advice that the mother gives to her daughter regarding textiles may seem rather mundane to readers: “when buying cotton to make yourself a nice blouse, be sure that it doesn’t have gum in it, because that way it won’t hold up well after a wash” (Lines 9-12). This instructional tidbit is straightforward and informational. On the other hand, some of the advice the mother imparts to her daughter is darker, such as instructions on how to induce an abortion: “this is how to make a good medicine to throw away a child before it even becomes a child” (Lines 46-48). The severity and heaviness of this advice balances with the next clause about how to properly catch a fish. The stark contrast between these two types of advice and education indicates that both are equally as important and necessary a part of life and of womanhood. The range of knowledge the mother imparts is a clear indicator of her breadth of knowledge. She knows everything from how to properly iron and wash clothing, to “how to make bread pudding” (Line 41), to “how to love a man” (Line 47). The speaker finds this information necessary to pass along to her daughter. Without the mother figure, there would be no one to pass along this essential information about womanhood to the younger generation.

The mother claims a sense of authority surrounding the information she imparts to her daughter. She achieves this authority through her commanding tone. She does not so much educate and inform her daughter as demand that she abide by her exacting instructions. In one instance, the mother says, “when you are growing dasheen, make sure it gets plenty of water or else it makes your throat itch when you are eating it” (Lines 26-27). The infinitive verb form of “make” does not leave any room for questioning or reasoning. The verb serves as a direct, urgent command, indicating that all tasks must be done in a proper way to avoid pain, shame, and heartbreak. The mother’s repeated use of “this is how” builds her authoritative voice. There is no alternative way of completing a task. There is only the mother’s way because she knows best how a task should be completed.

Gender Roles and Self-Respect

It is evident from the speaker’s advice in “Girl” that women in this Caribbean culture exist within the context of the domestic sphere. The mother does not try to resist this reality in any way, though to some readers, the allocation of women to the household may seem stereotypical, traditional, and overly conservative. The mother accepts this reality and strives to educate her daughter to fulfill the same domestic duties. She informs her daughter how to “iron your father’s khaki shirt so that it doesn’t have a crease” (Lines 22-23) and how to “iron your father’s khaki pants so that they don’t have a crease” (Lines 24-25). The domestic duties also include “how you sweep a whole house” (Line 28) and “how you sweep a yard” (Line 29), as well as how to “set a table for tea” (Lines 31-32). Rather than seeming trivial or inconsequential, the mother’s collective advice is necessary and important. The domestic work encompasses the entire life cycle of the home, from reproductive duties, to feeding a growing family, to making sure the main monetary earner in the family is properly clothed and ready for work. Remove a single aspect of this domestic cycle, and the whole system threatens to collapse and fail.

The mother understands the importance of this work and does not view anything she does as inconsequential or trivial. Because of this, she also teaches her daughter that she is worthy of self-respect and respect from others. The mother blends criticism with education when she states, “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” (Lines 20-22). The mother is critical of her daughter’s sexual self-expression and uses shame to teach her to value herself beyond her physical appearance. She wants her daughter to stand up for herself. The mother warns her daughter about these possible future confrontations when she explains “this is how to bully a man; this is how a man bullies you” (Line 46). Even though it is inevitable that a man may try to demean the daughter or assert himself over her, the mother teaches her daughter how to push right back and claim her own space. The notion of reclamation is reiterated in the mother’s final directive that the daughter “always squeeze bread to make sure it’s fresh” (Line 51).The mother implores her daughter to be vigilant. She does not want her daughter to grow up and become someone who allows others to dictate what she can and cannot do, and she does not want her daughter to settle for anything. While her daughter does have to care for the other members of the family, she is also allowed to care for herself, to have a “nice blouse” (Lines 10-11) or to “wash everyday” (Line 37). Self-care is an essential part of this self-respect as well.

Coming-of-Age: Exploration and Questioning

Kincaid’s short text is a coming-of-age story. The instruction the mother conveys to her daughter on how to properly keep a household and care for herself and others is a rite of passage. The intimate advice and secrets the mother conveys about femininity and interacting with men is all part of becoming a woman. These are things the daughter needs to know before transitioning from girlhood to womanhood, such as how to properly wash menstrual blood from her “little cloths” (Line 8). The mother’s use of euphemism—referring to the daughter’s panties as “little cloths”—demonstrates the mother’s inability to accept her daughter as a woman. In this way, the mother hopes to both shield and empower her maturing daughter.

The coming-of-age transition inevitably involves questioning and experimentation. Kincaid strategically integrates the daughter’s voice twice to characterize the addressee and add context to the monologue. When the mother questions her daughter about singing benna in Sunday school, the daughter rebukes, “but I don’t sing benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school” (Lines 18-19). The daughter does not just sit by and let her mother accuse her of singing inappropriate songs on a day of religion. Instead, she asserts herself. Kincaid shows that just as the imparting of knowledge is part of the coming-of-age process, so is learning how to resist authority.

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Another part of growing up and transitioning into adulthood is seeking out additional knowledge and information. This is what the daughter does at the conclusion of Kincaid’s text. When the mother instructs the daughter to “squeeze bread” before buying it to “make sure it’s fresh,” the daughter questions “but what if the baker won’t let me feel the bread?” (Lines 51-52). The daughter’s youthful self-doubt is evident. By asking her mother this question, the daughter seeks knowledge of how to act in future situations. She draws on the knowledge base of someone more experienced in order to navigate the trials of adulthood. However, the mother’s response incites shame: “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?” (Line 53). This biting response, in conjunction with the mother’s constant references to the daughter becoming “the slut I know you are so bent on becoming” (Line 22), indicates that the daughter may be experimenting with her self-expression and sexuality. Although the mother is critical of her daughter, her fears may not be unfounded. The text suggests the possibility of the daughter’s sexual exploration, another natural part of the coming-of-age transition. With her condemning remarks, the mother strives for her daughter to blossom in a way that is proper and socially acceptable.