Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl”: A Uniquely Crafted Look at a Woman’s Place
...luded does little to make “Girl’s” theme less paramount. In fact, it could be argued that the lack of plot makes “Girl” and its theme more poignant. The fact that both the mother and the daughter in Kincaid’s story lack any real definition or individuality that we know of furthers the notion that the meaning of this story extends beyond the motherly expectations of a daughter. We are given no descriptions, physical or otherwise, of either of the two characters. This lack of individuality leads us to believe that the only qualities the characters possess are those described in the ideology developed by the mother’s dictums, an ideology that originates from and prescribes labor. In leaving out any unique descriptions or background that may distinguish these two females from the rest of society, Kincaid implies that the ideology developed in her story is not exclusive to her story, but instead it reaches further into society than we may realize. This is also evidenced by the title of the story. Notice that the title is not a female’s name or position, but rather a simple moniker that is sometimes seen as derogatory. Had Kincaid been more specific in her choice of a title, by using the daughter’s name, perhaps, or even a slightly more intimate title such as “Daughter”, the story would be that much more intimate itself. Instead, with the harsh, one worded title she chose, Kincaid makes it clear that her story expresses no individuality and lends no preference toward any one woman in particular; it is a story that reaches around the world in its implications. The style in which the story is written furthers its critical, no-nonsense approach to a woman’s place in the world. The broken sentences of commands and instructions that permeate the entire story end only when the story itself does. There are no breaths for air and there are no significant interruptions. When the daughter does manage to interrupt her mother, she is silenced and almost seamlessly incorporated into the text. When the daughter argues that she doesn’t, “sing benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school,” the mother immediately and without thought continues her instructions with, “this is how to sew on a button,” and gives little notice to the fact that she has been interrupted. In this way, Kincaid makes it clear that there is obviously no room for deviation from the ideology being developed by the mother’s monologue, either by the daughter or by any woman. The relationship between the mother and the daughter is also revealed through the strict style of conversation developed by Kincaid in the story. The mother gives no response to her daughter and pays no attention to the daughter’s concerns or wishes. Rather, the mother seeks only to duplicate herself both biologically and socially in her daughter, thereby fulfilling her job as a mother. Again, there is no room for deviation from the mother’s ideology. The relationship between the mother and her daughter stands to symbolize the relationship between women and the world around them...