Jamaica Kincaid does just that in her short story, Girl. The narrative is presented as a set of life instructions to a girl by her mother to live properly in Antigua in the ’s. While the setting of the story is not expressly stated by the author in the narrative, the reader is able to understand the culture for which Girl was written Jul 16, · Davis, Thulani. “Girl-Child in a Foreign Land”. The New York Times 28 Oct. 9. Print. Kincaid, Jamaica. Lucy. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Print. This book review on The Peculiarities of “The Tongue” from Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid was Apr 27, · The short story “Girl”, by Jamaica Kincaid, is a prime example of this relationship. The theme in “Girl” strongly suggests that a woman should be domestic and there is a certain way that she should act. Many elder women feel that a woman’s role in life is to be domesticated. The theme of girl reinforces this opinion
An Analysis Of Jamaica Kincaid's Girl - Words | Cram
Browse the database of more than essays donated by our community members! It is a harsh one-sided conversation between the narrator and her mother, with the mother doing all the talking. The story gives a rich description of what her mother expects from her in all aspects of her life, girl jamaica kincaid essay, from chores, to how she plays, girl jamaica kincaid essay, to what she sings in church.
From each line, you see the viewpoint of how her mother sees the world, what is proper in her eyes, and her expectations for her daughter. deadline 6 hours Writers : ESL Refund : Yes. deadline 3 hours Writers : ESL, ENL Refund : Yes. Payment methods: VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover.
Throughout the story, the symbolism gives deeper meaner to every verse and shows deeper insight into their relationship. One of the first symbols is in the first line is the color white. The use of the color white is foreshadowing the tone for the whole short story.
White represents pure, virgin, and clean, girl jamaica kincaid essay. She is demanding her daughter does these things as she dictates. This is not a sweet moment between a mother and her daughter. The conversation is laced with insults and fears. Flies are seen as bottom feeders, dirty and irritating and when flies are surrounding an animal it is seen as filthy. She is telling her daughter that she will be seen as dirty if her fruits are out for everyone to see.
This has to do with being covered and not letting everyone stare at you. This supports her idea that her daughter will become girl jamaica kincaid essay and not respectable. Another symbol example is the importance of clothing. It gives insight into your character and personality that you take pride in how you look. Clothing is used to cover your body, when you are covered you are seen as respectable in her community.
This is the second time that her mother accuses her of turning in a slut. The word benna is one of the cultural symbols she uses. It gives insight into where the story is taking place.
It also gives the reader the first response to her mother who has been talking the whole time. Why did the narrator feel compelled to finally speak up for herself at this moment? What did her mother mean by accusing her of this that the narrator feels she had to defend herself? From this short sentence, the reader can assume that something has changed culturally. If the daughter is implying that singing Calypso music is frowned upon and considered taboo that means singing it in Sunday school would be a grave disrespect.
The mother is also going through changes culturally and that has influenced her concerns for her daughter. This line in the story shows a reference to Britain through tea. The reader can accept that what has been going on culturally is in reference to Britain. There are foreigners in her country who could be judging the country as they interact with the natives.
Her constant fear of her daughter becoming a slut is stemming from what the mother now views as proper behavior. They are many symbols that come from food. The use of food in this short story has a small number of layers. There is a superficial layer that acts as a cultural symbol in her use of her native dishes in the text. The reader has only seen the mother in the fierce, girl jamaica kincaid essay, menacing tone.
She wants her daughter to learn how to cook these native dishes as a way of passing down her legacy. Another layer is the mother finds cooking to being part of being a respectable woman. Cooking is something the mother puts value on. She believes that a woman who can cook is valuable to their society. Over the course of the text, girl jamaica kincaid essay, she comes back to instructing on how to cook.
The reader is also able to see it in the beginning, middle, and end of the short story. The mother believes that cooking strengths the bond her daughter will have with her family and with the community.
Her mother wants her to be the kind of lady that the baker lets squeeze the bread. It also reinforces that her daughter should not become a slut or she will not be a functioning member of society. They are girl jamaica kincaid essay, if she becomes a slut the baker will not allow her to touch the bread and she will be an outcast like the wharf-rat boys.
The final symbol is housework; the importance of it is seen throughout the short story, girl jamaica kincaid essay. It also establishes her role as a woman taking care of her house.
In their culture, this seen a respectable and earns them respect from their community. This short story looks like a simple stern lecture from a mother to daughter. When you look at each sentence in-depth, you see mother has fears that are based not in anger but in reality due to all the changes going on in their culture. These fears are expressed sometimes harshly by calling daughter a slut, and her tone throughout the story.
In the end, it is just a mother being concerned with her daughter and wanting the best life possible. The symbolism gives more insight than what the reader can readjust on the surface. It shows a whole different character for the mother and sheds light as to why the mother has these expectations and fears, girl jamaica kincaid essay. What people fear shapes them and their relationships. the water is pale, silvery, clear, so clear.
is not a book that will appeal to younger readers. They will not be able to sort through the layers and see through the simplicity of the text. An advanced reader will appreciate this rich and deep novel, girl jamaica kincaid essay, accented by the element of subtlety imposed by Kincaid. The novel unfolds as Annie comes to the realization that she and her mother are growing apart.
In its distinct setting and accurate portrayal of the tribulations of adolescence, Annie John is a novel all women will enjoy. Kincaid grew up on the Island of Antigua and left as Annie did when she was sixteen. The sincere empathy Kincaid has for Annie is apparent throughout the book.
Overlapping elements, such as details used to explain a bigger meaning, are a prominent and effective device used by Kincaid. The entire book is set up in mini-episodes, and a single experience may be thoroughly described for several pages. Many literary elements in the book achieve the same effect. When Annie is very sick, the tone is used as a symbol for how gray and sick she feels. The marbles Annie hides to defy her mother are an important symbol, and the description of the marbles contains effective imagery that adds to the symbolism.
This melting of elements is part of the depth Kincaid achieves. The simplicity of the scenes in Annie John completes the depth, girl jamaica kincaid essay. Kincaid does not hide the meaning, she leaves it unsaid.
This allows the reader to feel personally involved while contemplating the significance. This book is recommended for girl jamaica kincaid essay mothers and daughters. If anything else, it girl jamaica kincaid essay help both appreciate their relationship. The connection between Annie and her mom takes on girl jamaica kincaid essay opposite spectrums.
It will also reveal aspects that both mother and daughter did not recognize in their own relationships. For this reason, this book is more appropriate for women for men.
Her descriptions and back flashes to experiences on the island create color in girl jamaica kincaid essay book. The honesty and bluntness Kincaid uses to explain the beautiful and strange aspects of the culture carry over into the character of Annie again the layering of concepts.
Kincaid is straightforward when presenting Annie, girl jamaica kincaid essay. Whether speaking of her obsession with death, the betrayal of Annie to her best friend Gwen, or her hatred towards her mother, Kincaid is always blunt and honest in her portrayal. She captivates her audience by her accurate and candid portrait of adolescence. It has the depth, girl jamaica kincaid essay, texture, and color of a Picasso, girl jamaica kincaid essay, and is then melded into art through the simplicity of the text, and the depth behind it.
Readers will be personally drawn into the novel because of the authentic depiction of adolescence. This novel will speak loudly to anyone who has felt unaccepted in some aspect of their life.
Jamaica Kincaid wrote a series of sentences that set the tone of the story to be uptight, oppressive, and informative. This goes to show that the poem is in fact a conversation held by a mother and a young girl with disapproving behaviors causing her mother to scold those unacceptable behaviors.
Throughout the poem lists a few teachings into having good behavior and proper manners. There are specific ways the mother instructed her daughter to do her chores. The lists go on and I can relate to these rules.
My mother taught me the importance of discipline throughout my whole life teaching me right from wrong and telling me to do chores and teaching me how to do things on my own since I was now becoming a young adult.
Jamaica Kincaid based this short story on girl jamaica kincaid essay life growing up as a child. Kincaid and her mother were very close until her three brothers were born. After that Kincaid and her mother grew apart and her mother became more intense and girl jamaica kincaid essay demanding towards her daughter to become a lady. Elaine Polter Richardson was a young girl who lived with her parents in a Caribbean Island. She was living in a poverty household but that did not change the relationship she had with her mother.
Jamaica Kincaid reads \
, time: 4:02Essay On Girl By Jamaica Kincaid - Words | Bartleby
Overshadowed, objectified, and devalued, in a sundry of circumstances, young girls are often born solely to serve and breed. The prose poem “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, serves as an accurate depiction of the monotonous day to day life of a girl, as well as a bold wake up call to the ignorant people of society Oct 06, · The short story “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid is a narrative about a girl between the ages of ‘innocence’ and ‘transformative entrance’ into adulthood. Her mother trains her how to be an ideal and respectable lady. She believes that she is the only person who can rescue the girl from a promiscuous life. We will write a Apr 27, · The short story “Girl”, by Jamaica Kincaid, is a prime example of this relationship. The theme in “Girl” strongly suggests that a woman should be domestic and there is a certain way that she should act. Many elder women feel that a woman’s role in life is to be domesticated. The theme of girl reinforces this opinion
No comments:
Post a Comment