The Mother As A Dominant Figure In Girl By Jamaica Kincaid
“Girl” is a two-page story written by Jamaica Kincaid in an attempt to bring forth the relationship between a mother and her daughter. The daughter, in this case, is a girl who has come of age and is ready to face womanhood. Her mother is, therefore, taking it upon herself to furnish her with all the necessary guidance on what to do and what not to do as a woman in the society. The mother here takes the role of a guide and takes it upon herself to teach her daughter how to make a house be a home. She teaches her all the things that are crucial to being a responsible woman. Mothers play a major role in the upbringing of their daughters and preparing them for womanhood, however, sometimes this may be too much or seem as overbearing.
Jamaica Kincaid uses this story to show the role of a woman in society. Stereotypical gender roles have always been in existence in various societal setups for ages. A critical analysis of this story could bring out the underlying factor that the story has an aspect of sexism in it which is brought about through the definition of what a woman can or cannot do. However, the most audible voice in the story is trying to describe the relationship between a mother and her daughter. The direct figure of speech employed in the story makes it clear that the mother is talking to her daughter who is probably listening to her mother. Dialogue has also been employed to the story through the italicized words. The sentences in italics represent the thoughts of the girl. Symbolism has been used many times in this story including Benna and marbles, to try and capture the imagination of the reader.
This story portrays the mother as a dominant figure who is taking it upon herself to prescribe what her daughter should do and she expects her to conform to the same. According to Kincaid (1991), cultural words like don’t squat down to play marbles—you are not a boy, show an environment filled with constrictions. A female societal member in this context is restricted from doing a number of things because they are female. These set rules seem to be passed down from one generation to the next through teachings from parents to their children. Through the story, we get to realize the aspect of the teachings being advantageous, overbearing as well as stereotypical.
The mother dissipates some useful information like how to keep a home clean and how to cook as well as perform other household chores. This information is provided amid various talks about her sex life. The mother’s primary objective is to try and stop her daughter from being the “slut” she feels she might want to be. She teaches her how to smile to men she likes and also how to smile to men she does not like. This helps the daughter to have the ability to identify herself with the man she loves and avoid other men. This teaching brings about faithfulness and loyalty in a relationship. She also gives her daughter valuable lessons on life, especially when she says that if something does not work out then there are other ways (Kincaid 1991). This tells the daughter that no matter how hard a situation is, other options always present themselves and that she should never give up.
Don’t pick peoples flowers—you might catch something (Kincaid 2000). This statement is all about the world and the sexually transmitted infections that are strewn all over. This teaching is beneficial to the girl because it warns her against sleeping with other peoples men because in doing so, she might catch something. The mother also shows her negative side in the story. The tone used in the story expresses her lack of trust in her daughter and that she believes she might end up being the “slut” she has always warned her about. As a result, the mother teaches her about how to make a good medicine to throw away a child before it even becomes a child. This is abortion and the mother is openly giving her daughter the ability to locally procure an abortion which is not only un-motherly but also risky for the daughter.
The mother is overbearing, and this can be experienced through the major part of the monologue. The tone in the story is not a procedural or a teaching one. It is a tone that is stating facts that should be followed by the daughter. Her mood is not like that of a hopeful mother because when the daughter asks that what if the baker will not let her feel the bread, her mother lashes out and tells that how could she, after all, be a woman whom the baker will not let near the bread. However, it is important to note that since time immemorial, mothers have effectively played their major role in molding the behavior of their daughters.
This story is relevant to modern day societies as it brings out the aspect of powerlessness women endure in some traditional setups. The girl in this story has no right to exercise her free will. She presumably just sits there and listens as her mother dictates her life. The mother symbolizes society and other traditional frameworks which impose their will on the young, vulnerable and powerless in the name of providing them with the way forward. Kincaid has tried to bring out the powerlessness of the girl in the story and she achieved this through the girl being silent all along. The girl only talks twice in the entire story and her talking does not defy her mother at all costs. This means that she is taking the dictations without rebellion because she has no choice.
Parents, societies, and governments as a whole should try as much as possible to allow the young, weak and vulnerable to exercise their own free will. They should be allowed to map out their own lives and get to figure out what is right or wrong for them. The girl in the story should have been allowed to make her own choices and decide whether or not she wanted to be the “slut” her mother was frequently talking about. Freedom of choice and the power to make and enforce your own decisions should be the gift every mother gives their daughter as they raise them into the powerful leaders of tomorrow.
Works Cited
Kincaid, Jamaica. At the Bottom of the River. Macmillan, 2000.
Kincaid, Jamaica. Girl. 1991.
