A Short Story: Girl by Jamaica Kincaid

This short story actually does not have a linear plot but instead, it is an entire essay about commands and advice of a mother for her daughter. By reading the story you can understand that the girl in question, the author who went through all these, is part of a conservative Christian family as the Sunday school is mentioned several times. The mother thinks that her daughter sings benna in Sunday school and thinks that is offensive, telling her not to sing benna several times. In the story, it is such a big point that it results in the only thought the protagonist has within the story, the part where she says, but I don’t sing benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school. This is different than all other parts of the story, it is the only time the mother doesn’t talk in the story, and for me, it is the saddest part since there is no way of knowing if the girl talked about it or not since this part is written in italics. It might be just her thoughts indicated by the italics or she might have actually talked with her mother and the italics might be a way to differentiate between the mom and the girl. Another sad point is that the fact that the word “slut” is used several times. The mom doesn’t want her daughter to be a “slut” and advised her not to act in a way a “slut” would do. It is one of the key points in the story and probably the most relatable one since any woman can understand society’s pressure when it comes to acting a certain way. Many swearwords include misogynistic undertones and many women feel the need to obey society’s expectations in order to not live up to the stereotypes. Also, it should be stated that the story is named Girl. The girl in question, the girl who feels her mother’s and society’s pressure is probably not older than 11-12. With this, the story is able to unfold the tragic treatment a little girl endures just because of her gender. Overall, this feminist story is able to convey what it is like to be a little girl in a big world. There is much more to be written when it comes to this story. Yet, I cannot verbalize all the feelings this story makes me feel. Still, one thing is certain. Any person that was once a little girl can find something relatable in this story.