Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl"

Paper Summary:

The paper examines the relationship between the mother and daughter in the short one-sentence story "Girl", by Jamaica Kincaid. The paper looks at the the destructiveness of the relationship between them, and the negative attitude of the mother and the elements of the relationship that are evidenced in the short story.

From the Paper:

"There are several important themes to the short story "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid, the most significant being the relationship between the mother and the daughter. It is not immediately clear who is narrating this story, which is actually a single-sentence list. The rhythm and cadence form a large part of the story's power, which has been said to induce a sort of "hypnosis," both on the part of the reader, and the daughter (Simmons 467). This rhythm, according to Simmons, reflects the lulling nature of the mother in the early part of the story. At first the words of wisdom that the mother gives to her daughter, whether told in the mother's voice or in the form of the daughter's repetition of what her mother has said, is practical, "simple, benevolent, and appropriately maternal" involving such mundane things as laundry, sewing, cooking (Simmons 467)."

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