Girl

All throughout their lives before reaching womanhood girls are given advice on how to present them selves. This advice helps to shape the mind, thoughts, and personality of a woman. It may also even help determine that a woman's role in society.

Jamaica Kincaid's story "Girl" is about a mother delivering a long series of instructions and warnings to her daughter. She gives her instructions on how to speak, act, cook, clean, and how to carry herself as a lady. The way that the daughter is spoken to is not in a gentle manner filled with love. The mother speaks down to her child telling her such things as, "Ð'...this is how to behave in the presence of men who don't know you very well, and this way they won't recognize immediately the slut I have warned you against becomingÐ'..."

One would wonder what kind of woman this little girl would turn out to be after much years of harsh words and being spoken down to. As a woman she may not be able to experience life freely and she may not want to further explore new things or ideas because she believed what her mother told her is the basis of life and all things. As an old woman because having been basically brainwashed by a strict upbringing she may not understand the modern behaviors of present day girls and/or children. She in the ways of her mother will try to control and speak down to youths to suppress their freedom as she never really had any of her own. (Kincaid 380)

Present day women have various roles in society. Some are leaders, followers, business women, housewives, athletes, and even for society's viewing pleasures. Women who become leaders, business women, eye candy and athletes as young woman may have had support from their mothers to pursue whatever their goal was in life, and freedom to choose their path of life. Women who become housewives may have grown up being taught to serve the husband and family. They may have had upbringing by a mother who told them to "this is how you iron your father's khaki shirt so that it doesn't have a crease; this is how you iron your father's khaki pants so that they don't have a crease." The mother may have said that being a typical housewife who slaved over housework and the needs of the husband. She may have been teaching her daughter not to be a good for nothing woman or wife. (Kincaid 380)

If a girl was to follow all advice