The short story "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid presents a list of instructions for a girl from her mother. When analysing this directive, it is possible to state that mother's message to the girl is quite contradictory in its nature: it poses strict limitations for the daughter clearly delineating what is acceptable and what is not, expresses a certain level of disdain towards the girl, but at the same time shows mother's care and concerns about her child.
When reading the story, it is difficult not to notice the manner in which the mother talks: she keeps giving instructions one by one with no chance for a girl to participate in her monologue. Even when the latter tries to argue or to reply to mother's question, which obviously is rather rhetoric than the actual one, the woman proceeds with her speech not even noting the daughter's remark. Mother's guidance is not divided into separate sentences; it is presented as a perpetual stream of phrases - by doing so Jamaica Kincaid increases the loading of the message. At first glance, the monotonous mother's monologue creates an image of a woman who is unsatisfied neither with her life nor with the way her daughter behaves. But after analysing all the words of the woman, it is possible to say that this is the way she expresses her love and care about her daughter: her directive may be interpreted not only as a restriction for her daughter, but also as forwarding her knowledge and sharing her life experience. Her good intention can also be concluded from the last phrase of the story: the mother seems to be surprised to hear that after giving all those lessons to her child, the latter still assumes the possibility of being "the kind of woman who the baker won't let near the bread" (Kincaid 321).
In her short story "Girl" Jamaica Kincaid demonstrated the way the mother's love can be expressed. It has no signs of tenderness or dearing attitude, however, the essence stays the same: mother wants her child to be the best and wants the best for her child.
Works Cited
Charters, Ann. The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. Print.
