Girl - Jamaica Kinkaid

         Girl 

[alert-success] Girl - Jamaica Kinkaid

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         Girl, a prose poem by Jamaica Kincaid, is both a dramatic monologue and a prose poem about a mother's advice to her daughter. The mother appears to be unconcerned with her daughter's response, as her daughter's responses are highlighted in italics. This prose poetry begins with the mother giving the order,

Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them on the stone heap; wash the colour clothes on Tuesday and hang them up to dry.

        Given that women tend to thrive in domestic labour after marriage, the mother wants her daughter to be a leader in the field. The daughter must have reached puberty at this point, and as an adult, she must be familiar with the various fields of endeavour. The mother can raise her daughter in accordance with the requirements of the following sphere because she has already experienced the adult woman sphere.

Soak your little clothes right after you take them off.

        This line denotes the daughter's onset of puberty. She must therefore prepare her daughter for the challenges the world would bring as a result of being a mother to a daughter. All of the mother's remarks imply that the daughter must deal with a world that is distinct from that of the children.

This is how you smile to some you don’t like very much, this is how you smile to someone you don’t  like at all; this is how you smile to someone you like completely.

        The mother instills in her daughter the skill of communicating through one's actions because she wants her to be aware of all gestures. She can meet people who are unnecessary and outside of her comfort zone in this way. As children are not expected to be aware of these distinct types of gestures, their world is not as complex and intricate as that of adults.

And this way they won’t recognize immediately the slut I have warned you against becoming

        Adult life is highly hypocritical because everyone chooses to hide their true selves and demonstrates this deception by dressing differently from who they really are. The mother claims that because society does not value authenticity, adults often find themselves in situations where they must put on a show.

Don’t  throw stones at blackbirds, because it might not be a blackbird at all.

        This is just another example of how arrogant people can be because they frequently reveal their true selves to others. The daughter must be mindful of these things because she is new to the field. The mother then instructs the daughter on a variety of issues she may encounter in the future, such as having an unwanted kid, and she also provides advice on how to win a man's heart whether he feels the same way about her or not.

         The mother didn't notice the daughter's response, which subtly alludes to society's disregard for women's voices. Finally, the mother gives up in frustration, believing that the Baker may not be allowing the daughter to experience the bread. This suggests that the Baker might not be sexually drawn to the daughter, which frustrates the mother because she worries that her daughter might not be a prominent figure in the next sphere.