Social Pressure In Jamaica Kincaid's Girl

Despite the fact that it may be short, Girl by Jamaica Kincaid, is fierce and strong. Easily, it is definitely high on the “most book-throwing” stories list. I rank it at number one on the list. The short story touches home base with me and other women as well, I am positive. Which is what makes it so interesting. Throughout the long winded sentence of a story, the narrator lectures and instructs her seemingly young daughter on what to do domestically and in public to not be deemed a “slut.” The narrator touches on a very debatable issue that is most obviously due to her being of an older generation. The issue that is most shown in the story is the social pressures enforced on women and young girls to act a certain way. Proper etiquette is a subject that just about every girl as heard at least once in their lifetime. In older generations, women were expected to be the “home keepers” and not to do things like men did, whether it be playing a game, sexuality, or pursuing knowledge. Although, the pressure might not be as high …show more content…
The issue of social pressure of women’s actions was widely supported by the numerous commands by the narrator of the short story. Just a few simple commands like “This is how you iron your father’s khaki pants so that they don’t have a crease,” “Don’t squat down to play marbles—you are not a boy,” and “this is how to behave in the presence of men who do not know you very well” show exactly the belief of the narrator. The narrator along with many others in this society believe there are certain ways that a woman should and should not act. That claim is proven in so many more ways than just the narrator’s commands. My personal experience with this important topic also does more to support my claim. I believe it is very comical the social pressures of how a woman should perform are greatly more than how a man should