The Narration and Point of View of “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid
A woman should stay at home and cook and clean, while the men do the real work. This blatant sexism can still be seen today in parts of the world and is conveyed throughout the short story, “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid. It is evident very early in the story when the narrator is giving instructions and rules on how to be a “good girl.” These instructions vary from washing clothes the right way, to how to iron her father’s shirt. “Girl” is narrated in the less common, second-person point of view. Since the story is narrated this way it conveys the narrator as prejudiced and harsh, forcing the reader to ask themselves how the narration affects his or her interpretation of the meaning of …show more content…
The narrator’s tone throughout the story is very authoritative and at times demeaning. For example, when the narrator says to the daughter, “on Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming” (Kincaid 120). The way the narrator talks to the daughter is harsh and shows how she is most likely very strict. This could be because the narrator was raised the same way and taught that a woman’s duty is to cook and clean. The tone reveals to the reader that the narrator believes it is very important for the daughter to be a “good girl” so she can do her part in society.
As shown above, the elements of narration such as voice, focus, and tone come to shape the narrator’s worldviews and values throughout the short story “Girl.” These factors help shape the reader’s interpretation of the meaning of the story. Being a “good girl” is very important to the narrator and in order to be a “good girl” one must know how to do the things that are expected of them such as cooking, cleaning, sewing, and behaving like a lady. These thoughts coincide with the discriminatory idea conveyed throughout this story that men do the real work and the women stay at home and cook and
A woman should stay at home and cook and clean, while the men do the real work. This blatant sexism can still be seen today in parts of the world and is conveyed throughout the short story, “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid. It is evident very early in the story when the narrator is giving instructions and rules on how to be a “good girl.” These instructions vary from washing clothes the right way, to how to iron her father’s shirt. “Girl” is narrated in the less common, second-person point of view. Since the story is narrated this way it conveys the narrator as prejudiced and harsh, forcing the reader to ask themselves how the narration affects his or her interpretation of the meaning of …show more content…
The narrator’s tone throughout the story is very authoritative and at times demeaning. For example, when the narrator says to the daughter, “on Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming” (Kincaid 120). The way the narrator talks to the daughter is harsh and shows how she is most likely very strict. This could be because the narrator was raised the same way and taught that a woman’s duty is to cook and clean. The tone reveals to the reader that the narrator believes it is very important for the daughter to be a “good girl” so she can do her part in society.
As shown above, the elements of narration such as voice, focus, and tone come to shape the narrator’s worldviews and values throughout the short story “Girl.” These factors help shape the reader’s interpretation of the meaning of the story. Being a “good girl” is very important to the narrator and in order to be a “good girl” one must know how to do the things that are expected of them such as cooking, cleaning, sewing, and behaving like a lady. These thoughts coincide with the discriminatory idea conveyed throughout this story that men do the real work and the women stay at home and cook and