Girl By Jamaica Kincaid Summary

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“This how you sweep a whole house; this is how you sweep a yard; this is how you smile to someone you don’t like at all…” (Kincaid). This short story gives all girls the advice needed to become a successful girl. The thematic significance of this short story explicitly reports the knowledge and experiences of someone older. The character of this story is a young girl evolving over time with advice from someone she admires. I felt this short story resembles more than just what the title says, but actually how to be a girl. Using a magnifying class on the character, I found the character to resemble the girl I once was. The girl represents more than just herself, but a girl her family wants her to be. Particularly, the significances of the plot play a huge role in the development of revealing the flaws of someone close to the girl. “…This is how you set the table for lunch; this is how you set a table for breakfast; this is how you 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 becoming…” (321). The word “slut” is used three times in the text and reveals the mistakes of someone older. The advice given to the girl evolves over time into the …show more content…
The girl in this story represents a daughter being instructed on how to live a fulfilling life. The practical advice given to her helps set up the idea of how her mother wants her to behave in different situations. The girl represents more than just herself, but a girl, her family wants her to be. I could relate extremely well to the character because sometimes my life isn’t about the mistakes my mother made. I am the person I’m today because of the advice my mother gave me. This one sentence advice given by this girl’s mother represents the importance of becoming a proper girl now and in the

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