Gender Stereotypes In Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John

In the novel,”Annie John”, by Jamaica Kincaid, it discusses the gender stereotypes placed upon women. By looking at the descriptiveness and tone of the passage, it can be told that the narrator feels that she is always treated less than the other gender, which she doesn't like, and the narrator doesn’t want to be in this position anymore. This is important because it reflects how the narrator feels about the gender stereotypes she has to go through, which essentially shape her into the person she will become. The tone the narrator uses to show that she is given a lesser role shows that this is a big problem for her. Understanding the reason why she is always given the lesser part shows that this does have an impact on her life, and is something in her life that she cannot avoid, telling her what she has to become. “Of course, in all the games we played I was always given the lesser part.” (Pg.95) Clearly, the narrator understands that she is stuck into a position that she does not

For example, in the text on page 95 in,”Annie John,” she says,” and I played his servant, and a not very bright servant at that.” This represents how she does not want to take part in roles that were forced upon her because she is a women. Having an acknowledgment for men also plays a huge role. “I felt pleased that he, a boy older than I by three years, would play with me.”(pg.98) This shows that being placed in a society where girls were not treated the same, caused her to want to explore and be with boys. She felt grateful that a boy would play with her because this was not normal, and boys giving her attention which she was not supposed to get, made her feel good. Therefore, the narrator being given certain norms to follow, and not agreeing with her show how she will look for