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Analysis Of Prose-Poem Girl By Jamaica Kincaid

924 Words4 Pages

Jamaica Kincaid’s prose-poem “Girl” is about a mother who tells her daughter how a girl should be and what should she do and act in different cases. Throughout the prose-poem, we see that the love the mother gives is considered as tough love due to her bossy and strict tone, yet the girl deserves to be who she wants to be, have a voice and live her life making her own mistakes. Parents have a huge influence on their kids and even though it is good to have a parent educating you, it can get to a point when it is too much. “This is how you smile to someone 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” (Kincaid 1). Psychological speaking, it is unhealthy …show more content…

In this prose-poem we see that the daughter does not have a say in all of this but despite of all of her mother’s strict instructions, she starts on developing a voice and speak up to defend herself: “but I don't sing benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school” (Kincaid 1). This line was said after her mother repeated to not sing benna on Sundays or Sunday school. So, we can see that before she didn't have the courage to speak up to her mother and defend herself but after her mother repeated it, she finally defended herself. Also, at the end of the prose-poem, she spoke back again when her mother told her to always squeeze the bread before buying it: “but what if the baker won’t let me feel the bread?” (Kincaid 1). It is very important for the daughter to have a voice; it is okay that the mother is trying to prepare her daughter but she is not teaching her to be independent, intelligent or strong, but to live in fear of making a mistake or disappointing her mother.
It is important for a kid to have free will and make his/hers life choices. This is why controlling your daughter on things like how to smile, how to walk and what not to sing is not healthy; just like the mother in Jamaica Kincaid’s prose-poem “Girl” does to her daughter. Nobody is perfect and a girl should not live her life trying to not upset and disappoint her mother on her every move. She should be able to be happy, have a voice and live her life to her

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