In Jamaica Kincaid’s Girl, a mother simultaneously berates her daughter with instructions and teaches her what society expects from her. Kincaid uses repetitive details frequently throughout the story. For example, the mother tells her daughter “how to hem a dress” and “behave in the presence of men” so that the daughter can avoid “looking” and being “recognize[d]” as the “slut” she is “bent on becoming” (437-8). Her mother’s message of avoiding acting ‘slutty’ exposes modern gender stereotypes. The repetitive details suggest that a girl must dress and behave a certain way to avoid being branded a slut. Although these stereotypes are horrific, they are the harrowing reality women face every day. Kincaid uses repetitive details to critique women’s role in society. These repetitive details, a subset of realistic details, illuminate social issues. Similarly, many other authors employ realistic details to expose societal critiques or unwritten messages within a narrative. For instance, Ambrose Bierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” utilize realistic details to suggest hidden meanings within their stories. Moreover, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “Yellow Wallpaper” and Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” employ realistic details to convey social critiques. Thus, realistic details illuminate the true nature of stories and offer social critiques.
Hyper realistic and surreal details demystify the true nature