Girl

“but I don’t sing benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school” 

The italicized formatting of this section of text signifies a voice different from that of the main speaker. If the main speaker is the mother character, then readers can infer through the content that the addressee is the daughter. The daughter questions the veracity of her mother’s assumptions, therefore trying to assert her own developing identity. She pushes back against what her mother says and contradicts her statements. This subordination supports the coming-of-age theme.

“this is how to sew on a button; this is how to make a buttonhole for the button you have just sewed on”

This quote serves as a prime example of the type of domestic duties in which the mother instructs her daughter. The mother strives to impart knowledge to her daughter on how to take care of the house through cleaning and cooking, and how to care for other people by sewing clothing or ironing. While the majority of the duties the mother discusses are focused on pleasing and caring for others, there are occasional areas the mother fosters empowerment as well.

“this is how to 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” 

Kincaid’s text is a coming-of-age story, and the mother’s anxiety over the daughter’s sexuality and self-expression primarily resides in how her daughter will be viewed and treated by those around her in their community. If the mother thinks her daughter is becoming a “slut,” it implies that in her eyes, her daughter isn’t acting like a proper lady and is making herself vulnerable to worldly influences. While the mother’s censuring words are harsh, they are meant to keep her daughter safe and maintain her sense of self-worth.

“don’t squat down to play marbles—you are not a boy, you know”

The addendum to the mother’s instructions regarding how to play with marbles highlights the theme of gender prevalent in Kincaid’s short story. Since she is “not a boy,” the mother is intent on making sure that her daughter acts like a proper woman and ticks all the necessary boxes of femininity. She sets up a gender contrast here to show the binary of how boys can act versus how girls should act.

“don’t throw stones at blackbirds, because it might not be a blackbird at all” 

While this directive on the part of the mother may initially seem like another domestic or behavioral demand, it is more complex. The statement that the blackbirds may not actually be blackbirds implies that they may be of a mystical source. Generally, blackbirds are regarded as symbols of warning. The reference to teaching or instruction based in myth or mysticism contrasts with the Christian references to Sunday school and religious observance mentioned earlier in the text. The revelation of the mother’s superstitious beliefs highlights her own duality and hints at postcolonial thought.

“this is how to make doukona” 

Doukona is a Caribbean dish, and by instructing her daughter in how to properly make this particular food, the mother accomplishes two goals. First, she succeeds in passing along more domestic information to her daughter. Second, she educates her daughter in the ways and traditions of their Caribbean culture. If the cycle between mother and daughter continues as it is represented in Kincaid’s “Girl,” then one day the speaker’s daughter may pass along this cultural heritage to her own daughter as well.

“this is how to make a good medicine to throw away a child before it even becomes a child” 

The daughter in “Girl” represents innocence and childhood. She has much to learn from her mother and shows some slight immaturity and independence by contradicting and questioning the speaker. The womanhood and experience of the mother figure starkly contrasts with the daughter’s lack of experience. The advice the mother passes along to her daughter regarding how to induce an abortion foreshadows the trials ahead for her daughter and hints at some of the mother’s unfortunate past life experiences as well. Like the mention of the blackbirds, the mother’s anti-Christian instruction on abortion supports postcolonial thought. In this way, the mother illustrates the importance of maintaining their cultural roots in conflict with her litany of proper Christan behaviors.

“this is how to bully a man”

Much of the speaker’s advice in Kincaid’s text regards how to properly make one’s way through the world, and how to keep in one’s proper place. This is why the mother focuses so much of her attention on the domestic sphere, because this is the area where the daughter will one day exert her own control and authority in the service of husband, children, and other family members. However, the mother is sure to teach her daughter self-worth as well. Although women may do a lot of work and tasks for others in her life, that doesn’t mean others can push them around. Therefore, the mother is sure to include instruction on self-assertion.