Girl by Jamaica Kincaid

 The story of Girl by Jamaica Kincaid is one that is unique compared to all the other stories we have read this semester. The story talks about all the things a girl must do to be a decent girl. Some of the things to be a good girl include "when buying cotton to make yourself a nice blouse, be sure that it doesn’t have gum in it, because that way it won’t hold up well after a wash; soak salt fish overnight before you cook it; is it true that you sing benna in Sunday school?; always eat your food in such a way that it won’t turn someone else’s stomach; on Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming; don’t sing benna in Sunday school; you mustn’t speak to wharf-rat boys, not even to give directions;" (Jamaica Kincaid, Girl). What caught my attention is who is telling the girl all of this stuff to do and not to do? Whose rules are these and why does she have to listen to them? If she does not listen to these rules would she be considered not a good girl? Whoever is telling the girl the rules is very proper and rule-oriented. All the rules are to make the girl more presentable and to make sure people like her more because she will be more proper and polite. Is the girl not polite and proper now and that is why she has to be taught all these rules? The end is very interesting about the baker and bread. "squeeze bread to make sure it’s fresh; but what if the baker won’t let me feel the bread?; you mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won’t let near the bread?" (Jamacia Kincaid, Girl).  Whoever is saying the rules brings up at the end if she doesn't follow these rules given she will not be wanted and disliked so people would reject her. 

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