DanielleWilkinson

ProfessorBettridge
UNST114:WaysOfKnowing
3November2015

ASeasonedMothersDisguisedLove
Parentscaredeeplyabouttheirchildren,andintrinsicallywantwhatsbestforthem.
Mothersinparticularwanttheirdaughterstogrowintorespectableandbeautifulyoungwomen.
InJamaicaKincaidsshortstory,
Girl,
thesamegoesforthenarrator.Sheistryingtoteachthe
girlthenecessitiesinlife,whiletryingtogivehersomeinsightonthetrialsandtribulationsthat
soonfollowwithbecomingawoman.Themotherthroughoutthewholestoryhasherdaughter's
wellbeinginmind,butdoesn'tshowituntiltheend.Thisstoryflowsataveryfastpaceandis
meantforthereadertotripoverthemselveswhentheyreadsomethingthatisshocking.Thetone
ofthestorydramaticallyturnsfromasimplehandbookforthehousewife,tothemother
disguisingherlovebycallingherdaughteroutonwhatsheneedstolearntonotenduplike
herself.Ultimatelythishelpsussympathizewiththenarrator,evenwhensheseemstobe
extremelyawful.Althoughthereadermightdespisethemotherinthebeginning,Iarguethatthe
readerwillthenempathizewiththemotherbecauseofthestoriestone,fastpace,andhowthe
motherpresentsherlifelessons.
Kincaidwantsthereadertotripoverthemselveswhilemaneuveringthroughoutthestory.
Thismonologuestylecreatesemphasisonthementionofappallingwordslikeslut.The
narrator,whoisassumedtobethemother,throwsacurveballwhenshesaysonSundaystryto

walklikealadyandnotliketheslutyouaresobentonbecoming(Kincaid579).This
illustrateshowbrutallyrandomthemotherthrowstheselessonsin.Almosteverysentencestarts
withthisis,whichcreatesarhythmthathelpskeepthefastflowoftheentirestory.This
syntax,inaway,normalizestheslutshamingportionofthetextsbykeepingthereader
moving.Bothdomesticsentencesandtheslutshamingsentencesbothhaveimperativesthat
alsohelpnormalizetheharshersentences.Itforcesthereadertodigesttheharshinsinuationof
abortionorsluttyactsquicklyandkeepsthereadermovingforward.Evenwhentrippedupby
theharshlanguage,youcontinuetheflowbecausealmostallofthesentencesstartthesame,
urgingthereadertoreadon.Thisalsomakesthereaderstarttohatethemother,butthatsoon
willchange.
Thesedramaticflowchangesalsoshiftthetoneofthestory.Atfirstglance,thetone
tendstobesimpleasifitwasjustacasualtalkbetweenmotheranddaughter.Anexampleofthis
wouldbewhenthemothersayscookpumpkinfrittersinveryhotsweetoil(Kincaid579).
Thisisbeforethefirsttonechangeandthereaderjustcasuallyreadsalongnotawareofwhat
comesnext.Then,afteroneofthesechanges,thetonegoesdark,withsomekindofdeep
meaningthatcannotbeunderstoodthisearlyinthetext.Thecausaltalktendstobehousehold
choresthatincludeironingandsometimesevenhowtocook.Howeverthemothertendsto
mentionhowthedaughtershouldactandthenthrowsoutharsh,hardheartedtermsincluding
slut.Thishasthereaderwaitingforthenextmentionofthedaughterbeingaslutbecauseit
catchesthereaderoffguard.Kincaidusesthistoheradvantageandtakesthereaderonatone
rollercoaster.ThereaderstopsintheirtracksandtriestoholdonasKincaidcontinuestofurther

deepenthemeaning.Forsome,includingmyself,ittakesmultipletimesrereadingthetextto
findthatdeepmeaning.
Also,thedaughteronlyspeakstwiceintheentirepassage.Thisalsocreatesemphasison
thetextandtone,asifthedaughtercannotkeepupwithhermotherlikethereader.Whenthe
tonedarkens,thefluencyofthesentencesisaffected.Whenthedaughterfirstspeaksshe
respondstohermotherasifsheiscorrectingher,andthemotherjustignoresherandcontinues
ramblingonabouthouseholdchores.Thedaughterisn'taffectedbyhermothercallingheraslut,
butrespondstosomethingassimpleasbutwedon'tsingbennaonSundaysatallandneverin
Sundayschool(Kincaid579).Sheobviouslyisusedtohermotherdegradingher,butalso
whenshespeaksitchangesthetoneofhowweseethedaughteraswell.Wesympathizewithher
becausehermotherdoesntacknowledgeherthroughoutthebeginning,andalsocallshera
slut.
ToexplainthemeaningofthisshortstoryIhavechosetousethemaslessonsthatthe
motheristryingtoconveytoherdaughter.Shewantsherdaughtertolearnfromherown
mistakesorexperiencesthatshehashadtoendureinthepast.Thechiefconcern,whichIhave
alreadymentioned,isthatsheishorrifiedthatherdaughterisgoingtoendupasluttothepublic
eye.Inferringthatherdaughterisengaginginpremaritalsex,sheistryingtoteachherdaughter
howtobealadyinpublicnomatterwhatherextracurricularsbehindcloseddoorsare.Although,
whenthingsdontgoasexpectedthemotherteachesherabackupplanonhowtomakegood
medicinetothrowawayachildbeforeitevenbecomesachild,(Kincaid580).Thisprovesthat
themotheristryingtohelpherdaughterlearnfromhermistakes,becauseanabortionsoupisn't
reallysomethingthatisculturallyacceptable,sothemothermustknowfromprioruseofthe

recipe.Thisinfersthatthemotherhasgonethroughthesametribulationsthatthedaughterison
herwaytoexperiencing,whichmakesussympathizewiththemother.Initially,themother
seemsawful.Althoughthefartheryoureadonthemoreyouseewhatthemotherhasconquered
inherownlifetimeandwestarttopityherandseesheistryingtokeepherdaughterfrom
experiencingultimatelythesamethings.Thedarktonecreatesthemotherinaharshimage.In
factthemotherputsherselfintoapositionwhichmakesthereaderpityher,andempathizewith
herdaughter.Thislensmakesthereadersseethemotherinasombersetting,whenreallyallshe
wantsisherdaughtertohaveamuchdifferentlifethanherown.
Allofthesethingsincludingtone,thefastpace,andthelessonsthatthemomisteaching
herdaughterdisguisetheloveshehasforher.Infact,themotherlovesherdaughterso
incrediblymuchthatsheisgivingherahandbooktoliveby.Sheistryingtocramallofthe
informationthatshehaslearnedinalifetimeintoherdaughtersheadinjustafewmoments.The
mothertouchesonkeynotesofmoralityandhowsheshouldactandpresentherself,aswellas
tryingtoteachherthesimpledomesticabilitiesinlife.Sheisteachingherallofthesethingsin
hopesthatshewillbethegirlthatmendesireanddonotseeasimmoralorsordid.Thefinaltone
changehappensattheendwhenthemotherrepliestoherdaughterquestionwith,youmeanto
saythatafterallyouarereallygoingtobethekindofwomanwhothebakerwon'tletnearthe
bread?(Kincaid580).Themother'shiddenfeelingsshinebrightandhermaternalunconditional
lovesidepeeksthroughtheprotectivesternoutershellwhichthereadersseesatthebeginning.
Thisprovesthatthemotheronlywantswhatisbestforherdaughter,andforhertohave
ultimatelyabetterlife.

WorksCited

Kincaid,Jamaica.Girl.Vol.June26th.
NewYorker
,1978.Print.


Stress
Whatisahole?
Whatisadarkplace?Whatissad?
Whatcanthisdark,sadplacedotoyou?
Canithurtyouphysically?Canithurtyoumentally?
Doesitswallowyouwhole?
Thisplaceisstress.

DMW