Girl by Jamaica Kincaid

 Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl"  is one long sentence with each piece of advice separated by semi-colons. It consists of a series of instructions given by a mother to her daughter. The mother goes on and on teaching the daughter how to be the perfect woman in society.

As the story goes on, the mother's directions get more demanding. She tells her daughter how to do such household chores as laundry, sewing, ironing, cooking, setting the table, sweeping, and washing. The mother also tells the girl how to do other things she’ll need to know about, including how to make herbal medicines and catch a fish.

These pieces of advice suggest that the women live in a poor, rural setting, where passing on such advice is essential for daily living. The mother also instructs her daughter on how to live a satisfying life. She teaches her how to choose a life partner and behave with her husband. Her tone is both instructing, demanding and humorous. Only twice the daughter has interrupted her mother.  Once when her mother advises her not to sing benna in school on Sundays. Here the daughter replies that she doesn’t sing benna. Next time, when her mother teaches her how to select fresh bread. The girl questions her if the baker won’t let her feel the bread? On which her mother scolds her and feels as if her daughter doesn’t understand what she is teaching her.

Here are the instructions:

*Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them on the stone heap.

*Wash the colour clothes on Tuesday and put them on the clothesline to dry.

*Don’t walk bare head in the hot sun. Don’t eat fruits on the street, flies will follow you.      Don’t pick people’s flowers. Don’t squat (bend) down to play marbles. Don't throw stone at blackbirds.

*Cook pumpkin fritters in very hot sweet oil.

*She advises on: how to catch a fish, select fresh and stale bread, select clothes when buying, sew on a button, make buttonholes, iron, sweep a corner, and the whole house, how to make pepper pot.

*How to cook bread pudding, doukona ( Antiguan dish)

*How to smile to someone you don’t like at all or you like completely. 

*How to set table for breakfast and launch. How to make medicine for different diseases.

*How to and where to plant Okra(a plant known for its edible seed pods), even how to spit.

*Try to walk like a lady not like the slut. असभ्य महिला

*Must not sing benna on Sunday school, must not speak to wharf-rat boys. चोरी गर्ने मनसायले वरपर घुम्ने व्यक्ति।

*How a man bullies you and how to bully धम्की दिनु a man.

*She even advises not to mind giving up if the man you will be in love with doesn’t understand you.