Jamaica Kincaid is the author of the 1978 short story, "Girl", a story based on a child living on the island of Antigua in the 1950's. The story is told from the mother's point of view, who spends her time explaining to her daughter how to properly work, live, and behave as a woman in the Antiguan culture, just as she has done all of her life. The island was under British control at the time this story was written and rules were very strict (English). The lifestyle of the Antiguan women was demanding during this time period because they were expected to remain as household slaves, and they were not able to work outside of the house alongside of the men. Kincaid's story is told through the use of forceful language, run-on sentences, and references to the expectations of a maturing woman in Antiguan culture. This is important to the reader because each of these literary elements helps to portray a theme of forced work, societal demand, and the process of maturing as a woman in the Antiguan society.

The use of forceful language within the text guides the reader's thoughts to understanding the harsh, demanding way in which Antiguan women were treated. Kincaid uses forceful commands throughout the entire story to emphasize the idea of women having no choice as to the work they were expected to perform. The story starts with Kincaid writing, "wash the white clothes on Monday and put them on the stone heap; wash the color clothes on Tuesday and put them on the clothesline to dry" (196). The narrator's tone is intentionally forceful, showing the reader that the work was forced labor, not solely personal choice. Kincaid uses this style of language to directly relate the content back to the idea of the harsh, forced labor conditions in the Antiguan culture. Women were expected to work in the household and never alongside the men. According to a study done on woman in the Caribbean, men were categorized more as the field workers, which left, "women as supportive domestic workers"(Powell 101), completing tasks such as caring for the family, cleaning the house, and washing the laundry. The daughter in the story was of the age that her mother should begin teaching her how to properly act in society and properly take care of the household duties. Women and young girls in Antigua had no other choice at that time.  The daughter was forced to perform the daily tasks given to her, no matter who they were from. To portray this theme in her writing, Kincaid chose to use forceful language that help the reader to better understand the Antiguan lifestyle for women. 

Throughout the story, Kincaid continues to intentionally use specific stylistic elements to portray the theme that describes the never-ending list of tasks that Antiguan women are constantly presented. For example, she uses run-on sentences separated by semi-colons, instead of complete sentences separated by periods. This creates an extensive list of tasks that maturing Antiguan girls were expected to perform. The number of societal norms that were necessary for the girls to perform was never ending, similar to Kincaid's run-on sentences in her writing. Her stylistic choice aids the reader in understanding the extent to which these women worked. The Antiguan women had an extensive list of tasks to complete each day. Jamaica Kincaid uses constantly flowing lists to write her story, "Girl", in order to reiterate the theme. This style of writing helps the reader to visualize what the women might suffer through on a daily basis. In "Girl", the narrator talks of the demand on women from society, saying, "on Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming" (Kincaid 196.) Society expected women to dress, walk, talk, and act like a perfect lady everywhere they went, never lacking proper poise. If a woman was not pleased with another person or situation, she was taught to smile at them in a certain way, pretending to be happy with the circumstances or their actions. A line in Kincaid's, "Girl", "This is how you smile to someone you don't like at all," (Kincaid 197) depicts the demanding outer expectation of the Antiguan woman. Women were not allowed to create conflict or stir up society because, in this time, their opinion did not matter in Antigua. Powell stated that "women are at the centre stage of household management" (106), in his study of Caribbean women. A woman's opinion was completely irrelevant at this stage in history in Antigua unless it was in reference to the way the house was to be kept or the children were to be raised. 

Kincaid writes about the expectations of women in completing household chores and raising a family on her own while her husband is working, which leaves the reader to assume that Antiguan women were mature and responsible and had little choice about being that way. In a study by Dorian Powell that focused on the role of Caribbean women he found that, "the general mating pattern is on characterized by early entry into unions of unstable nature" (102). The idea behind this statement is that marriage was not a necessity in order to have children with a man in Caribbean society in that time period. Similarly, Antiguan women were very focused on starting a family and becoming mothers, but it was not always seen as a positive decision. Kincaid writes, "they won't recognize immediately the slut I have warned you against becoming"(197), which refers to the men seeing an unmarried, impregnated woman as someone who had slept around aimlessly. In a woman's eyes, her actions were innocent as long as she could mother a child. Powell also found that, "maternity is a normal and desirable state and the childless woman is an object of pity, contempt, and derision"(103). This information aids the reader in understanding how truly important it was for a woman, like the one in Kincaid's story, to become a mother so early on, no matter how many people viewed it as a promiscuous action. Because of this societal expectation of having children young and having to complete the housework, women had no choice but to be responsible for their actins and mature in handling their duties. Once the Antiguan women became mothers, this huge expectation of responsibility was put on them that men did not experience in their work force. The reader is reminded that the women were now in charge of a child, the household work they were expected to complete, and properly obeying societal demands.  

As it is told through the story of "Girl", the culture of Antigua is demanding and harsh for a woman. As they mature from a girl into a woman, society places expectations on them that are not easy to reach, let alone exceed. Women are expected to complete extensive tasks during their days in the house and are not able to work with the men. They are forced to act as ladies in every aspect of life, no matter how unhappy or unsatisfied they are. The Antiguan women are expected to be perfectly mature and responsible women beginning at an early age. Kincaid does a terrific job portraying these themes in her writing by incorporating stylistic elements such as forceful language, run-on sentences and the idea of Antiguan women and their level of maturity which must come about so young. These elements help the reader to understand the cultural severity and importance around which this text revolves. The specific examples used in this text also help the readers to better understand the historical and cultural context from which the information is coming. 

Works Cited

"ANTIGUA & BARBUDA'S CULTURAL HERITAGE." ANTIGUA & BARBUDA'S CULTURAL HERITAGE. Web. 6 Nov. 2014. 

Shotte, Dr. Gertrude. "The History of Steel Pan: Instrument of the Twentieth Century." Britishcarribbeanassociation.org/uk. London Assembly, 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.

Kincaid, Jamaica. "Girl." The Carolina Reader. English 101 ed. Vol. Fall 2014. Plymouth: Hayden McNeil, 2014. 196-197. Print.

Powell, Dorian. "The Role of Women in the Caribbean." JSTOR. Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, University of the West Indies, 1 June 1984. Web. 1 Dec. 2014<http://www.jstor.org/stable/27862073?seq=10&Search=yes&list=hide&searchUri=/action/doAdvancedSearch?q0=women+roles+in+caribbean&f3=all&c4=AND&q1=&q6=&c6=AND&f2=all&c5=AND&f0=all&pt=&f6=all&acc=on&isbn=&ed=&f1=all&wc=on&sd=&q4=&c1=AND&q3=&f5=all&c2=AND&q2=&q5=&c3=AND&la=&f4=all&prevSearch=&resultsServiceName=null>.
