Girl Degree 5th sem English

 The prose-poem "Girl" is made entirely of a single line of advice given by a mother to her daughter, who is interrupted only twice to ask a question or defend herself. She intended the advice to be both a help and a reprimand to her daughter. Kincaid employs semicolons to divide the warnings and advice, although she frequently repeats herself, particularly when warning her daughter against being a "slut." Besides these repeats, "Girl" does not progress chronologically: the stream has no beginning, middle, or end.

The mother gives her daughter a lot of practical and helpful advice that will help her one day become a successful homemaker. She instructs her daughter on how to do things like laundry, sewing, ironing, cooking, table arranging, sweeping, and washing. The girl's mother also teaches her how to do other things she'll need to know, such as how to create herbal remedies and how to catch fish. These wise comments indicate that the women live in an impoverished, rural environment where passing on such guidance is necessary for everyday survival. In addition to practical guidance, the mother teaches her daughter how to live a happy life. She expresses sympathy, for example, while discussing her daughter's future interactions with males, warning that men and women might "bully" one another. She claims that there are several types of relationships, some of which do not work out. The mother instructs the daughter on how to act in various situations, including how to converse with individuals she dislikes.

The mother's advice, on the other hand, is frequently harsh and corrective, as if she is afraid that her daughter is already on her way to being a "slut." She advises the girl not to crouch when playing marbles; not to sing any Antiguan folk tunes at Sunday school; and to always walk like a lady, among other things. The girl, however, interjects to argue her innocence occasionally.