Girl short story is a single sentence of advice from a mother to her daughter – the author uses semicolons between the words of wisdom and admonishments. In this sentence, the mother intends to aid her daughter and scold her simultaneously, which results in being twice interrupted by the girl to defend herself or ask a question. The scolding is apparent in a repetitive warning to her daughter against becoming a “slut.” Chronologically, the story has no beginning or end apart from the mentioned repetitions and interruptions.
The mother shares much practical advice that will be helpful for her daughter when she has her own house. It includes how to do various household activities, such as sewing, laundry, cooking, ironing, sweeping, setting the table, and washing. In addition, the mother informs the girl about other things she will require in her future life, including fishing and herbal medicines. These numerous admonishments imply that they live in a poor, rural area, where every little moment is essential in their daily living.
Accompanied by practical advice, the mother’s speech also contains recommendations on how to make her daughter’s life fulfilling. It offers care and sympathy in the form of comments on men-women relationships the daughter will eventually have to confront. The mother mentions that all relationships are different, and not all of them will be successful. Additionally, the mother instructs on how to behave according to the situation, for example, how to smile and talk to people the daughter does not like.
Nevertheless, the mother’s advice sometimes becomes caustically unpleasant, hiding genuine concern and fear for the daughter’s future. I believe these remarks are crucial for the short story to impact the reader. In response, readers begin to empathize with the mother’s concerns after realizing and imagining the environment the family has to live in. Moreover, the first occurring remark has a specific shock effect that can puzzle the readers and motivates them to continue reading.
Reference
Kincaid, J. (2003). Girl. In A. Charters (Ed.), The Story and its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction (6th ed.) (pp. 320-321). Bedford/St. Martin’s.