Girl Jamaica Kincaid

“Maypole Mother” Laura James

Jamaica Kincaid on her writing: “I think in many ways…Americans find [my writing] very hard to take. They are inevitably looking for a happy ending. Perversely, I will not give the happy ending. I think life is difficult and that is that.”

Her fiction is very autobiographical, particularly in reference to her relationship with her mother which she has said was difficult since she was a small child. Kincaid on her mother: “The fertile soil of my creative life is my mother. When I write, in some things I use my mother’s voice, because I like my mother’s voice. I feel like I would have no creative life or no real interest in art without my mother. It’s really my fertile soil.”

“Girl” is a one sentence, 650 word dialogue between a mother and daughter. It is written in the stream of consciousness style. It is told from the 2nd person point of view. No action, no formal introduction of the characters, no traditional plotline.

Important terms and concepts for this story: Stream of consciousness- a manner of writing in which a character's thoughts or perceptions are presented as occurring in random form, without regard for logical sequences, structure, etc. Second person point of view the narrator tells the story to another character using "you"; the story is being told through the addressee's point of view.

Important terms and concepts for this story: Analogy a likeness or a comparison between two things that have some features that are the same and others which are different Monologue A long speech by one character

Antigua was colonized by the British and was an important part for commerce and as a producer of sugarcane during the nineteenth century. African slaves were brought to the island to provide labor to this industry.

After its abolishment in 1834, slavery would leave a bitter legacy, with most Antiguans remaining in poverty. This is a legacy that remained up into the twentieth century, with most of the Eastern Caribbean behind in economic and technological developments. Kincaid addresses this Eurocentric culture in “Girl,” showing its duality with more traditional island beliefs.

Afro-Antiguan Culture European Culture

Obeah is an African based religion similar to voodoo Obeah is an African based religion similar to voodoo. Women in Antigua would practice it along with Christianity, using spells and secret medicines to ward off bad things. In obeah beliefs, objects may conceal spirits, thus many believers do not trust appearances.

Kincaid on her childhood: “I was very interested in [obeah]; it was very much an everyday part of my life, you see. I wore things, a little black sachet filled with things, in my undershirt. I was always having special baths. It was a complete part of my life for a very long time.”

Blackbird as jablesse “she devil” In Caribbean folklore, the jablesse is a shape shifter that often takes the form of a beautiful woman, luring men into isolation to devour them. She is beautiful, deceptive, and deadly