"Girl," by Jamaica Kincaid, is barely a two page short story. It is able to summarize the role of a woman in a very structured, simple way. Many other short stories are separated into sections whether it is by title, series of events, dates. This short story is composed of only one paragraph but actually clearly lists the typical expectations of a "girl." In order this is the list: doing laundry, cooking, having good manners, sewing, ironing, gardening, cleaning, politely smiling, setting the table (multiple times a day), behaving accordingly in the "presence of "men," keeping good hygiene, not doing what boys do because "you are not a boy," nurturing the ill and dealing with medicine for abortion as well, nagging the husband, and tolerating the bullying of a man. This list seems like a to-do list, a check off list, a guideline to how one must act if she is a girl.
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