Girl Jamaica Kincaid Analysis

The lives of children are greatly influenced by the environment they grow up in, and the people they come in contact with. For years, psychologists, researchers, and social workers have studied children, and why they do what they do. All have developed many different perspectives on how to view social problems and the development of individuals.

The purpose of this assignment is to closely observe the development of a child through an interview and apply the theories and concept of child development in his particular cultural and educational context. I selected the child who lives in my neighborhood for the interview and began with seeking the permission from his parents. The child’s name is ‘Abdullah’ and he is seven years old. He lives with his family in Terre Haute and his family consists of parents and two sisters. Abdullah goes to Sugar Grove Elementary School in the Terre Haute city along with his two sisters and he is in grade 2. The interview was conducted at his home and I ensured his convenience. He was cooperative and provided insightful responses to the questions and he provided significant detail in the interview. I was able to track his development stages and connect it to different theories of Developmental Psychology including psychoanalytical perspectives and Piaget’s stages of development. In the following paragraphs, I will explain my observations about Abdullah’s development in the light of developmental theories with special focus on cognitive, social, linguistic, and emotional development followed by making connections between his socioeconomic and cultural background and development. Lastly, I will conclude paper by highlighting that the observations during the interview can facilitate my future practice as a teacher.

Many children tend to act out how they are feeling instead of verbalizing it. They show aggressive and out of control behaviors towards their relationships. Boys tend to be more likely to exhibit these traits. Girls, however, are more likely to hold in anger, fear, and anxiety, leading to depression. Both of these problems can significantly affect how well a child learns. If a child’s education is affected, it could stay with them throughout their lives. (Santrock 201)

How a physical process develops and how organs adjust to outside influences is determined by a child’s biology. For example, gender can affect development in various ways. Whether a child is a boy or girl can affect how they develop and learn. Research shows that boys have lower levels of school readiness than girls because boys tend to learn and develop differently from girls. Another determining factor on how gender affects development include stereotyping or abuse within the family. If those two factors are present, the experiences of a child could vary. Philosophers Piaget and Vygotsky discuss the importance of a developing child’s experience in their cognitive growth. For example, a girl born into a family that believes a woman’s only role is to be a housewife and raise children, may not be given the

In “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, we have a mother conveying important life advice to her daughter in order for her to adapt to cultural customs and most important to learn the rules of social behavior. Her mother's advice is not only intentionally told in order for her to become the proper antiguan woman she believes in raising, but is also told to criticize her actions and everyday doings. Her mother makes it very clear, in order to live a proper antiguan life, there are many rules that one must follow. With deeper interpretation of Kincaid’s work we come to the realization that her overall message suggests the idea that women as a whole should be domestic and should behave a certain way in our society in order to avoid being viewed as a promiscuous woman.

“ You educate a man; you educate a man. You educated a woman; you educate a generation” stated by Brigham Young. Jamaica Kincaid in her short story Girl, this is the message she wants her readers to understand.Kincaid sets up a “ how to” format for the way a woman should behave. The mother gives her daughter advice on being a woman through her past experiences and shows her that being feminine revolves around maintaining a home, but the daughter disagrees. When the mother corrects her way of thinking, it is implied throughout the story that the daughter is trapped by the rules of femininity. Kincaid lists countless stereotypical roles of a woman which appears to be sexist and puts a limit on what women can and cannot do. However, Girl empowers women and gives power, freedom and control.

A mother’s words are the ones that ring loudest in a child’s ear, are passed down from generation to generation, and the one’s that hold a special place in a child’s memory and heart forever. Expectations and guidelines are set at a young age. Morals and values are learned throughout the years, and life lessons are taught through the wisdom passed down from a mother to a daughter. Every mother has a wish for their daughter to be the best they can be. But at what point does instruction and wisdom become simply words that have been said one too many times? The short story “Girl,” written by Jamaica Kincaid is presented to the reader as a list of instructions from a mother to a daughter on how to live life to the

Jamaica Kincaid’s story of “Girl,” is a mind blowing experience between mother and daughter. “This Essay presents a plot summary of Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” as well as providing historical, societal, religious, scientific and biographical context for the short story. Kincaid’s unusual land difficult to classify piece of short fiction consists of a brief monologue by an Antiguan mother to her adolescent daughter” (Kim Bencel, 2) This is a story, not in verse or order that will remind you of days gone by. The mother is hell- bent on making a respectful young lady.

1. Describe the focus or focalization in Girl. Do we see what one person sees, or observe one person in particular? Describe the voice of the narrator in Girl. Who is the “you”? How do the focus and voice contribute to the reader’s response to the story?It about a girl’s womanhood set at the moment of separation between the age of innocence and the confusing, transfiguring entrance into womanhood experience. It is the story of a mother’s attempt to train her adolescent daughter to learn appropriate cultural customs and more important, the rules of social behavior, especially that of proper sexual conduct befitting a well-reared girl. Yes! We observe what the mother is trying to teach her young daughterto do for a man. It helps her too learned in order, to achieve something that her mother is trying to teach her to do and how to act as a young woman and what to expect as a young woman growing up.

Many times throughout history it has been shown that people are shaped and molded into what society calls, “perfect people.” Jamaica Kincaid is the author of the short story titled, “Girl.” In her story there are two characters, an authoritative mother and her young daughter. Throughout the story, the mother expects so much of her daughter in various ways. She teaches her how to cook, what to wear, how to behave, and many other attributes she views to be significant for her daughter’s role in society. Kincaid elaborates the theme of how to be the “ideal,” or “flawless” woman in a society, along with being respected through the literary elements of diction, imagery, and mood.

The growth and development of a child is highly influenced by the character of the people around him or her and the environment where they are raised since they easily take the behavior of the people around them. Their psychological development is highly dependent on their experiences and how they are treated by those older than them. The novel The Autobiography of my Mother by Jamaica Kincaid reveal some complications that usually affect children when growing up. Parents play a key role in shaping the lives of their children and the absence of an emotional attachment between them usually leads to psychological problems later in life.

The context of the educational site encompasses and highlights socialization of gender among children. According to Maribeth Gettinger, she states that the power of any socialization depends on one's environment; Gettinger believes in the “learning theory point of view” structure which says:

The child I observed was a seven-year-old girl in Year 2 who sat on the second highest ability table in a mixed class. While not in school, she lived a substantial distance away meaning she travelled to and from school by car and was often the first child to arrive in the morning and the last to leave in the afternoon. I will focus on the social and emotional development of this child who, from now onwards, will be referred to as C.

This stage in Joanne’s life also was a time of shyness for Joanne. Joanne remembers her mother telling her that she would cry and cling to her mother or father when Joanne was given to someone (age graded normative event). Attachment theory states that attachment is a developmental process based on the evolved adaptive tendency for young children to maintain proximity to a familiar person, called the attachment figure (Bowlby, 1999). Joanne’s parents were authoritarian (Burton, Western & Kowalski, 2009), placing high value on obedience and respect for authority, often not discussing why particular behaviours are important or listening to the child’s point of view. Joanne’s parents, particularly her mother often smacked her (history graded normative event) without discussion with Joanne of what she had done wrong.

After reading this scenario, I presume that one can conclude that because she has always struggled in school and has failed a grade in the past, she probably does not have a good support system at home. Also, the minority female probably has no support from her teachers or peers. Using different styles of parenting to support my text, I will create different environments explaining ways to improve the girl’s development and help her deal with her circumstances at home and school. In the same manner, I will also create an environment showing what negative effects could obstruct her progression.