The suffocating good old days revealed in GirlJamaica Kincaid Kincaid's story "Girl" allows readers to get a glimpse of the strict and demanding way in which parents raised their children almost twenty years ago. Through Kincaid's careful structuring of "Girl," readers capture the commanding tone of the story. The relationship between mother and daughter also smacks of empowerment and distance, as shown by the daughter's fleeting speech in the story. Most importantly, “Girl” shows readers how special the lessons taught to children twenty years ago were. "Girl's" mother expects a lot from her daughter and she doesn't hesitate to let her know it. The fact that the two-page story contains only one sentence – and that almost all of it comes from the mother – conveys a powerful message: the mother demands a lot from her daughter. From the beginning, the mother commands her daughter to complete tasks. Kincaid writes that the mother dictates “Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them on the stone pile” (1190). The mother's reluctance to speak kindly or even use the word "please" strongly suggests that the mother has total and overwhelming control over her daughter. With strict instructions such as those from mother to daughter, it is easy to see that the daughter is intimidated. by his mother. Kincaid's sentence structure once again demonstrates the gentleness of the young girl whose thoughts and questions are depicted only twice in the story. The first sentence the daughter mutters represents the distance in the relationship between the daughter and mother, as the daughter interrupts her mother with "but I don't sing bena at all on Sundays and never in Sunday school" (1190 ). The mother, however, continues...... middle of paper...... there is an urgent need to revive the old fashioned business. Works Cited Kincaid, Jamaica. "Girl." The Harper Anthology of Fiction. Sylvain Barnett. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1991-1190. Austin, Jacqueline. Contemporary literary criticism. Ed. Roger Matuz. Flight. 43. Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1987. 250. Dutton, Wendy. Criticism of black literature. Ed. James P. Draper. Flight. 2. Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1989. 1173. Works consulted Contemporary literary criticism. Flight. 68. Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1991. 204. Green, Carol Hurd and Mason, Mary Grimley, eds. American Writers. New York: Continuum, 1994. Magill, Frank N., ed. Masterpieces of African-American Literature. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1992. Showalter, Elaine, ed. Modern American Writers. New York: Charles Scribner's sons, 1991.