Analysis Of `` Girl `` By Jamaica Kincaid And The Birth Mark

Before analyzing â€Å"Girl† by Jamaica Kincaid and â€Å"The Birth-Mark† by Nathanial Hawthorne, it is important to understand the role that women played in society during the time the short stories were written. In each of the stories the theme relates directly to the expectations that women were held to during that time in history. After reading both of the stories, it is clear that there were several literary elements used to portray the domestic responsibilities of women in society at the time. Analyzing theme, symbols and point of view allowed me to understand how utilizing several different literary devices can make the moral of the story even more understandable. In â€Å"Girl† by Jamaica Kincaid, the mother is adamant that her daughter’s reputation essentially defines the value of her life within society. She endlessly reprimands her daughter for her behavior and persistently mentions the importance of respectability in all facets of her life. I agree with Lauren Czosek in her electronic discussion where she states, I think that her mother is preparing her for her future [. . .] I don t think all this stress of the responsibilities should be thrown at a child, [ . . .] (Czosek). Sexuality, according to the mother’s advice, is something to be veiled and protected in order for her daughter to be considered a valued woman within society. The continuous highlighting of the theme by the mother demonstrates how much it means to her that her daughter understands the roles andShow MoreRelatedLiterary Criticism : The Free Encyclopedia 7351 Words   |  30 Pagesit in 1905.[1] [6] The genre is further characterized by a number o f formal, topical, and thematic features.[7] The term coming-of-age novel is sometimes used interchangeably with Bildungsroman, but its use is usually wider and less technical. The birth of the Bildungsroman is normally dated to the publication of Wilhelm Meister s Apprenticeship by Johann Wolfgang Goethe in 1795–96,[8] or, sometimes, to Christoph Martin Wieland s Geschichte des Agathon of 1767.[9] Although the Bildungsroman arose