“Girl,” Jamaica Kincaid
Lesson by David Ambrose, Medford High School (2008, revised 2010)
This lesson takes one class period
Students may or may not have read the story entering the class

Literary Terms (Post terms on board. Have students copy them down and review briefly to begin class.)
o Allegory: a story that can be read on two levels – the literal and the symbolic. Allegories generally
present abstract ideas by more concrete means.
o Metaphor: one thing conceived as representing another; a symbol.
o 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. (This
experimental style was popularized by Modernist writers in the early half of the 20th century.)

Grabber: Listen to one or two songs about gender roles in our society.
o * “Just a Girl,” No Doubt (* = recommended choice)
o * “Canary,” Liz Phair (* = recommended choice)
o “That Thing,” Lauryn Hill
o “Respect,” Aretha Franklin
o “I’m not Afraid,” Jill Scott
o Journal and Discussion: What do these songs say about female gender roles in our society?

Read Around
o Assign two students to read the story.
 “Mom”
 “Daughter”
o Initial Thoughts: What is the relationship between mothers and daughters in this story?
o What sort of tone do you think the mother uses to say her lines?
o What sort of tone do you think the daughter uses?

Discussion
o The mother’s voice totally dominates this piece; the girl has precious few lines. Still, the piece is
called “Girl,” not “Mom.” Why does this story tell more about the girl’s character than the mom’s
character?
o What is the author’s message about the girl’s character? Does the author effectively convey her
message about the girl’s character?
o What unique elements does the stream-of-consciousness style add to the piece?
o Without any narration, how does the story convey the tone of what the mother is saying and the way
in which the daughter receives the message?
o How does this story function as a “snapshot” of this girl’s life?
o Is this a “snapshot” of every girl’s life, or just one type of girl’s life? (For example, Jamaica Kincaid is
writing about growing up in Antigua. Could this as easily be written – with a few changes – about
growing up in Medford?)
o How can you connect this character back to characters in the songs?
 How are their gender roles similar? How are they different?

Personal Response Journal: Can you relate to the character?
o Do you feel similar pressures? What pressures do you feel?
English 11 Honors: American Literature
Mr. Ambrose

Brief Author’s Biography:
o Read and discuss Jamaica Kincaid’s biography and how her life experiences impacted her work.
o This story is intended to be a metaphor (allegory) for colonial rule.
 Do you feel like the relationship between the mother and daughter effectively conveys the
relationship between ruler and colonist?
 What are similarities and differences?
 Do you feel like you have an elevated understanding of colonial rule by looking at it through
the lens of the relationship between a mother and daughter?
 Can you think of a better metaphor?
o How is the imagery symbolic of gender roles in society?

Ticket out the Door
o How is Jamaica Kincaid’s message about female gender roles still relevant in our modern culture?
(Or, I should say, is it still relevant in our modern culture?

Homework
o Write your own version of “Girl” (or “Boy”).
o 450-750 words, stream-of-consciousness style.
o Use mine as a model.
English 11 Honors: American Literature
Mr. Ambrose