Question #3 on Girl
Reading "Girl" would be much different if it were from a man's perspective. I think when contemplating what it would be like from that perspective, it is important to look at the time this was written, 1978. The things this woman is advising or telling her daughter, are things that were assumed to be a woman's job. Most of them still are considered this way. A father would not necessarily know these type of things to advise a young woman on. A mother knows how to become a woman because she has been there, she has grown up from a young woman into an adult woman and she is just giving her daughter what she feels is important advice on how to become a proper woman. If her father had been advising her of these things, he would come off very controlling and almost abusive towards women because he would be demanding things such as having an abortion or cleaning and cooking correctly, or deeming her a slut. These would seem very judgmental coming from her father, whereas coming from her mother they are strictly words of advice and trying to help her avoid certain situations as she grows up. This is why the gender of the narrator is almost crucial to this piece of literature and something that must be considered while reading it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the point you made. Considering the time period the father would most defiantly appear almost abusive. If this were written in modern day, from a male narrator perspective, he would still come across as almost abusive but, we would not question his household nature. Today men more commonly known for assisting with household issue; and today more families and centered around single father households than ever before. Some of what he suggests may be inappropriate but if were written in modern day we would understand his intensions to raise his daughter.
I think it would be different too. During this time period, it's not a father's job to raise his children; it's the mother's job. Therefore, much more pressure is put on mothers to raise their children right, which could account for Kincaid's mother's strictness towards her. Although, I'm not sure if a father talking to his daughter like in Girl would be abusive, because men have the authority to speak however they want (in this time period, of course).
ReplyDeleteSydney I agree, we would consider it abusive in our time now, but back then, we wouldn't question the way of father talks to us we would just do as we are told.
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