The stuffy good old days revealed in Girl Jamaica Kincaid's story "Girl" gives readers a glimpse into the strict and demanding way parents raised their children almost twenty years ago. Through Kincaid's careful structuring of "Girl," readers capture the story's dominant tone. The relationship between the mother and the girl also reeks of power and distance, which is best seen through the girl's brief speech in the story. Most importantly, “Girl” shows readers how unique the lessons taught to children were two decades ago. The mother in "Girl" expects a lot from her daughter and doesn't hesitate to let her know. The fact that the two-page story is made up entirely of one sentence – and almost all of it coming from the mother – sends a powerful message: the mother demands a lot from her daughter. From the beginning, the mother orders her daughter to do tasks. Kincaid writes that the mother says, “Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them on the pile of rocks” (1190). The mother's reluctance to speak kindly or even use the word "please" strongly suggests that the mother has full and overwhelming control over her daughter. With strict instructions like those given by the mother to the daughter, it is easy to see that the daughter is intimidated by her mother. Kincaid's sentence structure once again demonstrates the meekness of the girl whose thoughts and questions are only represented twice in the story. The first sentence the girl mutters represents the distance in the relationship between the girl and her mother, as the girl interrupts her mother with “but I don't sing benna at all on Sundays and never in Sunday school” (1190). The mother, however, continues... middle of paper... desperately needs to revive the old-fashioned company. Works Cited Kincaid, Jamaica. "Lass." The Harper Fiction Anthology. Silvano Barnet. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1991-1190. Austin, Jacqueline. Contemporary literary criticism. Ed. Ruggero Matuz. vol. 43. Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1987. 250.Dutton, Wendy. Criticism of black literature. Ed. James P. Draper. vol. 2. Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1989. 1173.Works ConsultedContemporary Literary Criticism. vol. 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 women writers. New York: Sons of Charles Scribner, 1991.