[Prof. Masiello]

Questions about the readings.  You should refamiliarize yourself with these matters discussed in class.

It is not necessary to write out your answers if you were in class, but you should if you were absent:

“Girl” This is an extremely short short story. Unlike novels, short stories usually can be read all at once, have very few characters, and usually one plot line. They often also have a twist at the end.

“Girl” questions:

1 Who are the characters?

2 Who is the narrator?

3 How old is the girl?

4 Who is doing most of the talking?

5 How do you know when the other person is talking?

(Note: the author chose not to use typical character names or quotation marks for dialogue.)

6 Why do you think Kincaid, the writer, uses semicolons to excess?

(This is a clever use of the semicolon because it says something about the speaker…)

7 What exactly is the story about?

8 Do you identify with the girl in any way due to things you were taught to do as a youngster?

Please explain. Just a “yes” or “no” is not a good way to answer.

9 Is there any surprise or irony in the last part about the baker?

Please explain.

• This topic was modified 4 months, 4 weeks ago by Prof. Masiello.

[tanya]

1. The characters is a mother and her daughter

2. The narrator is the mother

3.I think she girl is around 12-15

4. The mother is doing most of the talking

5.You can tell when the other person is talking by punctuation because this story doesn’t use dialogue with quotations

6. The writer uses semicolons to excess  the exaggeration of the moms advice and rules

7.The story is about advice a mom gives to her daughter about what to do as a girl and how to behave properly. It seems like most of it is cultural norms for how a girl should be in her family.

8.Yes I can identify with this girl in the story, although my mom wasn’t as extreme as the mom in this story, I did have many expectations growing up being the oldest girl in my family.

9.There is some irony in the last part about the baker, even though the mother is trying to control the daughters behavior, she is scared the baker won’t let her near the bread. It suggests that if the daughter doesn’t follow the mothers advice she might gain a bad reputation for being “the kind of woman the baker won’t let near the bread.”

[Mariadelmar Marin]

1) The characters are a mother and her daughter.

2) The narrator is the mother talking to her daughter.

3) The girl is probably 13-15 years old.

4) The mother is doing most of the talking.

5) I know the other person is talking by the change of tone, punctuation (quotations), and the fonts of the reading changes.

6) The writer Kincaid uses semicolons to excess because she wants to make sure she is clarifying her point.

7) The story is about a mother who is giving her daughter a series of moral and reputation advices; passing her wisdom of how a woman should be. The mother is ensuring her daughter becomes a good wife/woman when she grows up.

8) Coming from a Hispanic background, I do identify myself with the girl. I was raised in a household where the woman is expected to be a house wife. We are the ones to cook, clean, iron clothes, raise the kids etc. its a machismo mentality (masculine pride) and growing up its expected to be taught.

9) Yes, I do find an irony in the last part about the baker. Basically her mother spent the whole time telling her how to be as a woman, which sounds submissive to me. At the end she tells her daughter if she really would be the kind of woman that a baker won’t let her touch the bread.

[Osman]

1. The characters in the story are a mother and her daughter.

2. The narrator of the story is the mother.

3. It seems that the girl is around 12-15 years old.

4. The mother is the primary speaker in the story.

5. In this story, you can discern when the other person is talking through punctuation, as traditional dialogue with quotations is not used.

6. The excessive use of semicolons by the writer serves to emphasize the exaggeration of the mother’s advice and rules.

7. The story revolves around a mother imparting advice to her daughter on how to navigate the expectations and behaviors associated with being a girl. Much of the guidance reflects cultural norms within the family.

8. Yes, I can relate to the girl in the story. While my mother wasn’t as stringent as the mother in the narrative, I did experience many expectations growing up, particularly as the oldest girl in my family.

9. There is irony in the final part regarding the baker. Despite the mother’s attempts to control her daughter’s behavior, there’s a sense of fear that the baker might not permit her near the bread. This implies that if the daughter doesn’t adhere to her mother’s advice, she might develop a negative reputation, symbolized by being “the kind of woman the baker won’t let near the bread.”

[Osman]

Yes, I can relate to the girl in the story. While my mother wasn’t as strictest  as the mother in the narrative, I did experience many expectations growing up, particularly as the oldest boy in my family.

[Juan B]

1) The characters are a mother and her daughter.
2) The narrator is the mother talking to her own daughter.
3) The girl is probably a young teen, around 13-15 years old.
4) The mother is doing most of the talking in the short story.
5) I know the other person is talking by the change of tone, the differing fonts.
6) I believe the writer Kincaid uses semicolons to clarify her points.
7) The story is about a mother who is giving her daughter a series of moral and reputation advices; passing her wisdom of how a woman should be. The mother is ensuring her daughter becomes a good wife/woman when she grows up.
8) Yes, I can relate to the girl in the story. While my mother wasn’t as strictas the mother in the narrative, I did experience many expectations growing up, particularly as the oldest boy in my family having to help her with my 2 younger brothers.
9) There is irony in the final part regarding the baker. Despite the mother’s attempts to control her daughter’s behavior, there’s a sense of fear that the baker might not permit her near the bread. This implies that if the daughter doesn’t adhere to her mother’s advice, she might develop a negative reputation, symbolized by the words “the kind of woman the baker won’t let near the bread.”

[Gana Elhanafy]

1) The characters are the mother and her young daughter.
2) The narrator is the mother.
3) The girl is around 12 to 15 years old.
4) Mother is the primary speaker.
5) I can tell when the other character is speaking by the switch between italics and normal text.
6) The writer uses semi-colons a lot to showcase and clarify how the mother never stops talking. To express endlessness.
7) The short story is about a mother who is telling her daughter of the many expectations she’ll have to meet as a girl and lots of advice regarding this topic.
8) Yes I identify with the girl because my mother is strict (but not as strict as the mother in the short story) so as the oldest girl amongst my siblings I was taught that I take some responsibility for what they do because they learn from me. So I must be a good role model.
9) The irony in the end about the baker is that the mother appears to be 100% convinced that the girl will become “the kind of woman the baker won’t let near the bread” in the end just like how she calls her a slut. Even though all the advice she just gave her, and how obviously the girl is simply innocent.

[Yaritza Torres]

1. The characters in the story are the mother and her daughter
2. The narrator is the mother.
3. I believe the girl is between the ages of 12-16.
4. The mother is doing the majority of the talking.
5. I can tell when the other person is talking by the punctuation, tone, and different fonts.
6. The writer uses semicolons to excess because the mother wants to get her point across to her daughter. 
7. The story “Girl” is about a mother giving her daughter life advice on how to be a good woman and housewife.
8. can relate to the girl since, when I was younger, my grandmother would always stress the value of learning how to take care of a man and that it is the most crucial thing to do to be a good wife.
9. Yes, I do see the irony at the end of the story because the mother spent so much time teaching her daughter how to be a good woman just to feel that her daughter would become the kind of woman the baker would not allow near the bread.

• This reply was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by Yaritza Torres.

[Sofia Quinde]

1. The characters are the mother and her daughter.
2. The narrator is the mother.
3. The girl has to be between the ages of twelve and thirteen.
4. The mother does most of the talking.
5. I know another person is talking because of the font change.
6. Kincaid uses semicolons to excess because the mother reiterates her beliefs towards her daughter, and it somewhat becomes repetitive.
7. The story of “Girl” is about a mother giving her daughter biased life advice to her daughter on how to act and be a good docile wife.
8. I could only relate to the aspect of “role” since I’m the older of my siblings and cousins, I had many expectations to be a good role model.
9. The irony of the ending of “Girl” is that the mother spent so much time expressing her beliefs to her daughter just to end up feeling convinced her daughter would be the kind of woman “The baker would not allow near the bread”.

[Ahasan Ali]

1) The characters are a mother and her daughter.
2) The narrator is the mother talking to her daughter.
3) The girl is probably 13-15 years old.
4) The mother is doing most of the talking.
5) I know the other person is talking by the change of fonts of the reading changes.
6) The writer uses semicolons to excess because she wants to show emphasis to that the mother has to say.
7) The story is about a mother giving her daughter advices; passing her wisdom of how a woman should be. The mother is preparing her daughter becomes a good wife/woman when she grows up.
8) I could relate as I was not expected but the situation I was raise made me do my things by myself. Everyone in the family works and are busy with their respective duties, So noone is dependent for anything to anyone.
9) Yes, I do find an irony in the last part about the baker. her mother spent telling her how to be as a woman. she tells her daughter if she really would be the kind of woman that a baker won’t let her touch the bread.

[braulio]

<p style=”box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 14px; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;”>1. The characters is a mother and her daughter</p>
<p style=”box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 14px; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;”>2. The narrator is the mother talking to the daughter</p>
<p style=”box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 14px; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;”>3. She girl is around 12-15</p>
<p style=”box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 14px; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;”>4. The mother is doing most of the talking</p>
<p style=”box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 14px; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;”>5.You can tell when the other person is talking by punctuation because this story doesn’t use dialogue with quotations</p>
<p style=”box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 14px; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;”>6. The writer uses semicolons to excess  the exaggeration of the moms advice and rules</p>
<p style=”box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 14px; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;”>7.The story is about advice a mom gives to her daughter about what to do as a girl and how to behave properly. It seems like most of it is cultural norms for how a girl should be in her family.</p>
<p style=”box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 14px; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;”>8.Yes I can identify with this girl in the story, although my mom wasn’t as extreme as the mom in this story, I did have many expectations growing up being the oldest girl in my family.</p>
<p style=”box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 14px; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;”>9.There is some irony in the last part about the baker, even though the mother is trying to control the daughters behavior, she is scared the baker won’t let her near the bread. It suggests that if the daughter doesn’t follow the mothers advice she might gain a bad reputation for being “the kind of woman the baker won’t let near the bread.”</p>

[Myfab06]

1. The characters are the mother and her daughter.
2. The narrator is the mother.
3. The girl is between 12 to 15 years old.
4. The mother is doing most of the talking.
5. I can tell when the other person is talking by the punctuation and the change in fronts.
6. The writer uses excessive semicolons to clarify her point.
7. The story is about the mother giving her daughter advice on morals and how to be a wife.
8. Yes, I can relate to the girl in the story. My grandparents raised me. They were old-school, where the women cooked and kept the house clean, and they were stay-at-home wives.
9. Yes, I do find the irony in the last part about the baker. Despite the mother’s attempts to control her daughter’s behavior, she doesn’t think that she will be the kind of woman the baker won’t let the daughter near the bread.

[Ebnay]

1) The characters are the mother and her daughter.

2)The narrator is the mother.

3)The is between 13 to 18 years old.

4) The mother is the one doing most of the talking.

5)The words change to italics.

6) The writer uses excess semicolons to show how overbearing the mother is.

7)The story is about a mother drilling her beliefs into her daughter.

8)I can relate to the girl because as an older brother, I was taught to be a better role model for my younger siblings.

9)I’m surprised about how innocent the girl is because she only questions about the baker and is taking everything else to heart.

[ibrahim]

1. The characters in “Girl” are the mother and the daughter.

2. The narrator is the mother, who is instructing and advising her daughter.

3. The age of the girl is not explicitly stated in the story, but she appears to be a young girl or teenager.

4. The mother is doing most of the talking throughout the story.

5. The other person’s speech is not explicitly marked in the text; however, the mother’s instructions and advice imply the daughter’s responses or questions.

6. Kincaid’s use of semicolons to excess reflects the mother’s authoritative and controlling tone.

7. The story is about the relationship between a mother and her daughter, focusing on the mother’s attempts to impart her knowledge, values and expectations onto her daughter through a series of instructions and admonishments.

8. Yes, I was raised in a household where cleanliness, cooking, and maintaining appearances were heavily emphasized.

9. The mention of the baker at the end of the story introduces an element of surprise and irony. Throughout the narrative, the mother provides a litany of instructions to her daughter on how to behave, cook, clean, and maintain her reputation as a respectable woman. However, the mention of the baker, who is presumably engaging in behaviors contrary to the mother’s teachings, adds a layer of irony.

• This reply was modified 4 months, 1 week ago by ibrahim.

[Monique]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BAgGIOPWrLr5g23CKuUHi4pMeUlPVf6DeYvAUWyvF1Q/edit