In the short story, “Girl,” Jamacia Kincaid chooses to use the word bent twice in the same phrase. The addition of the word bent to this phrase brings a deeper meaning to the entire general story. Through analyzing the possible meanings of the word in relation to a Caribbean mother-daughter relationship in the 1970’s we discover that the mother is determined to keep her daughter from being an outcast in society by teaching her how to be respected as she matures. This story is not only about this specific mother- daughter relationship.
It reflects the conflict women go through within themselves and their families to uphold society values because they are strict, confined, and confusing but must be followed in order to be recognized positively by society. One meaning of “bent” is determined; set; resolved. This definition is directly utilized in the story. The mother tells the girl, “On Sunday try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming” (306).
In the mother’s opinion the girl is determined to become a slut.But, the mother’s instructions for her daughter to act pure and innocent on Sunday demonstrate her resolve to help the girl conform to the ideals of society of how a woman should behave in public. The mother tells her daughter, “this is how you hem a dress when you see a hem coming down and so to prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on becoming. ” This lesson will keep her daughter from having a dirty, slovenly appearance. It is evident that a tidy outward exterior is important for a woman to uphold.
The short story is about a mother who is “bent on” making her daughter accepted in society to help the entire family be respected. This is a responsibility that all women had to take on during the time period. Another meaning of bent, other than determination, is curved or crooked which is interpreted with British slang as morally crooked or corrupt. It is reasonable to use a British slang definition to enhance the meaning of “Girl” because the setting of the story is Antigua which became a colony of Great Britain in 1966; therefore, the time this story was written Antigua had Britain influence.
Because the mother believes the girl is “bent” on becoming immoral and sloppy it can be inferred that these characteristics were seen as morally crooked and would undoubtedly lead a women to be isolated from the respected community. The slang use of bent to mean corrupt represent that the expectations society had for a woman were difficult to uphold because they were often unclear or contradictory. Women would have to struggle within themselves to figure out how to fit the mold and negotiate effectively for their desires.This is illustrated through sexual connotation and tone in the last exchange of questions between the girl and the mother.
The mother says that the girl should “squeeze bread to make sure it is fresh,” (307) and the girl responds, “but what if the baker won’t let me feel the bread? ” (307) The mother’s use of a sexually implicated word like “squeeze”(307) suggests that in order to be a successful woman and negotiate for desires one must be sexual and attractive. In the time period to be sought-after the woman would have to be virginal.This is emphasized by the mother’s answer to her daughter’s question, “you mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won’t let near the bread? ” (307) meaning that if you want to be sought-after one must live within the constraints of the social environment. This confusing exchange of questions and no definitive answer represents that the ideals society placed on women were corrupt because they were hard to emulate.
Although one thing was asked of the women often times other expectations were implied.Like in the example of the baker, although society expects a woman to be pure and naive they prefer sexual attraction and tension with the lady as well. Stolen is another Britain slang definition for the word “bent. ” This meaning in context of the story helps to demonstrate that the expectations that society placed on a woman eliminated or “stole” their childhood and identity making them conform into the ideal woman. The mother asks questions, but does wait for the daughter to respond which demonstrates a strain in the mother- daughter relationship and belittles the girl to make her feel unimportant.The mother’s warnings have a sense of urgency because the only punctuation is semi-colons.
This highlights that the measures taken to become a respected woman in society have to be more important than one as an individual. The instructions will inevitably steal the daughter’s identity to make her fit into the mold of a mature woman. The warnings of the mother discourage the young girl from playing. For example she says, “Don’t squat down to play with marbles- you are not a boy” (307).This emphasizes that women do not have the same freedoms as men, and are held to expectations that eliminate their childhood. Ending a story with a question emphasizes another meaning of the word “bent.
” “Bent” can also mean the capacity for one’s endurance. How long and how much stress and pressure from her mother can the girl in this story withstand? This is paralleled to how long all women can endure the constraints and burden of the social environment. This story is written in a very generic way. Neither the mother nor the girl has a name.There is no true plot and the setting can only be implied through language clues, such as, “benna” (306) and “dasheen” (307). This symbolizes that the story is not about a specific mother-daughter relationship.
It is about the relationship of a woman with her social environment and how vital it was for women to be respected, domesticated, and sought-after in order for the entire family to prosper. That is why the mother is so “bent” on passing down knowledge to the girl on how to achieve successful womanhood.The phrase, “the slut you are so bent on becoming” implies that the mother believes the path the girl is going down is unacceptable. It is evident that not following instructions on how to be a lady will result in society ignoring the woman.
This is portrayed through the girl’s, who is on the wrong path, only two comments. The mother does not stop talking to give the girl a chance to respond to her mother’s questions or defend herself. In her attempts to speak her voice and questions go answered and disregarded which is how a “bent”, or ‘morally crooked,” woman would be dealt with by society.
