Student Question
In "Girl," what advice does the old woman give and what does it reveal about women's social codes?
Quick answer:
The advice given by the old woman in "Girl" reflects the rigid social codes for women in a patriarchal society. She instructs the girl on domestic duties, proper behavior, and maintaining a respectable reputation to avoid being labeled negatively. The guidance emphasizes the importance of conforming to societal expectations and mastering survival tactics in a male-dominated world, including subtle ways to assert power and navigate challenges like procreation and abortion.
The short story "Girl," written entirely in dialogue between a mother giving instructions to her growing daughter on how to behave in the world, leaves readers to infer nearly all of the details. Indeed, it is not even explicitly stated that the two speakers are mother and daughter; that is one of the many inferences readers make.
Another inference is the social structure and norms of the society the girl and her mother inhabit. It seems that they live in a highly patriarchal society, where being a proper woman and being a "slut" are labels that can define a woman's life. The mother's specific, relentless instructions to the girl are meant to help mold her into the kind of woman who can be respected and thus succeed in this world. For example, the mother instructs the girl on washing, cooking, and other household chores, suggesting that these are...
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the roles the girl will be fulfilling when she’s grown. She even learns to iron her father’s khaki shirt and pants; she’ll be doing this for her husband soon enough. Additionally, the girl is expected to be a proper lady, of a certain class. She needs to learn different table settings for breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner, and an important guest, all of which, apparently, are different. She needs to learn proper ways of walking and how to behave with men she doesn’t know well, again, to show that she is middle or upper class and a proper lady who will have no rumors spread about her sexuality. All of these are survival devices in a patriarchal society. All of these skills ensure that the girl will be above reproach in her housekeeping, entertaining, and general behavior.
Additionally, the mother knows that the women need to know more knowledge than they let on, so she tells her daughter about tricks to succeed in a man's world. She shows her what it looks like to get bullied by a man and how she can bully a man back. She gives her tricks for procreation and "other ways" if the traditional one doesn't work. She even tells her how to make medicine for an abortion.
It's clear from the advice the mother gives that this is a man's world and her daughter needs to learn a lot in order to survive in it.