In "Girl," Kincaid draws upon elements from her own life to explore the dynamics between a mother and her daughter.

1. Identify some examples of poems that are classified as dramatic monologues. Examples include "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning and "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T. S. Eliot. Do you think "Girl" resembles a poem more than a story?

2. Look into the history of African slaves and their descendants in the Caribbean. Compare your findings with what you know about the descendants of slaves in the United States.

3. Research the training that young women received in the United States during the 1950s through popular magazines, advice columns, and how-to books. How do the expectations and responsibilities of these young women compare to those of the daughter in "Girl"? How do they compare to the expectations and responsibilities of young American women today?

4. Read Kincaid's first novel, Annie John. Some critics suggest that the novel is, in some ways, an expanded version of "Girl." Do you agree?

5. Find recipes for some of the foods mentioned in "Girl" and try to prepare them using locally available ingredients. What can be learned about a group of people based on what they eat? What could outsiders infer about you from studying the foods you consume?