Daniela Aracena

Engl 210

Prof. Andre Heerah

April 25th, 2023

​​​​​Rough draft #1 

Act like a lady, an expectation that’s surprisingly common all over the world. In one way or another, this generational collective girl advice that women give each other somehow always sticks around. At some point we have to ask ourselves, why does it continue? In actuality, society is to blame for perpetuating this cycle. When considering how culture plays a big role all over the world, it’s important to observe just how serious gender roles are being taken and how soon are these ideas introduced. The truth is, these positions are almost always present and taught to our children from a very young age. Although this may not seem like an issue to some, learning this can be very harmful to people and how they can comfortably exist in society through their individualism and the level of fairness that they’re treated with daily. In other words, living in a society in which gender norms are constantly being forced on people will lead to cycles of inequality. It should be understood that implementing norms on children that take away from their individuality and create environments of bias, will constantly lead to a repeated cycle of inequality and illusion of difference between woman and man. 

Being a child can be difficult when you carry the weight of generations on your back. More often than not, children are forced to deal with social roles that confine them to only one norm and create unwelcoming environments. This is typically passed down from people before them. Jamaica Kincaid, a well known Antiguan-American novelist, essayist, and gardener, in her prose poem, “Girl”, subtly posits the idea that what we’re taught at home regarding our roles in society, doesn’t necessarily shape us for the best Kincaid supports this claim by creating an environment in which there is no experiencing and be submissive. It’s clear that Kincaid wants to approach her audience with the perspective of both mother and daughter, in order to truly capture the cycle that occurs in households regarding gender roles and expectations. She establishes a domineering and strict tone with her theoretically sophisticated audience who may have been a girl learning from mother.