Position of Women in Jamaica Kincaid’s "Girl" and Angela Carter’s "Werewolf"

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Research Paper
Introduction
Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl: and Angela Carter’s “Werewolf both compare the position of women according to their respective points of view and the traditions that they hand down to their daughters. In both stories mothers emphasize how important it is for daughters to follow and safeguard what the mothers consider to be cultural heritages The mothers stress that these traditions are practically useful for everyday life. Here the writers have put forward their individual point of view and the social point of view about the work of girls which is that although there are some differences between the positions of women in these two stories, but the similarities outweigh the difference (Kidd and Castano).
Thesis Statement
The most common thing about both girls is they are the lowest ones in the society and mostly not part of mainstream society.
Comparison and Contrast
Comparing both girls from an individual point of view, the girl in “Girl” is taught different and traditional things by her mother that the mother considers to be part of the duties and responsibilities of women like learning to wash clothes properly, sewing, cooking, housekeeping and behaving like a lady. Her mother is training her to be a traditional wife and not to behave like a boy (Levorato, 2003). Compared to her what the girl in Werewolf is required to do is totally different. She is required to take cakes to her grandmother and face the dangers of fighting with a wolf if she comes across one. This position is more like a man like position and has made her a hero because what she has to do is more risky and requires courage. In “Girl” the girl is in a softer and more comfortable position and all that is required of her is the traditional role of doing what women have been doing for ever, that is making the life of men comfortable by catering to the whims and desires of their husbands and the other men in the house (Oatley).
The girl in “Girl” obediently listens to her mother in every way and is only defiant when her mother tells her not to sing benna on Sundays. That is the only time that the girls defies her mother whereas the girls in “Werewolf” is a strong character because she is not afraid or does not hesitate to do what she is doing and wants to do even in the face of danger. This is demonstrated when she faces a wolf and instead of being scared, she picks up her knife and turns to fight the beast. This is the main contrast between traditional domestic and obedient and b...