“Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid.
Using the following theme, please develop an insightful essay into “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid.
a) Mother-daughter relationship- You must make at least one comparison or a contrast between the mother-daughter relationship in “Two Kinds.” You might want to speak to the angst or the tension that exists in this set of relationships.
You MUST shape/present a clear thesis as the last sentence of the introduction; otherwise, neither you nor the reader knows what’s to come or what trail to follow.
You cannot write sentence fragments.
You cannot use language asked not to use.
Essays must reflect organizational points posted/discussed.
Body paragraphs must be at least six (6) meaningful sentences.
What Not to Write: *”thing” or any form of the word. These terms convey no meaning and are used for any idea, concept. Academic language requires precise thoughts and words, so breakthrough that convention of “thing” and name the “thing!” Never use these words in any of my classes:
thing, anything, nothing, something . . . no form or derivative of “thing.” Too many of you are still using this word.
*awesome. Never use this word. Find a more precise adjective. Again, do not use this word in essays for this class.
*cliches: ageless phrases and terms that have lost their meanings. I lifted some of these examples from class submissions:
be the best you can be, but the past behind you, went about it the wrong way, a new lease on life, stood my/her ground, don’t stand on ceremony, he cried wolf, just off the top of my head ..railroaded (used as a verb), talks back, lousy, too close for comfort.
Slang: casual language, usually popular with younger generations. This language is too casual for academic writing, and it does not capture the true meaning of ideas and words; it remains vague and general.
Examples: at the crib, jazzy, cool, weird, “hot” as a physical description or attitude, shorty, flaky (as an adjective for people), and similar terms/phrases.
Pop Culture/preppy terms: mom, dad, kids, sibs (for siblings), Do NOT use these terms. Use academic/standard language that conveys these ideas.
Euphemisms: Words used to cover or mask a true meaning because the term is either painful or too explicit. Some of this intersects with slang and cliches. Passing. Use death, died but not “passed away.”
Homegoing Celebration: Use funeral services.
They were doing it: Having sex. Some social circles believe that even mentioning the word “sex” or associated terms is inappropriate, so those groups promote euphemisms that totally avoid “sex” and similarly uncomfortable terms. Academic language is precise, so it does not accept euphemisms.
Hyperbole: exaggerated terms that don’t convey a specific point and are overstated.
amazing, fantastic, felt like a million bucks, phenomenal. .. Use more concrete and more realistic adjectives.
