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Keyah Durden
Mrs. Wilkerson
British Literature
30 March 2016
More Than A Woman
So touching and familiar it could be happening to any of us and thats exactly the
books strength, its wisdom, its truth. ~The New York Times Book Review. Born in Antigua in
the West Indies, Jamaica Kincaid has cultivated a voice distinct from male Caribbean writers
such as Derek Walcott and Caryl Phillips. Using life to inspire fiction, Kincaid often explores the
complexity of mother-daughter relationships, the effects and aftereffects of colonialism, and
alienation more generally. Her work also transcends Afro-centric and feminist perspectives.
Jamaica Kincaids Annie John examines the complex life of an adolescent growing into a young
adult. The main character is introduced as Annie John who is ten years old in the beginning.
Through every chapter, you see her change and develop new habits. Through her narration, she
gives detailed insight on her personal life and who she develops into as a person. For example, in
Chapter 3, she gets her menstrual cycle. She describes that once she gets it she becomes less shy
and friendlier. The story follows her all the way till she reaches 17 years old. It explicitly details
her life, her experiences, and the people that helped her develop into the person she is. Most
importantly, this particular story is told through a Gender/Feminist Lens. Jamaica Kincaid
classifies the role of women as housewives, indecisive objects depending solely on men, and
fickle heartless beings.
Gender roles are shown multiple times throughout the book. Throughout Annies journey,
she constantly describes what it like to be the proper woman. ..I thought how dull was the
fresh pressedness of her uniform, the cleanness of her neck, the neatness of her just combed
plaits. (Chapter Three pg.60) Annie describes her boredom and disliking of these specific

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guidelines. Her constant disgust for the ways girls dressed and behaved as though they could not
do for themselves was demonstrated clearly. Women are portrayed as fixed objects that have to
follow specific guidelines on how to behave. Pressed clothes and neat skirts are the way that
females should always be presented. If you go against these guidelines, you are looked down
upon or considered something bad.
A female reader would probably respond to this story very upset. It fits femininity and
masculinity into tight boxes that they cannot negotiate. Men can do some activities that women
simply cannot do because of the roles they play. I was not allowed to play marbles, and, as for
Skerritt boys, that was hardly mentionable (Chapter Four pg.58) Why is it not ok for women to
play marbles? Women were not allowed to play marbles because they have to play nice and not
engage in barbaric activities. Their only role was to obey and assist the boys but never engage
in the same activities they do. Another example of gender roles are how women are not allowed
to play football or looked down upon if they try to. In society, women are supposed to be the
cheerleaders, and the men are supposed to the players.
This phenomenon can work vice versa as well. If a boy wanted to be a cheerleader or a
majorette, they are often chastised and criticized for wanting to partake in girly activities. We
make categories for what are masculine and feminine activities. There should not be a separation
or gender roles on them. People should be able to do any activity they please without being
labeled. Jamaica Kincaid has a very rhetorical way of showing how society characterizes genders
and their roles.
There are many stereotypes about how women should act and behave shown throughout
the story. For example, women are not to play in dirt or climb trees. How my eyes did widen
and my mouth form an o at this. I had never seen a girl do this before. All the boys climbed

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trees for the fruit they wanted, and all the girls threw stones to knock the fruit off the trees.
(Chapter 4 pg.56) Firstly, Annie was amazed at the fact that the Red Girl could and was bold
enough to climb the tree to get the fruit. Most girls their age did not even attempt to try and
climb the trees to get the fruit because it was a boys job. Because of this stereotype, women
become handicap and induced to only do simple tasks or wait on a male figure to do it for them.
They become simple objects who cannot survive on their own, stripping them of their
independence and freedom. When the Red Girl climbed the tree, she represented the
stereotypes that we can all break in society.
I dont know what invisible standard was set, or by whom or exactly when, but eight of
us met it, and soon to the other girls we were something to comment on favorably or
unfavorably, as the case might be. (Chapter 3 pg. 49) There are always standards that we follow
without even knowing it. We follow these standards without even realizing that impact we are
doing. Society embezzles these standards into our heads and we pass them through generations.
Jamaica Kincaid has a very distinct way that she demonstrates these standards and how we obey
them without knowing it. Annie believes she is up to these standards that people made up. The
irony of it all is that as soon as she meets these standards that people make up people start to
finally pay attention to her. They began to notice her and talk about her in either a good or bad
way.
Another example of the standards that are placed against women are shown in chapter 2.
While she made our lunch, she would also keep an eye on her washing. If it was Tuesday and
the colored clothes had been starched, as she placed them on the line I would follow, carrying a
basket of clothespins for her. (Chapter 2) Annies mother follows specific guidelines for
washing the clothes. These guidelines are not set in stone, and they were never taught to her. She

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just automatically knew that was how it had to be done. This is a perfect example of the way
society sets standards that we come accustomed to, and we follow them unconsciously.
I looked at these girls surrounding me, my heart filled with just-sprung-up love, and I
wished then and there to spend the rest of my life only with them. (Chapter 3) Annie has a
constant infatuation with the women and friendships in her life. Every time she makes a new
friend or acquaintance, she becomes somewhat obsessed and attached to the person. The first
person she becomes infatuated with is her mother. When my eyes rested on my father, I didnt
think much very much of the way he looked. But when my eyes rested on my mother, I found her
beautiful.(Chapter 2) Annie restates her obsession with the femininity versus masculinity. She
isnt interested with her fathers features. She finds curiosity and fascination in a womans
features such as her head, her lips, and the way she walks. Her nose was the shape of a flower
on the brink of opening. Her mouth, moving up and down as she ate and talked at the same time,
was such a beautiful mouth I could have looked at it forever if I had to and not mind. Her lips
were wide and almost thin, and when she said certain words I could see small parts of white
teeth-so big, and pearly, like some nice buttons on one of my dresses. (Chapter 2) Her constant
curiosity with her mothers features drives her to develop into the person she is. With every new
infatuation she makes, that person makes a lasting impression on her personality and
development into a teenager.
In Chapter 4, when she meets the Red Girl, Annie starts to change her personality and
gains new habits. The old activities she used to do became boring and useless to her. No longer
could I head a side for a game of rounders: no longer could I, during a break for recess, walk
over from our schoolyard into the neighboring churchyard to sit on tombstones and gather
important information from the other girls on what exactly it was I should do to make my breasts

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begin growing. Our breasts were, to us, treasured shrubs, needing only the proper combination of
water and sunlight to make them flourish. All my free time became devoted to games of
marbles. (Chapter 4) The Red Girl changed her whole perspective on life. At this point, Annie
realized that she didnt have to be like wit rest of the normal girls. She wanted to play marbles
just like the boys. In fact, she soon learned that she was very talented in playing marbles.
Without ever meeting the Red Girl, she would never found out that she has a talent for playing
marbles.
Because playing marbles was not a lady-like activity, Annie had to hide the marbles from
her mother and other adults in her life. Knowing her parents would disapprove, she had to keep
from being criticized and chastised for wanting to partake in this activity. Perhaps it had stuck
in my mind that once my mother said to me, I am so glad you are not one of those girls who like
to play marbles (Chapter 4) This brings back the type of stereotypes that is presented
throughout the story. If you are a girl who plays marbles, you are looked down upon and are
seemed to be bad people.
To conclude, Jamaica Kincaid uses her unique ways to reinforce how gender roles are in
the world and the impact they have on people. In society, there separate activities that women
and men do separately. The book demonstrates this by showing how a little girl grows into her
teenage years. It reinforces the idea of women playing the role of women as housewives, being
indecisive objects depending solely on men, and being fickle heartless beings.
The people she encounter, the journeys she goes through, and the things she goes through
all represent the feminist sterotypes and lens that are in society.

Bibliography

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"Jamaica Kincaid Biography | List of Works, Study Guides & Essays." Jamaica Kincaid
Biography. Web. 31 Mar. 2016. <http://www.gradesaver.com/author/jamaica-kincaid/>.

Kincaid, Jamaica. Annie John. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1985. Print.