Find some examples of poems that are considered 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" is more like a poem or like a story?

Investigate 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.

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

Read Kincaid's first novel, Annie John. Some critics have suggested that the novel is in some ways an...