Essay: Comparing and Contrasting 'The Waiter's Wife' and 'Girl'

This essay provides a comparative analysis of two short stories, 'The Waiter's Wife' by Zadie Smith and 'Girl' by Jamaica Kincaid, examining their characterization, narrative techniques, and thematic concerns. The essay highlights the cultural clashes in 'The Waiter's Wife,' focusing on the experiences of Alsana and Samad as they navigate immigration and societal expectations, particularly the sexism ingrained in their culture. It contrasts this with 'Girl,' a monologue reflecting the societal pressures placed on women to conform to traditional roles and maintain a certain image. The essay explores how both stories, despite their different narrative approaches, reflect sexist stereotypes and the painful realities women face due to cultural and societal norms, questioning their relevance in the modern world. The analysis includes detailed comparisons of the characters' experiences, the authors' narrative choices, and the overall impact of the stories' themes on the readers.

Running Head: TAKE HOME ESSAY
TAKE HOME ESSAY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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This essay will be comparing and contrasting two short stories belonging to two
different authors respectively. ‘The Waiter’s Wife’ by Zadie Smith will be compared and
contrasted with the story ‘Girl’ by Jamaica Kincaid in terms of characterization, narration
along with the various characteristics of these short stories.
Both the stories have a similar ring to them. Wife and girl, it is evident that they are
much more focused on women. The texts were chosen to explore if they present similar
themes and if each story draws a similar conclusion and if each piece cane be called feminist
literature. ‘The Waiter’s Wife’ is primarily about the clash of cultures that happen when a
couple emigrates from Bangladesh to London. Naturally, for Alsana and Samad the
differences become evident and they struggle to within this new society that makes them
question their values. The Bangladeshi culture is oppressive and it is evident that Alsana is a
product of that. She is riddled with dilemmas within the relationship that feels more like
lifelong imprisonment. She fears knowing him further, taking a dive into who he really is
because he fears that knowing him wholly may make her hate him even more. This was not a
marriage that had resulted because of love; it was a marriage that was arranged for them. The
immigration was even more troublesome for her as it felt like she did not belong there, the
women were way more advanced and independent, they read and lived their lives on their
own terms and it made her realized that he culture had limited her for so long. The women in
London could read advanced books on various subjects while she felt like she was nothing
except the waiter’s wife, she had nothing of her own.
Samad on the other hand was a highly educated man but he worked at a restaurant as
a waiter. The job felt like a burden for him because he knew that the amount of labor he put
into it was never correctly compensated. He refuses to believe that he is just a mere waiter,
but is constantly reminded by his boss that it is what he is in the society that he lives in
pointing to the capitalist dehumanization that is visible in England. However, he knows that

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he must continue to work at that food joint, to afford living. This speaks a lot about the
society at that point of time in the 70’s where Social Democracy was on the verge of
collapsing and Thatcherism had set in and continues in modern day British Politics.
The entire situation is very hard for Alsana who internalizes a lot of feeling that rea
causing her a lot of pain because of her helplessness in this situation. We see that her culture
has taught her to persevere with her husband during the hard times and she knows that she is
not expected to work and is supposed to be a good wife who serves her husband. She also
feels oppressed by her husband, she feels like she is expected to defend everything her
husband states because she is his wife and it is her duty. This story reeks of the sexism that is
ingrained in the Bangladeshi culture. She refuses to like Archie and Archie’s wife who is
Samad’s friend simply because she thinks that Archie is like Samad and that he supports the
repression of women. We see that she is tired of the sexism and she wants to live like as a
strong willed woman who twisted the culture according to her needs, all the while making
sure that the culture is not destroyed or she does not feel that the culture is the very root cause
of her repression.
These sexist stereotypes and demands are also addressed in the short story, ‘Girl’ by
Jamaica Kincaid. This is a one sided conversation within a mother and her daughter where
the mother does all then talking. We see that the language is harsh and the mother is
reprimanding the daughter and asking he to maintain herself like the color white, untouched,
untarnished. This is similar to what was demanded of Alsana. Women are often asked to
remain oblivious to reality or physical pleasure. The girl child is expected to be neat, clean,
prim and proper and a virgin, who has saved herself for the husband, to whom she will be
forever thankful to. The conversation is laced with fear, and the mother’s distorted ideas
about what a girl must be in order to be accepted by the society. She repeats the line, “Like
the slut you are so bent on becoming.” This is obvious thatb the motehr is convinced that her

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daughter might become promiscuous and tarnish the image she is supposed to maintain. She
talks of not eating exposed fruits because if the daughter does, she will be followed by flies
who will defile her. She is also asked to cover herself to avoid the eyes of men. The mother
knows that she is correctly informed about domestic survival because she had a life that had
taught her the same, although her survival guide is riddled with rules that make women
submit and not lead their lives on their own ways. To hetr mother survival is giving up
indpendence an dmaking sure that the daughter is safe and conversant with the laws thet
society ahs laid out for women to embrace and suffer because of it. At one point this story
looks regressive and untrue, based on age old ideas that exist no longer, it is also true that
women were judged according to who they were assumed to be. Many were assuemd to be
impure and unacceptable simply ebcause they refused to conform. The character of the
mother cannot be called dominant and unhealthy because she has been reared up by these
values. They are deeply ingrained in them and escaping values can be very difficult. This is
alos displayed by Alsana as she cannot forego her cuture completely. She wants to do
everything all the while being strictly attached to it.
The narrative of ‘the waiter’s wife’ is simpler, easier and much more free flowing.
The dialogues between the women showcase the sexism that is so deeprooted within the
minds of women. This kind of dialogue although only the mother’s side of the conversation is
noted is present within the story ‘girl’. The story can be somewhat called a monologue
because only the voice of the mothe ris present there. Her sentences are harsha nd they
soundf like warnings. This story is not a survival guide that should be takemn literaly but is
simply a reflection of what women have been taught by their mothers who were so scared to
break a rule and even more scared of the consequences the daughters must suffer is=f they
broke any.

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In conclusion, these absolutely disconnected stories are mirrors of the sexist
stereotypes present with the society. With different narrative techniques, these stories bring
out the harsha and painful reality that woman have gone through or witnessed with their own
life that had been induced because of societal orn cultural norms that do not have much of a
place in the modern world.