If you had told someone 100 years ago that women would have the right to vote, to become world scholars, to serve in the army or even to run for president, they probably would have laughed in your face and told you that women were only good for one thing and one thing only: being a wife and a mother. Women were meant to be seen and not heard. They were expected to cook, clean, do laundry, be the perfect wife, and meet their husband's every need. In the story "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid, a mother talks to her daughter about the behaviors of a respectful woman. She informs her daughter that if she behaves inappropriately, she may not receive respect from other members of society. Although the mother's tone may seem harsh, it is important to consider the societal norms of the time the story was written, as women were not always considered equal members of society. Flash forward 100 years. Women have gone to space and we have a woman running for president. Currently, 14.6% of our military personnel are women. Men have also taken on more roles within the household, such as cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, and even caring for children. People would have been baffled if you told them there was such a thing as being a stay-at-home dad or even a single dad. That being said, every home is different. There are many modern families in which both parents work, cook, clean, do laundry and care for the children. Not only does "Girl"'s mother teach her daughter to be an elegant woman in order to find a man, but she also teaches her daughter to take care of herself. Even though it is said very bluntly, she wants to make sure that her daughter represents herself with the utmost respect. She wants to make sure that when her daughter leaves home, she looks like an elegant woman. Not only does she teach him how to take care of a man, but she also teaches him how to sew his own buttons and wash his own clothes - skills that everyone should be able to learn on their own, regardless of gender . Her mother taught her all the "tricks" in the world, including how to smile at someone she didn't like. There may be a reason behind the scolding manner of this story, though.