Since Jamaica Kincaid's story "Girl" was written in 1978, the role that women play in society has profoundly changed. Equality among men and women can be seen now more than ever in the developing society. Strong women are being offered and are taking advantage of the same opportunities that men are given. Although gender independence is more common in modern society, the risk of being judged by their counterparts as a result of desiring freedom has unfortunately not been depleted entirely. In the story "Girl," a mother is teaching her daughter a lesson on how to carry herself appropriately to be accepted and please not only men, but also society as a whole. Kincaid takes advantage of the use of single sentences when portraying the mother giving her daughter advice. Throughout the piece, the mother's advice, which is used to scold the daughter and teach a lesson, is only interrupted twice by her daughter to either defend herself or ask a question. The mother, who truly only seems to want what is best for her daughter, can be seen to be living a life that supports double standard. .
According to Miriam-Webster Online, a double standard is "a situation in which two people, groups, etc., are treated very differently from each other in a way that is unfair to one of them" (Double Standard). This double standard is clear throughout the story. In one instance she tells her daughter, "this is how a man bullies you; this is how to love a man" (Kincaid). The mother is basically teaching her toleration for abuse in a relationship and to love her man no matter the way he treats her. This quote from the story doesn't directly state what form of abuse is acceptable; however, today abuse is never acceptable. Even though it is not acceptable, we can still find women and even some men who choose to stay in abusive relationships despite the risk. In an article on the Department of Justice website, this is how staying in an abusive relationship was addressed: "You may decide to stay with your partner, at least for now.