Women are only considered beautiful by society if they are tall enough, thin enough, have the right hair, wear the right things, and act the right way, and that's as it happened. for generations. Because of the way society has trained women, they raise their children according to the standards that have been established instead of just allowing them to grow up and be themselves. Excellent examples of how these norms have influenced the way mothers raise their daughters can be found in the stories “The Fat Girl” by André Dubus and “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid. Do this, do that, never disobey in the introduction to “The Fat Girl.” Louise's mother explains to her nine-year-old daughter how she must behave, otherwise boys won't like her; in comparison to how, in the story "Girl", her mother gives her specific instructions on how she should live in order to prevent her from becoming a "slut". Playing games, running, or doing crafts are all things that nine-year-old girls tend to do. TO DO. In the introduction to "The Fat Girl", Louise just wants to enjoy being nine while she can, but her mother wants her to think about how she eats. Her mother explains that she will be entering high school in just five years and tells her: “If you are fat, boys won't like you; they won't ask you out. (Dubus 125) Although she may know that she wants to talk to the boys at school, that will still be five years away. Louise just wants to eat a full meal like her older brothers do. Feeling hungry from her mother's small portions, Louise waited and waited for the right moment to sneak in for a sandwich. As the story goes, “…she would go to her room and wait for almost an hour until she knew her mother was no longer thinking about her, then she would slip into the kitchen and…op…… middle of paper...... ious mother-daughter comparisons, they also contain the same hidden lesson. Both stories share an interesting lesson for mother and daughter. The lesson is that you can teach a girl how to behave, but you can't force her to behave when her mother isn't looking. “The Fat Girl” illustrates this lesson through the way Louise sneaks in more food knowing her mother wouldn't allow it. In the story "Girl", however, the mother is aware of the lesson, as evidenced by her concern that her daughter will become a slut even though she has taught her not to be one. Works CitedDubus, Andre. “The fat girl.” The vintage book of contemporary American short stories. Ed. Tobias Wolff. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1994. 125-140. Print.Kincaid, Jamaica. "Girl." The vintage book of contemporary American short stories. Ed. Tobias Wolff. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1994. 108-124. Print.