How can I compare and contrast Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl" and Alice Walker's "Everyday Use"?

You can compare and contrast Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl" to Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" through their shared theme of the norms and expectations of one's cultural heritage. For example, "Girl" revolves around the strict cultural norms of what it means to be a "decent" woman in the narrator's environment (presumably in the Caribbean). The narrator's mother has a definitive set of "rules" that her daughter must follow so that others view her positively. Similarly, "Everyday Use"...

You can compare and contrast Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl" to Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" through their shared theme of the norms and expectations of one's cultural heritage. For example, "Girl" revolves around the strict cultural norms of what it means to be a "decent" woman in the narrator's environment (presumably in the Caribbean). The narrator's mother has a definitive set of "rules" that her daughter must follow so that others view her positively. Similarly, "Everyday Use" explores cultural norms regarding cultural practices. Mama and Dee disagree on whether family artifacts should be used or preserved. Both stories challenge cultural norms that were present at the times they were written: "Girl" suggests that women should not have to follow stereotypical norms to be viewed as worthy of respect, and "Everyday Use" goes against thoughts held during the Black Power Movement regarding cultural preservation. The two stories differ in the nature of the issues presented (one about gender, the other about culture), but they both are stories that speak as a challenge to commonly held beliefs of their time.