Analysis
The story “The Other Daughter” by Joanne C. Hillhouse follows a plot structure with non-linear elements, while including narrative techniques like backstory and foreshadowing.
The characters include the unnamed narrator and her mother, Ruth. Less important characters also appear in the story, such as the women from the neighbourhood where the narrator grows up, a catcaller, guards at the Prime Minister’s office and at Crescent Academy, the woman who gives Ruth an envelope, and the narrator’s English teacher, Ms Benjamin. The Prime Minister, the narrator’s father, is also mentioned several times in the story.
The events take place in several locations across St. John’s, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda, and in Vermont, USA. The social setting explores topics such as life in St John’s, sexual harassment and the objectification of women, differences in social class, and prejudice.
The events are described by the main character as a first-person narrator, who also shares her thoughts and feelings with the readers. The language used by the narrator is simple; the story is told mostly through narration with little dialogue, which helps convey the narrator’s subjective perspective on the events and her circumstances.
You can read the full analysis in the following pages.