Wanted: Someone to Impress the Baker

Kincaid does an extremely good job showing how the "girl" needs to commodify herself. As I dissected this short story, I envisioned the "owner" of this child, (whether it be a mother, father or government) dictating these specific directions on how to commodify herself to the world. She is directed three specific things to be sure of so she doesn't become a slut she's been warned about becoming.

1. On Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming
2. This is how to hem a dress when you see the hem coming down and so to prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on becoming.
3. This is how to behave in the presence of men who don't know you very well, and this way they won't recognize immediately the slut I have warned you against becoming.

These specifics help her to show "others" that she has refined taste - in other words - she's commodified herself. Impressing others is the interest of the dictator of this story. They want their "girl" to impress others, therefore making this story a direct example of sign-exchange value.

Sign-Exchange Value restricts the dictations to the "girl" throughout the piece, but is especially evident in the last sentence reading: you mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won't let near the bread? The voice of this story reveals that a baker would want to be impressed by a woman, and not the slut that the "girl" is warned against becoming.