In a nutshell: "The Girl Who Can" by Ama Ata Aidoo is told by seven-year-old Adjoa in Hasodzi, Ghana. Her grandmother Nana dismisses Adjoa's thin legs as useless because they cannot support the "solid hips" needed for childbearing. But when those same legs help Adjoa win a school running race, Nana is proud and amazed — the story challenges the idea that a woman's only worth is bearing children.
1. About the Author
Ama Ata Aidoo (b. 1940, Ghana) was a celebrated African writer, raised in a matrilineal tradition, briefly Ghana's Minister of Education, and founder of a foundation for African women writers (The Dilemma of a Ghost, Changes).2. Characters
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| Adjoa | bright 7-year-old narrator; hesitant to speak; secretly a gifted runner |
| Nana (grandmother) | firm, traditional; believes women need fleshy legs for childbearing |
| Maami / Kaya (mother) | gentle, quiet; caught between tradition and modernity; quietly supports Adjoa |
3. Detailed Summary (so you understand the whole story)
- Setting: Fertile Hasodzi village; Adjoa lives with her mother Maami and grandmother Nana, surrounded by traditional views.
- Adjoa's struggle to speak: Elders forbid or ridicule children's opinions, so Adjoa stays silent though she longs to express herself.
- Nana's complaint: Nana repeatedly criticises Adjoa's thin "spindly" legs, saying they can't support the wide hips needed to bear children, and even blames Maami's marriage.
- Adjoa's confusion: Made self-conscious, Adjoa wonders what "proper" legs look like and is baffled by Nana's rigid standards.
- The race: At school, Adjoa is chosen to run for her class/school; her thin legs make her fast, and she wins, bringing home a medal/cup.
- Nana's change of heart: Nana is overjoyed and proud — she carries Adjoa's trophy around the village and finally sees that the "useless" legs are good for running (and more). Her narrow view begins to open.
4. Themes
- A woman's worth is not limited to childbearing — Adjoa's legs prove their value differently.
- Tradition vs change / generations — Nana's old beliefs shift through Adjoa's achievement.
- A child's voice & self-confidence — the once-silenced girl proves herself.
- Female potential and empowerment (and the gentle mother caught in between).
5. Narrative Style
- Told in the innocent first-person voice of a child, which makes the criticism of rigid tradition gentle yet powerful; the title itself ("The Girl Who Can") asserts ability.
6. Exam Q&A (with crisp answers)
- Who narrates the story and how old is she? → Adjoa, a seven-year-old girl.
- Why does Nana criticise Adjoa's legs? → They are thin and (she thinks) cannot support hips needed for childbearing.
- What does Nana believe a woman's main purpose is? → To bear children.
- How does Adjoa prove Nana wrong? → Her thin legs make her a fast runner and she wins a race.
- How does Nana react to Adjoa's victory? → With pride and joy, carrying the trophy around the village.
- What is Maami's position in the family? → Gentle and quiet, caught between tradition and her daughter's strengths.
- Why is Adjoa hesitant to speak? → Elders silence or ridicule children's opinions.
- What does the title suggest? → A girl who can — capable beyond traditional expectations.
- State the central theme. → A woman's worth is more than childbearing; old views can change.
- Where is the story set? → Hasodzi, a village in Ghana.
7. Glossary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| spindly | long and thin (legs) |
| matrilineal | tracing descent through the mother |
| childbearing | giving birth to children |
| ridicule | mock or make fun of |
| tradition | long-established customs/beliefs |