Characters
This is the young narrator of the story.
Who is Adjoa?
Adjoa lives in this country.
What is Ghana?
Aidoo challenges these traditional expectations placed on girls.
What are gender roles?
The story is set in this African country.
What is Ghana?
The story uses this kind of narrator: first, second, or third person
What is first person?
She constantly criticizes Adjoa’s legs.
Who is Nana (Adjoa’s grandmother)?
The story is told from this point of view.
What is first-person point of view?
The story explores this theme related to how people view girls and women’s bodies.
What is body image?
Adjoa is part of this ethnic group in Ghana.
What is the Akan (or Fanti) ethnic group?
This is the tone of the story — a mix of innocence, confusion, and reflection.
What is thoughtful or reflective?
She defends Adjoa’s legs and supports her confidence.
Who is Adjoa’s mother (Maami)?
Adjoa wins this, proving her legs are an asset.
What is a running competition?
This literary device is used to contrast Nana's beliefs with Adjoa’s experiences.
What is juxtaposition?
The grandmother believes this body part is essential for childbirth.
What are hips?
The author uses this writing technique to show Adjoa’s internal thoughts.
What is internal monologue or stream of consciousness?
Adjoa says she wants to be like this character when she grows up.
Who is her mother?
Adjoa feels confused because adults say these two things are required for having children.
What are hips and legs?
Adjoa learns this about herself by the end of the story.
What is self-worth / confidence in her abilities?
In Adjoa’s community, girls are expected to grow up to do this.
What is to become mothers?
“The Girl Who Can” is an example of this short literary form.
What is a short story?
This character represents traditional values and expectations in the story.
Who is Nana?
The conflict in the story arises because Adjoa's grandmother is concerned about this physical feature.
What are her thin legs?
The story explores generational conflict between these two family members.
Who are Adjoa and Nana?
Cultural expectations in the story often focus on a girl’s ability to become this.
What is a wife and mother?
This is the main literary device used in the title to suggest empowerment.
What is irony or metaphor (the phrase implies ability beyond what is expected)?