The Girl Who Can

Adjoa tells the story in

Adjoa tells the story in the first person. She is seven years old, direct, and honest, so the story feels simple on the surface but deep in meaning. H

Nana measures a woman’s worth mainly

Nana measures a woman’s worth mainly by her physical capacity for motherhood. She worries about Adjoa’s thin legs because she thinks they will not sup

Maami

Maami, also called Kaya, disagrees with Nana and defends Adjoa. She believes thin legs do not decide a girl’s value. Her attitude represents a more mo

Adjoa is the fastest runner

Adjoa is the fastest runner in her school. Her thin legs, which Nana sees as a weakness, become her strength on the running track. She wins the distri

Adjoa’s legs are the central symbol

Adjoa’s legs are the central symbol of the story. At first they seem to represent weakness in Nana’s eyes, but they later become a symbol of speed, st