INTRINSIC ELEMENT ANALYSIS: CHARACTERIZATION OF ADJOA IN “THE GIRL WHO CAN” BY AMA ATA AIDOO

Presentation1 from Andini Azis

INTRINSIC ELEMENT ANALYSIS: CHARACTERIZATION OF ADJOA IN “THE GIRL WHO CAN” BY AMA ATA AIDOO

Andini Azis

Abstract

            In this writing, the writer tries to analyze the characterization of Adjoa, the protagonist of “The Girl Who Can” by Ama Ata Aidoo. The purpose of this analysis is to understand the characterization of Adjoa with regard to her psychological state. The writer uses the theory of psychology with close reading method in analyzing the short story. The writer finds that Adjoa is an inspiring character based on the way she thinks and proves her ability without being burdened by her imperfect body. In conclusion, Adjoa is created by Ama Ata Aidoo with a great characterization that can spread positive vibe to its readers.

keywords: Ama Ata Aidoo, characterization, psychology

1. Introduction

               “The Girl Who Can” is a short story written by Ama Ata Aidoo. It tells about a girl who has to be able to fulfill the expectation of her family and society. The story brings the role and the struggle of women in Africa. This struggle includes the struggle of African women to find a rightful place in society and how to be accepted in the society with all imperfection in themselves. The author uses the social background of a society which the majority of its people think that a woman will be ‘useful’ if she has a ‘normal’ and ‘same’ body as the others.

2. Purpose of the Study

     The purposes of this study are:

1.                    To understand the characterization of Adjoa.
2.                      To appreciate a work of literature.

3. Scope of the Study

            The scope of this study is the analysis of the characterization of Adjoa as the main protagonist of  “The Girl Who Can” by Ama Ata Aidoo based on Adjoa’s physicological state.

4. Biography of Ama Ata Aidoo

Christina Ama Aidoo, well-known as Ama Ata Aidoo, is a Ghanaian writer. She was born into a royal Fanti family in Ghana on 23rd of  March, 1942. She had wanted to be a poet when she was in Wesley Girls’ Highschool in Cape Coast. She studied there from 1961 to 1964, and then continued her study in University of Ghana in Legon in 1964. Her first published play entitled “as authentically African as possible” in 1966, which actually had been staged in 1965, made her recieved the name of the first African woman dramatist. In 1982 she was appointed minister of education in Ghana, making her the first woman to hold that position.

5. Summary of the Story

The story goes from the point of view of Adjoa, a seven years old girl from Ghana. She was born with spindy legs that are too long for a woman, and too thin to be at any use—at least that is what her grandmother, Nana, always thinks about Adjoa’s legs. Adjoa has to suffer more than the other Ghanaian women because of her imperfect feet. But with that imperfection, she proves to people around her that she still can achieve something great.

6. Discussion

         There are four characteristics of Adjoa based on her psychological state:

1. ·          Thinker

“And my problem is that at this seven years of age, there are things I can think in my head, but which, maybe, I do not have the proper language to speak them out with.” (The Girl Who can: 87)

         Many monologues of Adjoa which show that she is a thinker, whether thinking of her feet problem, how Nana treats her and else. In her age, Adjoa has shown that she is different from the other children, not in the physical state but in psychological or mental state. However, she still has limit in conveying or speaking up her mind because she is confuse on how the adults know and accept her opinions.

·                           2. Analytical Girl

“And that, I think, is a very serious problem because it is always difficult to decise whether to keep quite and not say any of the things that come into my head, or say them and get laughed at. Not that it is easy to get any grown-up to listen to you, even when you decide to take the risk and say something serious to them.” (The Girl Who Can: 87)

       From the monologue above, we know that Adjoa always remembers what the reaction she will recieve if she says something to the adults. From all reactions she ever recieved, she can make a conclusion, and it indicates that Adjoa is an analytical girl.

·                        3.  High-sensed Girl

“And always at that point, I knew that point, I knew from her voice that my mother was weeping inside.” (The Girl Who Can: 88-89)

         It is beacuse Adjoa is a thinker and an analytical girl, her sense, her awareness toward what around her is higher than the other children. It makes her know her mother’s feeling.

·                         4. Not Very Communicative

          This characteristic is built in Adjoa because there is a fear in herself. There is a such of trauma in her which is created by words that Nana ever said to her and by people who laughed at her imperfection. She decides to speak up through her action, her achievement.

“Except that I was afraid of saying that sort of thing aloud.’ (The Girl Who Can: 92)

“It’s much better this way. To have acted it out tho show them, although I could not have planned it.” (The Girl Who Can: 92) 

7. Conclusion

Adjoa is a kindly and amazing little girl with an inspiring character based on the way she thinks and proves her ability without being burdened by her imperfect body. In conclusion, Adjoa is created by Ama Ata Aidoo with a great characterization that can spread positive vibe to people around her.


References

         "Ama Ata Aidoo". Britannica.com. 2017.
     https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ama-Ata-Aidoo (06 Juni 2017)

"Characterization". Literarydevices.net. 2017.
      https://literarydevices.net/characterization/ (06 Juni 2017)

         "Psychology". Wikipedia.org. 21 May 2017.
     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology (06 Juni 2017)