Questions Use And Begin ‘Not Only……But Also’, ‘Both…….And’ ‘Neither……Nor’, & Use ‘As Well As’.

 

Questions

1. A. Use ‘not only……but also’, ‘as well as’ , ‘both…….and’ & begin ‘not only…………but also’ in the following sentences.

1. She is a poet. She is a novelist.

2. He has a degree in engineering. He has a degree in economics.

3. The company produces software. The company produces hardware.

4. She is a scientist. She is an artist.

5. He has experience in marketing. He has experience in finance.

6. The university offers degrees in law. The university offers degrees in medicine.

7. She is a coach. She is a mentor.

8. The hotel serves breakfast. The hotel serves lunch.

9. He is a musician. He is a producer.

10. The library has books. The library has journals.

1. B. Use ‘not only……but also’, ‘as well as’ , ‘both…….and’ & begin ‘not only…………but also’ in the following sentences.

1. Ramesh is attending the meeting. Suresh is attending the meeting.

2. The manager is responsible for sales. The director is responsible for sales.

3. My brother is going to college. My sister is going to college.

4. The teacher is grading papers. The principal is grading papers.

5. The company is launching a new product. The competitor is launching a new product.

6. The students are participating in the debate. The teachers are participating in the debate.

7. The chef is preparing dinner. The sous chef is preparing dinner.

8. The artist is painting a mural. The apprentice is painting a mural.

9. The team is working on the project. The consultants are working on the project.

10. The author is writing a novel. The co-author is writing a novel.

1. C. Use ‘not only……but also’, ‘as well as’ , ‘both…….and’ & begin ‘not only…………but also’ in the following sentences.

1. She paints beautiful landscapes. She sketches portraits.

2. He writes novels. He edits poetry.

3. The company exports electronics. The company imports textiles.

4. She teaches mathematics. She tutors science.

5. He plays the guitar. He composes music.

6. The university offers degrees in engineering. The university provides certifications in design.

7. She reads fiction. She reviews non-fiction.

8. He travels the world. He documents his journeys.

9. The hotel serves fine dining. The hotel offers room service.

10. She codes applications. She develops websites.

1. D. Use ‘not only……but also’, ‘as well as’ , ‘both…….and’ & begin ‘not only…………but also’ in the following sentences.

1. The dress is beautiful. The dress is elegant.

2. He is intelligent. He is hardworking.

3. The city is vibrant. The city is cultural.

4. She is kind. She is generous.

5. The hotel is luxurious. The hotel is comfortable.

6. The book is informative. The book is interesting.

7. The course is challenging. The course is rewarding.

8. The team is dynamic. The team is supportive.

9. The food is delicious. The food is healthy.

10. The park is peaceful. The park is scenic.

Questions

2. A. Use ‘neither……nor’, and begin with ‘neither……nor’ in the following sentences.

1. She is not a poet. She is not a novelist.

2. He does not have a degree in engineering. He does not have a degree in economics.

3. The company does not produce software. The company does not produce hardware.

4. She is not a scientist. She is not an artist.

5. He does not have experience in marketing. He does not have experience in finance.

6. The university does not offer degrees in law. The university does not offer degrees in medicine.

7. She is not a coach. She is not a mentor.

8. The hotel does not serve breakfast. The hotel does not serve lunch.

9. He is not a musician. He is not a producer.

10. The library does not have books. The library does not have journals.

2.B. Use ‘neither……nor’, and begin with ‘neither……nor’ in the following sentences.

1. Ramesh is not attending the meeting. Suresh is not attending the meeting.

2. The manager is not responsible for sales. The director is not responsible for sales.

3. My brother is not going to college. My sister is not going to college.

4. The teacher is not grading papers. The principal is not grading papers.

5. The company is not launching a new product. The competitor is not launching a new product.

6. The students are not participating in the debate. The teachers are not participating in the debate.

7. The chef is not preparing dinner. The sous chef is not preparing dinner.

8. The artist is not painting a mural. The apprentice is not painting a mural.

9. The team is not working on the project. The consultants are not working on the project.

10. The author is not writing a novel. The co-author is not writing a novel.

2.C. Use ‘neither……nor’, and begin with ‘neither……nor’ in the following sentences.

1. She does not paint beautiful landscapes. She does not sketch portraits.

2. He does not write novels. He does not edit poetry.

3. The company does not export electronics. The company does not import textiles.

4. She does not teach mathematics. She does not tutor science.

5. He does not play the guitar. He does not compose music.

6. The university does not offer degrees in engineering. The university does not provide certifications in design.

7. She does not read fiction. She does not review non-fiction.

8. He does not travel the world. He does not document his journeys.

9. The hotel does not serve fine dining. The hotel does not offer room service.

10. She does not code applications. She does not develop websites.

2.D. Use ‘neither……nor’, and begin with ‘neither……nor’ in the following sentences.

1. The dress is not beautiful. The dress is not elegant.

2. He is not intelligent. He is not hardworking.

3. The city is not vibrant. The city is not cultural.

4. She is not kind. She is not generous.

5. The hotel is not luxurious. The hotel is not comfortable.

6. The book is not informative. The book is not interesting.

7. The course is not challenging. The course is not rewarding.

8. The team is not dynamic. The team is not supportive.

9. The food is not delicious. The food is not healthy.

10. The park is not peaceful. The park is not scenic.

The Girl Who Can. Part One, Page 152, 153 and 154 GLOSSARY, SUMMARY& QUESTION-ANSWERS

The Girl Who Can by – Ama Ata Aidoo
Part One, Page 152, 153 and 154
They say that I was born in Hasodzi; and it is a very big village in the Central Region of our country, Ghana.................................. Because you are sure such legs would support solid hips. And a woman must have solid hips to be able to have children.’
1.     Hasodzi – the name of the village where Adjoa was born; हसोज़ी / ହାସୋଜି
2.     Central Region – a major administrative region of Ghana; मध्य क्षेत्र / କେନ୍ଦ୍ରୀୟ ଅଞ୍ଚଳ
3.     Choking under a drought – suffering severely because of a long period without rain; सूखे से बुरी तरह पीड़ित होना / ମରୁଡ଼ି ଯୋଗୁଁ ଭୀଷଣ କଷ୍ଟ ପାଇବା
4.     Drought – a long period with little or no rain; सूखा / ମରୁଡ଼ି
5.     Fertile – producing crops well; उपजाऊ / ଉର୍ବର
6.     Lowland – land that is low in height compared with surrounding areas; निचली भूमि / ନିମ୍ନଭୂମି
7.     District – an administrative area of a country; ज़िला / ଜିଲ୍ଲା
8.     Good soil – soil suitable for growing crops; उपजाऊ मिट्टी / ଉର୍ବର ମାଟି
9.     Finish eating – eat all the food given; पूरा खाना खा लेना / ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଖାଇଦେବା
10.  As far as I could see – according to what I understood or observed; जहाँ तक मैं समझ सकी / ମୋ ବୁଝିବା ଅନୁସାରେ
11.  Had nothing to do with – was not connected with; से कोई संबंध नहीं था / ସହିତ କୌଣସି ସମ୍ପର୍କ ନଥିଲା
12.  Considered – thought of or regarded as; माना / ବୋଲି ଭାବିବା
13.  At this seven years of age – at the age of seven; सात वर्ष की इस आयु में / ସାତ ବର୍ଷ ବୟସରେ
14.  Things I can think in my head – ideas or thoughts that come into my mind; मेरे मन में आने वाले विचार / ମୋ ମନକୁ ଆସୁଥିବା ଚିନ୍ତା
15.  Proper language – suitable words or language; उचित भाषा / ଉପଯୁକ୍ତ ଭାଷା
16.  Speak them out – express thoughts in words; उन्हें शब्दों में कहना / କଥାରେ ପ୍ରକାଶ କରିବା
17.  Serious problem – an important or difficult matter; गंभीर समस्या / ଗମ୍ଭୀର ସମସ୍ୟା
18.  Decide whether – choose between two possibilities; तय करना कि / କ’ଣ କରିବା ନିଷ୍ପତ୍ତି ନେବା
19.  Keep quiet – remain silent; चुप रहना / ଚୁପ୍ ରହିବା
20.  Come into my head – enter my thoughts; मेरे मन में आना / ମନକୁ ଆସିବା
21.  Get laughed at – become the object of someone's laughter; उपहास का पात्र बनना / ଅନ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ହସର ପାତ୍ର ହେବା
22.  Grown-up – an adult; वयस्क / ବୟସ୍କ
23.  Take the risk – dare to do something despite possible difficulty; जोखिम उठाना / ବିପଦକୁ ସାହସର ସହ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିବା
24.  Catch her attention – make her notice or listen; उसका ध्यान आकर्षित करना / ତାଙ୍କ ଧ୍ୟାନ ଆକର୍ଷଣ କରିବା
25.  Struggle – try hard with difficulty; कठिन प्रयास करना / କଷ୍ଟକର ପ୍ରୟାସ କରିବା
26.  Figure out – understand or discover after thinking; समझ लेना / ଚିନ୍ତା କରି ବୁଝିବା
27.  At once – immediately; तुरंत / ସଙ୍ଗେ ସଙ୍ଗେ
28.  Mouth open – with the mouth left open, usually from surprise; मुँह खुला हुआ / ପାଟି ଖୋଲା
29.  Stare – look at something for a long time; घूरकर देखना / ଏକାଗ୍ର ଭାବରେ ଚାହିଁବା
30.  Bending – leaning or lowering the body; झुकना / ନଇଁବା
31.  Slightly – a little; थोड़ा / ଅଳ୍ପ
32.  Voice – a particular manner or tone of speaking; बोलने का स्वर / କଥା କହିବାର ସ୍ୱର
33.  Repeat – say again; दोहराना / ପୁନର୍ବାର କହିବା
34.  Never, never, but NEVER – a very strong way of saying that something must not be done; बिल्कुल कभी नहीं / କେବେ ବି ନୁହେଁ
35.  Burst out laughing – suddenly begin laughing loudly; अचानक ज़ोर से हँस पड़ना / ହଠାତ୍ ଜୋରରେ ହସି ପଡ଼ିବା
36.  Tears run down her cheeks – tears flow down her face; गालों पर आँसू बहना / ଗାଲ ଦେଇ ଲୁହ ବୋହିବା
37.  Wipe away – remove by rubbing or wiping; पोंछ देना / ପୋଛିଦେବା
38.  Hanging edges of her cloth – loose ends of the cloth she was wearing; कपड़े के लटकते किनारे / ପିନ୍ଧିଥିବା କପଡ଼ାର ଝୁଲୁଥିବା କଡ଼
39.  Completely tired – extremely exhausted; पूरी तरह थक जाना / ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭାବେ ଥକିଯିବା
40.  Comes by – passes nearby or arrives; पास से गुजरना / ପାଖ ଦେଇ ଯିବା
41.  Make sure – ensure that something happens or is remembered; सुनिश्चित करना / ନିଶ୍ଚିତ କରିବା
42.  Forget – fail to remember; भूल जाना / ଭୁଲିଯିବା
43.  Of course – naturally; निश्चित रूप से / ନିଶ୍ଚୟ
44.  Screaming – shouting loudly; चिल्लाना / ଚିତ୍କାର କରିବା
45.  Tear-faced – having faces covered with or marked by tears; आँसुओं से भरे चेहरे वाले / ଲୁହରେ ଭିଜା ମୁହଁଥିବା
46.  Performance – an action or display witnessed by others; प्रदर्शन / ପ୍ରଦର୍ଶନ
47.  Confusing – difficult to understand; उलझन पैदा करने वाला / ଦ୍ୱନ୍ଦ୍ୱ ସୃଷ୍ଟି କରୁଥିବା
48.  Explain – make something clear or understandable; समझाना / ବୁଝାଇବା
49.  At other times – on other occasions; अन्य समयों में / ଅନ୍ୟ ସମୟରେ
50.  All right – acceptable or satisfactory; ठीक / ଠିକ୍
51.  Considered funny – regarded as amusing; मज़ेदार माना जाना / ମଜାଳିଆ ବୋଲି ଧରାଯିବା
52.  For so many people’s enjoyment – for the pleasure or amusement of many people; बहुत से लोगों के मनोरंजन के लिए / ଅନେକ ଲୋକଙ୍କ ମନୋରଞ୍ଜନ ପାଇଁ
53.  Hearing me out – listening to everything I have to say; मेरी पूरी बात सुनना / ମୋର ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ କଥା ଶୁଣିବା
54.  Encourage – give confidence or support; प्रोत्साहित करना / ଉତ୍ସାହିତ କରିବା
55.  Express my thoughts – communicate my ideas or feelings; अपने विचार व्यक्त करना / ନିଜ ଚିନ୍ତାଧାରା ପ୍ରକାଶ କରିବା
56.  This business to do with my legs – this matter concerning my legs; मेरे पैरों से जुड़ा यह मामला / ମୋ ଗୋଡ଼ ସମ୍ପର୍କିତ ଏହି ବିଷୟ
57.  Worry – feel anxious or troubled; चिंता करना / ଚିନ୍ତା କରିବା
58.  I mean – used to clarify what one is saying; मेरा मतलब है / ମୋର ଅର୍ଥ ହେଉଛି
59.  Issue – an important matter or subject of disagreement; मुद्दा / ବିଷୟ
60.  Fight over – argue or quarrel about something; किसी बात पर झगड़ना / କୌଣସି ବିଷୟକୁ ନେଇ ଝଗଡ଼ା କରିବା
61.  Favourite – most liked; प्रिय / ପ୍ରିୟ
62.  After all – considering everything; आखिर / ଶେଷରେ
63.  Discussing – talking about something seriously; चर्चा करना / ଆଲୋଚନା କରିବା
64.  Came out of – emerged from; से बाहर आना / ରୁ ବାହାରିବା
65.  Sweet, soft silence – a peaceful, quiet state; मधुर और शांत निस्तब्धता / ମଧୁର ଓ ଶାନ୍ତ ନିରବତା
66.  Noise – loud or unwanted sound; शोर / କୋଳାହଳ
67.  Comprehension – the ability to understand; समझ / ବୁଝିବାର କ୍ଷମତା
68.  Topic – subject being discussed; विषय / ବିଷୟ
69.  Very regularly – very frequently; बहुत नियमित रूप से / ଅତି ନିୟମିତ ଭାବରେ
70.  Shake her head – move her head to show disagreement or disapproval; असहमति में सिर हिलाना / ଅସମ୍ମତିରେ ମୁଣ୍ଡ ହଲାଇବା
71.  Complaining – expressing dissatisfaction; शिकायत करना / ଅଭିଯୋଗ କରିବା
72.  Small courage – limited or little bravery; थोड़ी हिम्मत / ଅଳ୍ପ ସାହସ
73.  Insist – say or demand something firmly; ज़ोर देकर कहना / ଦୃଢ଼ ଭାବରେ କହିବା
74.  Except – leaving out; सिवाय / ବ୍ୟତୀତ
75.  Once in a while – occasionally; कभी-कभी / ବେଳେବେଳେ
76.  Once in a very long while – very rarely; बहुत कम कभी / ବହୁତ କ୍ୱଚିତ୍
77.  Spirit mother – a supernatural mother believed to be connected with a child's birth; आत्मिक माता / ଆତ୍ମିକ ମାଆ
78.  Accident – an unexpected event; दुर्घटना / ଦୁର୍ଘଟଣା
79.  Born without – brought into the world lacking something; किसी अंग के बिना जन्म लेना / କୌଣସି ଅଙ୍ଗ ବିନା ଜନ୍ମ ନେବା
80.  Arms – parts of the body from the shoulders to the hands; बाँहें / ବାହୁ
81.  Limbs – arms and legs; हाथ-पैर / ହାତ ଓ ଗୋଡ଼
82.  Let me touch wood – an expression traditionally used to avoid tempting bad luck; बुरी किस्मत से बचने के लिए कहा जाने वाला वाक्य / ଅମଙ୍ଗଳ ଏଡ଼ାଇବା ପାଇଁ କୁହାଯାଉଥିବା କଥା
83.  Sad business – an unfortunate or distressing matter; दुखद मामला / ଦୁଃଖଦ ବିଷୟ
84.  Female child – a girl; लड़की / ଝିଅ
85.  Might as well – should do something since there is no better alternative; ऐसा करना ही उचित है / ଏପରି କରିବା ହିଁ ଉଚିତ
86.  What kind of – of what type; किस प्रकार का / କେଉଁ ପ୍ରକାରର
87.  Weeping inside – feeling like crying inwardly without openly crying; भीतर ही भीतर रोना / ଭିତରେ ଭିତରେ କାନ୍ଦିବା
88.  Apart from – except for; को छोड़कर / ବ୍ୟତୀତ
89.  Grown-up – an adult; वयस्क / ବୟସ୍କ
90.  Carry on – continue doing something; जारी रखना / ଜାରି ରଖିବା
91.  As I keep saying – as I repeatedly say; जैसा कि मैं बार-बार कहती हूँ / ଯେପରି ମୁଁ ବାରମ୍ବାର କହୁଛି
92.  Come into this world – be born; इस संसार में जन्म लेना / ଏହି ସଂସାରକୁ ଜନ୍ମ ନେଇ ଆସିବା
93.  Meat on them – enough flesh on the legs; पैरों पर पर्याप्त मांस / ଗୋଡ଼ରେ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟାପ୍ତ ମାଂସ
94.  Calves – the fleshy parts at the back of the lower legs; पिंडलियाँ / ଗୋଡ଼ର ପଛପଟର ପେଶୀ
95.  Support – hold up or provide strength to; सहारा देना / ଆଧାର ଦେବା
96.  Solid hips – strong, well-developed hips; मजबूत कूल्हे / ସୁଦୃଢ଼ ନିତମ୍ବ
97.  Be able to – have the ability to; सक्षम होना / ସକ୍ଷମ ହେବା
98.  Have children – give birth to children; बच्चों को जन्म देना / ସନ୍ତାନ ଜନ୍ମ ଦେବା
 Summary
The story is narrated by Adjoa, a seven-year-old girl from Hasodzi, a large village in Ghana’s Central Region. Hasodzi is situated in a fertile lowland area known for its rich soil, except during periods of drought. Adjoa begins by explaining that her grandmother, Nana, often scolds her whenever she leaves food unfinished. Nana tells her that she does not understand the problems of life. Adjoa, however, feels that she has a different and much more personal problem.
Adjoa’s main difficulty is that, although she is only seven, she can think about many things that she does not yet have the language or confidence to express properly. She considers this a serious problem because she is constantly uncertain whether she should remain silent or speak her thoughts aloud. If she speaks, adults may laugh at her or refuse to take her seriously. Thus, Adjoa feels that adults do not always give children the opportunity to express their ideas freely.
She particularly describes her experiences with Nana. Whenever Adjoa wants to tell Nana something she has thought about carefully, she first has to struggle to get Nana’s attention. Once Adjoa finally speaks, Nana often stops what she is doing, stares at her with her mouth open and asks, “Adjoa, you say what?” After Adjoa repeats herself, Nana may either sternly warn her never to repeat what she has said or burst into uncontrollable laughter.
When Nana laughs, she may laugh until tears run down her cheeks. She then tells other adults what Adjoa has said, and they too begin laughing. Sometimes several grown-ups gather around and laugh and cry over Adjoa’s words. Adjoa finds this behaviour confusing because nobody explains to her why some of her statements must never be repeated while other statements are considered extremely funny and are repeated to everyone. Consequently, these reactions do not encourage her to express her thoughts openly.
The Issue of Adjoa’s Legs
Adjoa then introduces the particular subject that has been discussed repeatedly by Nana and her mother, Maami—the appearance of Adjoa’s legs. Adjoa says that she has always wanted to tell both women not to worry about her legs and not to quarrel over them. However, she fears that her statement might either be forbidden or become another reason for the adults to laugh at her.
She reflects that Nana and Maami must have been discussing her legs from the very day she was born. In her imagination, the first thing she encountered when she entered the noisy world from the peaceful silence of the womb was the discussion about her legs. This humorous observation shows how deeply the issue has been present throughout her childhood.
Nana repeatedly complains that Adjoa's legs are too thin and too long for a woman. Maami tries to defend her daughter by saying that some people do not have legs at all and therefore they should be grateful that Adjoa has legs. But Nana refuses to accept this argument. She insists that merely having legs is not enough; according to her traditional understanding, a girl's legs should have sufficient flesh and good calves.
Nana explains that, although being born without limbs is a sad and unusual situation that should not be discussed casually, a female child who is born with legs should have proper, well-developed legs. Her remarks reveal her traditional ideas about how a woman's body should look.
Nana’s Traditional Beliefs about Women
Nana's concern is not simply about appearance. She connects the shape of Adjoa's legs with a woman's future ability to bear children. According to Nana, a woman should have solid hips, and strong, fleshy calves are associated in her mind with solid hips. Therefore, Nana believes that a girl should have the kind of legs that will support a strong female body capable of childbirth.
This reflects the traditional expectations placed on women in the society. Nana judges Adjoa's legs according to an older cultural idea of what a woman should physically look like and what her body should be capable of doing. Adjoa, however, does not understand why so much importance is attached to her legs. To her, they simply belong to her and are not something that should cause conflict between the two people she loves most.
Adjoa’s Feelings Towards Nana
Although Adjoa is confused and sometimes hurt by Nana's attitude, she admits that she likes Nana very much. She considers Nana a good adult in almost every other respect. Yet she finds it difficult to understand how someone who is otherwise so good can behave so critically about her legs.
Adjoa also notices that when Nana talks about her legs, Maami appears to be hurt internally. Maami tries to defend her daughter, but she does not openly confront her mother. Adjoa understands from Maami's voice that she is emotionally upset, even though Nana does not seem to notice or care.
Thus, through the innocent observations of a seven-year-old girl, the story introduces a conflict between traditional beliefs and a child's individual identity. Adjoa does not see herself merely as a future wife or mother whose body must satisfy social expectations. She simply sees herself as a child with her own thoughts, feelings and abilities.
Central Idea of This Part
Part One mainly establishes Adjoa's character and the social environment in which she is growing up. She is intelligent, observant, thoughtful and curious, but she is still struggling to express her ideas because adults often dismiss children's opinions.
The repeated discussion about her legs introduces one of the story's important themes: society's expectations of girls and women. Nana evaluates Adjoa's body according to traditional ideas of femininity, especially the belief that a woman's physical appearance should prepare her for motherhood and childbirth.
At the same time, Adjoa's innocent questioning challenges these assumptions. She does not understand why her legs should determine how people think about her. Her perspective therefore allows the reader to see the limitations and contradictions in the adults' thinking.
Overall, this section presents a young girl who is beginning to develop an independent mind in a society governed by traditional expectations. Her inability to express everything she thinks becomes an important part of her struggle, while the argument over her legs foreshadows the larger conflict between traditional definitions of womanhood and a girl's own abilities and aspirations.
कहानी की कथावाचक अद्जोआ (Adjoa) नाम की सात वर्ष की लड़की है। वह घाना के मध्य क्षेत्र (Central Region) में स्थित हासोज़्दी (Hasodzi) नामक एक बड़े गाँव में पैदा हुई है। यह गाँव एक बहुत उपजाऊ नीची भूमि वाले क्षेत्र में स्थित है और वहाँ की मिट्टी अच्छी मानी जाती है। लेकिन जब अफ्रीका में सूखा पड़ता है, तब वहाँ भी कठिन परिस्थितियाँ उत्पन्न हो जाती हैं।
अद्जोआ बताती है कि जब वह अपना खाना पूरा नहीं खाती, तब उसकी दादी नाना (Nana) उसे समझाती हैं कि वह जीवन की कठिनाइयों को नहीं समझती। लेकिन अद्जोआ के अनुसार उसकी अपनी एक अलग समस्या है। वह केवल सात वर्ष की है, फिर भी उसके मन में बहुत-सी ऐसी बातें आती हैं जिनके लिए उसके पास उन्हें ठीक प्रकार से व्यक्त करने की उचित भाषा नहीं है। उसे लगता है कि यह एक बहुत गंभीर समस्या है।
अद्जोआ के सामने यह कठिनाई रहती है कि वह अपने मन की बात कहे या चुप रहे। यदि वह कुछ गंभीर बात कहती है, तो बड़े लोग उसकी बात को गंभीरता से लेने के बजाय उसका मज़ाक उड़ा सकते हैं। और यदि वह चुप रहती है, तो उसके विचार उसके मन में ही रह जाते हैं। इसलिए वह महसूस करती है कि बच्चों के लिए अपने विचारों को खुलकर व्यक्त करना आसान नहीं है।
नाना का व्यवहार
अद्जोआ विशेष रूप से अपनी दादी नाना के साथ अपने अनुभव के बारे में बताती है। जब वह नाना को कोई ऐसी बात बताना चाहती है जिसके बारे में उसने बहुत देर तक सोच-विचार किया हो, तो पहले उसे नाना का ध्यान अपनी ओर आकर्षित करना पड़ता है। जब वह अंततः अपनी बात कहती है, तो नाना अपना काम रोककर उसे बहुत देर तक आश्चर्य से देखने लगती हैं और पूछती हैं—“अद्जोआ, तुमने क्या कहा?”
अद्जोआ को अपनी बात दोहरानी पड़ती है। इसके बाद नाना कभी उसे चेतावनी देती हैं कि वह ऐसी बात फिर कभी न कहे और कभी उसकी बात सुनकर जोर-जोर से हँसने लगती हैं। वे इतनी हँसती हैं कि उनकी आँखों से आँसू निकल आते हैं। फिर वे दूसरे किसी व्यक्ति को अद्जोआ की कही हुई बात बता देती हैं। वह व्यक्ति भी हँसने लगता है। कभी-कभी कई बड़े लोग इकट्ठे होकर अद्जोआ की बात पर हँसते हैं।
अद्जोआ को यह व्यवहार बहुत भ्रमित करता है। उसे समझ में नहीं आता कि कुछ बातें ऐसी क्यों होती हैं जिन्हें उसे दोबारा कहने से मना किया जाता है, जबकि कुछ दूसरी बातें बड़ों को इतनी मज़ेदार क्यों लगती हैं कि वे उन्हें बार-बार दूसरों को सुनाते हैं। इस कारण अद्जोआ के लिए अपने विचार व्यक्त करने का उत्साह कम हो जाता है।
अद्जोआ की टाँगों की समस्या
इसके बाद अद्जोआ अपनी एक विशेष समस्या के बारे में बताती है—उसकी टाँगों को लेकर उसकी दादी और माँ के बीच होने वाली चर्चा।
अद्जोआ हमेशा अपनी माँ और नाना से कहना चाहती है कि वे उसकी टाँगों को लेकर चिंता न करें और इस विषय पर आपस में बहस न करें। लेकिन उसे डर रहता है कि यदि वह यह बात कहेगी तो शायद नाना उसे फिर से कुछ न कहने के लिए डाँटेंगी या उसकी बात सुनकर हँसेंगी।
अद्जोआ को लगता है कि नाना और उसकी माँ उसके जन्म के दिन से ही उसकी टाँगों के बारे में चर्चा करती आ रही हैं। वह कल्पना करती है कि जब वह माँ के गर्भ से इस शोर-भरी दुनिया में आई होगी, तब शायद सबसे पहली बात जो उसने सुनी होगी, वह उसकी टाँगों के बारे में चर्चा ही रही होगी।
नाना को अद्जोआ की टाँगों से शिकायत
नाना बार-बार कहती हैं कि अद्जोआ की टाँगें बहुत पतली और बहुत लंबी हैं। उनके अनुसार किसी लड़की की टाँगें ऐसी नहीं होनी चाहिए। वे चाहती हैं कि अद्जोआ की टाँगों में पर्याप्त मांस हो और उसके calves (पिंडलियाँ) अच्छी तरह विकसित हों।
अद्जोआ की माँ मामी (Maami) अपनी बेटी का बचाव करने की कोशिश करती है। वह कहती है कि कुछ लोग ऐसे भी होते हैं जिनके पास टाँगें ही नहीं होतीं, इसलिए अद्जोआ के पास टाँगें होना अपने आप में अच्छी बात है। लेकिन नाना इस तर्क को स्वीकार नहीं करतीं।
नाना कहती हैं कि केवल टाँगों का होना पर्याप्त नहीं है। यदि कोई लड़की टाँगों के साथ पैदा हुई है, तो उसकी टाँगें मांसल और मजबूत होनी चाहिए। इससे स्पष्ट होता है कि नाना लड़कियों के शरीर के बारे में पारंपरिक सामाजिक मान्यताओं में विश्वास करती हैं।
स्त्री के शरीर के बारे में नाना की पारंपरिक सोच
नाना की चिंता केवल अद्जोआ की सुंदरता को लेकर नहीं है। वे अद्जोआ की टाँगों को उसके भविष्य में माँ बनने की क्षमता से जोड़ती हैं।
नाना का मानना है कि एक स्त्री के कूल्हे मजबूत और चौड़े होने चाहिए ताकि वह बच्चे पैदा कर सके। उनके अनुसार अच्छी और मांसल पिंडलियाँ मजबूत कूल्हों का संकेत हैं। इसलिए वे चाहती हैं कि अद्जोआ की टाँगों में पर्याप्त मांस हो।
इस प्रकार नाना के विचारों में एक लड़की के शरीर का मूल्य मुख्य रूप से उसके भविष्य की मातृत्व-भूमिका से जुड़ा हुआ है। यह उस पारंपरिक सामाजिक सोच को दर्शाता है जिसमें लड़की से अपेक्षा की जाती है कि वह बड़ी होकर पत्नी और माँ बने तथा उसका शरीर इन भूमिकाओं के अनुकूल हो।
अद्जोआ की मासूम दृष्टि
अद्जोआ को यह सब समझ में नहीं आता। वह सोचती है कि आखिर उसकी टाँगों को लेकर इतना विवाद क्यों है। उसके लिए उसकी टाँगें बस उसकी अपनी टाँगें हैं। वह नहीं चाहती कि उसके कारण उसकी माँ और नाना आपस में परेशान हों।
अद्जोआ अपनी माँ के मन की पीड़ा को भी महसूस करती है। जब नाना उसकी टाँगों की आलोचना करती हैं, तब माँ बाहर से बहुत अधिक विरोध नहीं करती, लेकिन अद्जोआ उसकी आवाज़ से समझ जाती है कि माँ भीतर से दुखी हो रही है। नाना उस अंदरूनी पीड़ा को समझ नहीं पातीं।
फिर भी अद्जोआ अपनी नाना को पूरी तरह बुरी नहीं मानती। वह कहती है कि नाना लगभग हर दूसरी बात में एक अच्छी बड़ी व्यक्ति हैं और वह उन्हें बहुत पसंद करती है। केवल उसकी टाँगों को लेकर नाना का व्यवहार उसे समझ में नहीं आता।
इस भाग का मुख्य विचार
Part One में मुख्य रूप से अद्जोआ के चरित्र और उसके सामाजिक वातावरण का परिचय मिलता है। वह छोटी होने के बावजूद बहुत बुद्धिमान, संवेदनशील, विचारशील और निरीक्षण करने वाली लड़की है। वह अपने आसपास की दुनिया को ध्यान से देखती है और उसके बारे में अपने विचार बनाती है।
लेकिन उसकी समस्या यह है कि वह अपने विचारों को हमेशा स्पष्ट रूप से व्यक्त नहीं कर पाती। जब वह बोलती है, तो बड़े लोग कभी उसे चुप करा देते हैं और कभी उसकी बात का मज़ाक बना देते हैं। इससे पता चलता है कि समाज में बच्चों की आवाज़ को हमेशा गंभीरता से नहीं लिया जाता।
उसकी टाँगों को लेकर होने वाली चर्चा कहानी के एक महत्वपूर्ण विषय की शुरुआत करती है—लड़कियों और स्त्रियों से जुड़ी सामाजिक अपेक्षाएँ। नाना अद्जोआ के शरीर को पारंपरिक स्त्रीत्व और भविष्य के मातृत्व की कसौटी पर देखती हैं।
दूसरी ओर, अद्जोआ की मासूम सोच इन धारणाओं पर अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से प्रश्न उठाती है। वह स्वयं को केवल भविष्य की पत्नी या माँ के रूप में नहीं देखती; वह एक ऐसी बच्ची है जिसके अपने विचार, भावनाएँ और अपनी पहचान हैं।
इस प्रकार यह भाग एक ऐसी छोटी लड़की का चित्र प्रस्तुत करता है जो धीरे-धीरे स्वतंत्र सोच विकसित कर रही है, जबकि उसके आसपास का समाज अभी भी पारंपरिक धारणाओं से प्रभावित है। उसके लिए अपने विचारों को व्यक्त करने की कठिनाई और उसकी टाँगों को लेकर बड़ों की चिंता आगे चलकर परंपरागत स्त्री-छवि और लड़की की वास्तविक क्षमता एवं आकांक्षाओं के बीच के संघर्ष को समझने का आधार तैयार करती है।
Multiple Choice Questions Set:1
1. Where was Adjoa born?
(a) Accra
(b) Hasodzi
(c) Kumasi
(d) Cape Coast
Answer: (b) Hasodzi
2. Hasodzi is situated in which part of Ghana?
(a) Northern Region
(b) Eastern Region
(c) Central Region
(d) Western Region
Answer: (c) Central Region
3. How is Hasodzi described at the beginning of the passage?
(a) A small town
(b) A very big village
(c) A coastal city
(d) A dry desert village
Answer: (b) A very big village
4. What kind of land is Hasodzi situated in?
(a) A rocky highland
(b) A fertile lowland
(c) A sandy desert
(d) A mountainous region
Answer: (b) A fertile lowland
5. What is the district around Hasodzi known for?
(a) Its forests
(b) Its rivers
(c) Its good soil
(d) Its mountains
Answer: (c) Its good soil
6. Under what condition does Hasodzi remain fertile?
(a) When there is heavy snowfall
(b) When Africa is not suffering from drought
(c) When the rivers overflow
(d) When the weather is cold
Answer: (b) When Africa is not suffering from drought
7. What does Nana say when Adjoa does not finish her food?
(a) She does not know how to cook
(b) She does not know what life is about
(c) She does not understand her mother
(d) She does not like village life
Answer: (b) She does not know what life is about
8. Who is Nana?
(a) Adjoa’s aunt
(b) Adjoa’s mother
(c) Adjoa’s mother’s mother
(d) Adjoa’s elder sister
Answer: (c) Adjoa’s mother’s mother
9. Who is Maami?
(a) Adjoa’s mother
(b) Adjoa’s grandmother
(c) Adjoa’s aunt
(d) Adjoa’s teacher
Answer: (a) Adjoa’s mother
10. How old is Adjoa?
(a) Five years old
(b) Six years old
(c) Seven years old
(d) Eight years old
Answer: (c) Seven years old
11. What does Adjoa think is her serious problem?
(a) She does not have enough food
(b) She cannot understand Nana
(c) She cannot properly express some of her thoughts
(d) She does not like Hasodzi
Answer: (c) She cannot properly express some of her thoughts
12. Why does Adjoa find it difficult to express some of her thoughts?
(a) She is afraid of her mother
(b) She may not have the proper language to express them
(c) She does not remember her thoughts
(d) She does not know the adults
Answer: (b) She may not have the proper language to express them
13. What does Adjoa find difficult to decide?
(a) Whether to eat or sleep
(b) Whether to stay in Hasodzi
(c) Whether to keep quiet or speak her thoughts
(d) Whether to obey Nana or Maami
Answer: (c) Whether to keep quiet or speak her thoughts
14. What may happen if Adjoa says something serious?
(a) Adults may reward her
(b) Adults may laugh at her
(c) Adults may leave the village
(d) Adults may praise her
Answer: (b) Adults may laugh at her
15. According to Adjoa, what is difficult even when she takes the risk of speaking?
(a) Getting food
(b) Getting grown-ups to listen to her
(c) Getting Nana to work
(d) Getting her mother to laugh
Answer: (b) Getting grown-ups to listen to her
16. Whom does Adjoa take as an example while explaining the difficulty of making adults listen?
(a) Maami
(b) Nana
(c) Her teacher
(d) Her father
Answer: (b) Nana
17. What must Adjoa first do to tell Nana something?
(a) Give her food
(b) Wait until night
(c) Struggle to catch her attention
(d) Ask Maami to call her
Answer: (c) Struggle to catch her attention
18. What does Nana do after Adjoa tells her something she has thought about for a long time?
(a) She immediately leaves
(b) She stops what she is doing and stares at Adjoa
(c) She gives Adjoa food
(d) She calls Maami immediately
Answer: (b) She stops what she is doing and stares at Adjoa
19. How does Nana look at Adjoa after hearing something surprising?
(a) With a smile
(b) With her eyes closed
(c) With her mouth open
(d) With her head turned away
Answer: (c) With her mouth open
20. What does Nana ask Adjoa after staring at her?
(a) “Why are you crying?”
(b) “Where are you going?”
(c) “Adjoa, you say what?”
(d) “What are you eating?”
Answer: (c) “Adjoa, you say what?”
21. What does Nana sometimes tell Adjoa after hearing her statement again?
(a) To tell everyone
(b) Never to repeat it
(c) To write it down
(d) To tell Maami
Answer: (b) Never to repeat it
22. What does Nana sometimes do instead of forbidding Adjoa to repeat something?
(a) Cry
(b) Sleep
(c) Burst out laughing
(d) Leave the house
Answer: (c) Burst out laughing
23. How does Nana sometimes laugh at Adjoa’s words?
(a) Quietly
(b) Briefly
(c) Continuously until tears run down her cheeks
(d) Without making any sound
Answer: (c) Continuously until tears run down her cheeks
24. What does Nana use to wipe away her tears?
(a) A towel
(b) Her handkerchief
(c) The hanging edges of her cloth
(d) Her hands
Answer: (c) The hanging edges of her cloth
25. What does Nana do after another person comes by?
(a) She stops speaking
(b) She repeats to that person what Adjoa had said
(c) She sends Adjoa away
(d) She apologises to Adjoa
Answer: (b) She repeats to that person what Adjoa had said
26. What happens when another person hears what Adjoa has said?
(a) The person becomes angry
(b) The person leaves
(c) The person also laughs
(d) The person becomes silent
Answer: (c) The person also laughs
27. How many adults may eventually join in the laughter?
(a) Only two
(b) Three, four or even more
(c) Exactly five
(d) Ten
Answer: (b) Three, four or even more
28. What does Adjoa find confusing about the adults’ reactions?
(a) They never listen to her
(b) They always agree with her
(c) Some things must not be repeated while other things are repeatedly told for enjoyment
(d) They never laugh at her
Answer: (c) Some things must not be repeated while other things are repeatedly told for enjoyment
29. What effect do the adults’ two different reactions have on Adjoa?
(a) They encourage her to speak more
(b) They encourage her to argue
(c) They do not encourage her to express her thoughts often
(d) They make her leave Hasodzi
Answer: (c) They do not encourage her to express her thoughts often
30. What subject does Adjoa discuss after describing the adults’ reactions?
(a) Her food
(b) Her school
(c) Her legs
(d) Her village
Answer: (c) Her legs
31. Whose concern about Adjoa’s legs is mentioned?
(a) Nana’s and Maami’s
(b) Her teacher’s and Nana’s
(c) Her father’s and Maami’s
(d) Her friends’ and Maami’s
Answer: (a) Nana’s and Maami’s
32. What does Adjoa want Nana and her mother to understand about her legs?
(a) They should hide them
(b) They need not make them an issue to fight over
(c) They should cover them
(d) They should examine them
Answer: (b) They need not make them an issue to fight over
33. Why does Adjoa hesitate to tell them what she thinks about her legs?
(a) She thinks they will punish her
(b) She does not know where her legs are
(c) She fears being forbidden to repeat it or being laughed at
(d) She wants to ask a doctor first
Answer: (c) She fears being forbidden to repeat it or being laughed at
34. When does Adjoa think Nana and Maami began discussing her legs?
(a) When she was five
(b) When she started school
(c) From the day she was born
(d) After she turned seven
Answer: (c) From the day she was born
35. What does Adjoa imagine was one of the first topics she encountered after birth?
(a) Food
(b) Her legs
(c) School
(d) Her village
Answer: (b) Her legs
36. What does Nana say about Kaya’s first child?
(a) She wishes the child had been a boy
(b) She is thankful that the first child is female
(c) She does not know the child
(d) She wishes the child had been younger
Answer: (b) She is thankful that the first child is female
37. What is Nana unsure about regarding Adjoa?
(a) Her education
(b) Her food
(c) Her legs
(d) Her village
Answer: (c) Her legs
38. What does Nana say about Adjoa’s legs?
(a) They are too short and thick
(b) They are too thin and too long for a woman
(c) They are too strong
(d) They are too dark
Answer: (b) They are too thin and too long for a woman
39. How does Maami respond to Nana’s repeated complaints about Adjoa’s legs?
(a) She agrees completely
(b) She tries to defend Adjoa
(c) She leaves the village
(d) She laughs loudly
Answer: (b) She tries to defend Adjoa
40. What does Maami point out in defence of Adjoa?
(a) Some people have no arms
(b) Some people have no legs at all
(c) Some women have long legs
(d) Some girls are taller than Adjoa
Answer: (b) Some people have no legs at all
41. How does Nana respond to Maami’s point about people having no legs?
(a) She immediately agrees
(b) She says Adjoa’s legs are still too thin
(c) She changes the subject
(d) She apologises
Answer: (b) She says Adjoa’s legs are still too thin
42. According to Nana, what should a girl’s legs have?
(a) No hair
(b) Enough meat
(c) Great length
(d) Small feet
Answer: (b) Enough meat
43. What does Nana mean by saying that a woman’s legs should have “good calves”?
(a) The legs should be properly fleshy and developed
(b) The legs should be extremely long
(c) The legs should be very thin
(d) The legs should be hidden
Answer: (a) The legs should be properly fleshy and developed
44. What does Nana believe good calves would support?
(a) Small feet
(b) Solid hips
(c) Long arms
(d) Strong shoulders
Answer: (b) Solid hips
45. According to Nana, why must a woman have solid hips?
(a) To run faster
(b) To walk comfortably
(c) To be able to have children
(d) To work in the fields
Answer: (c) To be able to have children
46. What does Adjoa notice about Maami when Nana talks about her legs?
(a) Maami laughs loudly
(b) Maami is weeping inside
(c) Maami leaves the house
(d) Maami becomes cheerful
Answer: (b) Maami is weeping inside
47. How does Adjoa know that Maami is weeping inside?
(a) By looking at her eyes
(b) By listening to her voice
(c) By seeing her leave
(d) By hearing Nana say so
Answer: (b) By listening to her voice
48. Does Nana notice Maami’s inner sadness?
(a) Yes, immediately
(b) Yes, but she ignores it
(c) No
(d) Only later
Answer: (c) No
49. What does Adjoa think about Nana apart from her attitude towards her legs?
(a) Nana is always cruel
(b) Nana is a good grown-up
(c) Nana is always silent
(d) Nana is afraid of her
Answer: (b) Nana is a good grown-up
50. What does Adjoa find difficult to understand about Nana?
(a) Why Nana eats little
(b) Why a good grown-up like Nana carries on so much about her legs
(c) Why Nana lives in Hasodzi
(d) Why Nana talks to Maami
Answer: (b) Why a good grown-up like Nana carries on so much about her legs
51. What does Nana say a woman should select if she is born with two legs?
(a) Long legs
(b) Thin legs
(c) Legs with meat on them
(d) Short legs
Answer: (c) Legs with meat on them
52. What does Nana associate fleshy legs with?
(a) Strong arms
(b) Solid hips
(c) Good eyesight
(d) Tall height
Answer: (b) Solid hips
53. Which of the following is NOT mentioned by Nana as a desirable feature of a woman’s legs?
(a) Meat
(b) Good calves
(c) Proper development
(d) Extraordinary height
Answer: (d) Extraordinary height
54. Which of the following best describes Adjoa’s attitude towards her legs in this passage?
(a) She considers them a serious problem
(b) She thinks they are simply her legs
(c) She wants them to become thinner
(d) She wants Nana to examine them
Answer: (b) She thinks they are simply her legs
55. Which two people are described by Adjoa as her favourite people?
(a) Nana and her teacher
(b) Maami and her teacher
(c) Nana and Maami
(d) Nana and Kaya
Answer: (c) Nana and Maami
56. Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?
(a) Adjoa always speaks confidently to adults.
(b) Nana always agrees with Adjoa.
(c) Adjoa often hesitates to express her thoughts.
(d) Maami never defends Adjoa.
Answer: (c) Adjoa often hesitates to express her thoughts.
57. Which statement is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
(a) Adjoa is seven years old.
(b) Nana is Maami’s mother.
(c) Hasodzi is in Ghana’s Central Region.
(d) Nana thinks Adjoa’s legs are too short.
Answer: (d) Nana thinks Adjoa’s legs are too short.
58. Which of the following is the correct sequence?
(i) Nana asks Adjoa to repeat herself.
(ii) Adjoa tells Nana something she has thought about.
(iii) Nana either forbids her to repeat it or laughs.
(iv) Nana may tell another person what Adjoa said.
(a) ii → i → iii → iv
(b) i → ii → iv → iii
(c) iii → ii → i → iv
(d) ii → iii → i → iv
Answer: (a) ii → i → iii → iv
59. Which of the following is the correct sequence concerning Adjoa’s legs?
(i) Nana criticises Adjoa’s legs.
(ii) Maami tries to defend Adjoa.
(iii) Nana explains her idea of proper female legs.
(iv) Nana connects good calves with solid hips.
(a) i → ii → iii → iv
(b) ii → i → iv → iii
(c) iii → i → ii → iv
(d) iv → iii → ii → i
Answer: (a) i → ii → iii → iv
60. Which statement best represents Nana’s view of a woman’s legs?
(a) They should simply be long.
(b) They should be thin and delicate.
(c) They should have meat and good calves.
(d) Their appearance does not matter.
Answer: (c) They should have meat and good calves.
61. What does Nana believe solid hips enable a woman to do?
(a) Run quickly
(b) Work harder
(c) Have children
(d) Grow taller
Answer: (c) Have children
62. Which of the following best describes Adjoa’s problem with adults?
(a) Adults never speak to her.
(b) Adults sometimes laugh at or silence her instead of explaining things.
(c) Adults refuse to give her food.
(d) Adults prevent her from going outside.
Answer: (b) Adults sometimes laugh at or silence her instead of explaining things.
63. What does Adjoa say is never explained to her?
(a) Why she lives in Hasodzi
(b) Why some things she says should not be repeated while others are repeated for amusement
(c) Why Nana has many voices
(d) Why Maami is her mother
Answer: (b) Why some things she says should not be repeated while others are repeated for amusement
64. Which statement about Nana’s reaction to Adjoa’s words is correct?
(a) She always becomes angry.
(b) She always remains silent.
(c) She may either forbid repetition or laugh at the statement.
(d) She always praises Adjoa.
Answer: (c) She may either forbid repetition or laugh at the statement.
65. What does Nana do when she laughs until she is tired?
(a) She goes to sleep.
(b) She continues her work after wiping her tears.
(c) She leaves Hasodzi.
(d) She asks Adjoa to go away.
Answer: (b) She continues her work after wiping her tears.
66. What does Nana’s repeated discussion of Adjoa’s legs show directly in the passage?
(a) She has forgotten Adjoa’s age.
(b) She is deeply concerned about the physical development of Adjoa’s legs.
(c) She dislikes Maami.
(d) She wants Adjoa to leave home.
Answer: (b) She is deeply concerned about the physical development of Adjoa’s legs.
67. Which of the following does Maami NOT say in the given passage?
(a) Some people have no legs at all.
(b) She questions Nana’s constant complaints about Adjoa’s legs.
(c) She says that Adjoa’s legs are too long.
(d) She tries to defend Adjoa.
Answer: (c) She says that Adjoa’s legs are too long.
68. Which statement correctly describes Adjoa’s relationship with Nana?
(a) Adjoa dislikes Nana completely.
(b) Adjoa likes Nana but dislikes her attitude towards her legs.
(c) Adjoa is afraid of Nana and never speaks to her.
(d) Adjoa does not know Nana well.
Answer: (b) Adjoa likes Nana but dislikes her attitude towards her legs.
69. What does Adjoa understand about Maami that Nana does not?
(a) Maami is secretly laughing.
(b) Maami is internally hurt by Nana’s remarks.
(c) Maami wants to leave Hasodzi.
(d) Maami does not love Adjoa.
Answer: (b) Maami is internally hurt by Nana’s remarks.
70. Which of the following is directly connected with Nana’s concern about Adjoa’s legs?
(a) Adjoa’s education
(b) Adjoa’s future motherhood
(c) Adjoa’s food habits
(d) Adjoa’s village
Answer: (b) Adjoa’s future motherhood
71. What does Adjoa’s hesitation to speak reveal directly from the passage?
(a) She has no thoughts of her own.
(b) She is uncertain about how adults will react to her thoughts.
(c) She dislikes speaking to everyone.
(d) She cannot understand any adult language.
Answer: (b) She is uncertain about how adults will react to her thoughts.
72. Which of the following statements contains an accurate contrast between Adjoa and Nana?
(a) Adjoa is an adult, while Nana is a child.
(b) Adjoa questions things, while Nana follows her established ideas about women’s bodies.
(c) Adjoa dislikes children, while Nana likes them.
(d) Adjoa lives elsewhere, while Nana lives in another country.
Answer: (b) Adjoa questions things, while Nana follows her established ideas about women’s bodies.
73. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason for Adjoa’s hesitation to speak?
(a) Adults may laugh at her.
(b) Adults may tell her never to repeat something.
(c) Adults may not listen seriously.
(d) Adults may send her away from Hasodzi.
Answer: (d) Adults may send her away from Hasodzi.
74. What does the repeated discussion about Adjoa’s legs mainly involve?
(a) Their colour
(b) Their thinness, length and amount of flesh
(c) Their injuries
(d) Their ability to run
Answer: (b) Their thinness, length and amount of flesh
75. Which statement about Adjoa is supported by the passage?
(a) She is unable to think independently.
(b) She carefully observes the behaviour of adults.
(c) She never questions adult behaviour.
(d) She always agrees with Nana.
Answer: (b) She carefully observes the behaviour of adults.
76. Which of the following best explains why Adjoa calls her inability to express herself a “serious problem”?
(a) She cannot make adults laugh.
(b) She cannot always communicate the ideas she has in her mind.
(c) She cannot finish her food.
(d) She cannot understand Nana’s language.
Answer: (b) She cannot always communicate the ideas she has in her mind.
77. Which statement is correct about Nana’s laughter?
(a) Nana laughs only when Maami tells a joke.
(b) Nana sometimes laughs so much that tears run down her cheeks.
(c) Nana never shares Adjoa’s words with anyone.
(d) Nana laughs only once in the passage.
Answer: (b) Nana sometimes laughs so much that tears run down her cheeks.
78. Which of the following is the most accurate statement about Nana’s view of Adjoa’s legs?
(a) Nana considers them perfectly suitable for a woman.
(b) Nana thinks they are too thin and too long and should have more flesh.
(c) Nana thinks they are too short and too broad.
(d) Nana does not notice them.
Answer: (b) Nana thinks they are too thin and too long and should have more flesh.
79. Which statement is supported by both Adjoa’s observations and Nana’s remarks?
(a) Nana never talks about Adjoa’s legs.
(b) The subject of Adjoa’s legs has been discussed repeatedly.
(c) Maami always agrees with Nana.
(d) Adjoa wants her legs to become thinner.
Answer: (b) The subject of Adjoa’s legs has been discussed repeatedly.
80. What does this section mainly establish about Adjoa?
(a) She is a careless girl who dislikes adults.
(b) She is a young, thoughtful girl who observes adults and struggles to express her ideas.
(c) She is mainly concerned with food.
(d) She wants to leave her village.
Answer: (b) She is a young, thoughtful girl who observes adults and struggles to express her ideas.
Multiple Choice Questions Set:2
1. Sequence of Events: Which sequence correctly represents Adjoa’s experience with Nana?
(a) Nana laughs → Adjoa approaches Nana → Nana asks what she said → Adjoa repeats herself
(b) Adjoa tries to get Nana’s attention → Nana stops and listens → Nana asks her to repeat herself → Nana either rejects the statement or laughs
(c) Adjoa repeats herself → Nana leaves → Adjoa explains the problem → Nana cries
(d) Nana explains the problem → Adjoa laughs → Nana asks her to repeat herself → adults arrive
Answer: (b) Adjoa tries to get Nana’s attention → Nana stops and listens → Nana asks her to repeat herself → Nana either rejects the statement or laughs
2. Sequence of Events: Which event happened first in the discussion about Adjoa’s legs?
(a) Nana explained the importance of solid hips
(b) Maami said that some people had no legs at all
(c) Nana expressed doubt about Adjoa’s legs
(d) Nana explained the connection between calves and childbirth
Answer: (c) Nana expressed doubt about Adjoa’s legs
3. Sequence of Events: Arrange the following according to the order in which Adjoa describes them:
I. Adults repeat something she has said.
II. Nana may laugh at what she says.
III. Adjoa becomes reluctant to express her thoughts.
IV. Adjoa wonders why some statements may not be repeated.
(a) II → I → IV → III
(b) I → II → III → IV
(c) II → IV → I → III
(d) IV → II → I → III
Answer: (a) II → I → IV → III
4. Sequence of Events: What happens after Nana bends her head so that one ear comes nearer to Adjoa?
(a) She leaves the place.
(b) She asks Adjoa what she has said.
(c) She begins discussing Adjoa’s legs.
(d) She calls several grown-ups.
Answer: (b) She asks Adjoa what she has said.
5. Sequence of Events: Which order correctly shows Nana’s reasoning about a woman’s legs?
I. Legs should have meat on them.
II. They should have good calves.
III. Such legs would support solid hips.
IV. Solid hips are associated with having children.
(a) II → I → III → IV
(b) I → II → III → IV
(c) III → II → I → IV
(d) IV → III → II → I
Answer: (b) I → II → III → IV
6. Literary Device: The expression describing Hasodzi as lying in a very fertile lowland mainly creates which literary effect?
(a) Visual imagery
(b) Irony
(c) Personification
(d) Pun
Answer: (a) Visual imagery
7. Literary Device: The description of Africa as being unable to escape drought uses which device most prominently?
(a) Simile
(b) Personification
(c) Hyperbole
(d) Oxymoron
Answer: (b) Personification
8. Literary Device: The repeated use of Nana’s characteristic questioning voice mainly helps to establish her:
(a) Physical weakness
(b) Distinctive manner of speaking
(c) Fear of Adjoa
(d) Silence
Answer: (b) Distinctive manner of speaking
9. Literary Device: The contrast between what Adjoa thinks and what the adults consider to be a “problem” mainly highlights:
(a) Difference in perspectives
(b) Similarity of opinions
(c) Change of setting
(d) Passage of time
Answer: (a) Difference in perspectives
10. Literary Device: The description of Maami’s voice, which reveals that she is weeping inwardly, primarily appeals to the reader’s understanding of:
(a) Hidden emotion
(b) Physical appearance
(c) Comic action
(d) Natural scenery
Answer: (a) Hidden emotion
11. Statement I & II Relationship:
Statement I: Adjoa finds it difficult to express many of her thoughts.
Statement II: She feels that she may not possess the proper language to communicate them.
(a) Both I and II are true, and II explains I.
(b) Both I and II are true, but II does not explain I.
(c) I is true, but II is false.
(d) I is false, but II is true.
Answer: (a) Both I and II are true, and II explains I.
12. Statement I & II Relationship:
Statement I: Adjoa is always encouraged to repeat everything she says.
Statement II: Adults sometimes laugh at her statements and sometimes forbid her from repeating them.
(a) Both I and II are true.
(b) Both I and II are false.
(c) I is true, but II is false.
(d) I is false, but II is true.
Answer: (d) I is false, but II is true.
13. Statement I & II Relationship:
Statement I: Nana’s laughter can attract other grown-ups.
Statement II: Other adults sometimes hear what Adjoa has said and laugh with Nana.
(a) Both I and II are true, and II explains I.
(b) Both I and II are true, but II does not explain I.
(c) I is true, but II is false.
(d) I is false, but II is true.
Answer: (a) Both I and II are true, and II explains I.
14. Statement I & II Relationship:
Statement I: Maami agrees completely with Nana’s opinion about Adjoa’s legs.
Statement II: Maami tries to defend Adjoa during the discussion.
(a) Both I and II are true.
(b) Both I and II are false.
(c) I is true, but II is false.
(d) I is false, but II is true.
Answer: (d) I is false, but II is true.
15. Statement I & II Relationship:
Statement I: Nana believes that the shape and substance of a woman’s legs are important.
Statement II: She connects strong-looking legs with solid hips and childbearing.
(a) Both I and II are true, and II explains I.
(b) Both I and II are true, but II does not explain I.
(c) I is true, but II is false.
(d) I is false, but II is true.
Answer: (a) Both I and II are true, and II explains I.
16. Combination of Statements: Which of the following statements are correct?
I. Adjoa is seven years old.
II. Hasodzi is in Ghana’s Central Region.
III. Adjoa’s mother is called Nana.
IV. Nana is Adjoa’s maternal grandmother.
(a) I, II and IV only
(b) I and III only
(c) II, III and IV only
(d) I, II, III and IV
Answer: (a) I, II and IV only
17. Combination of Statements: Which statements correctly describe Adjoa’s difficulty?
I. She can think of many things.
II. She sometimes lacks the language to express them properly.
III. She fears that adults may laugh at her.
IV. She is always certain that adults will understand her.
(a) I and II only
(b) I, II and III only
(c) II, III and IV only
(d) I, III and IV only
Answer: (b) I, II and III only
18. Combination of Statements: Which of the following are associated with Nana’s reaction to Adjoa’s statements?
I. She may forbid Adjoa to repeat them.
II. She may laugh until tears come to her eyes.
III. She may stop her work temporarily.
IV. She always gives Adjoa a serious explanation.
(a) I and II only
(b) I, II and III only
(c) II and IV only
(d) I, III and IV only
Answer: (b) I, II and III only
19. Combination of Statements: Which statements about Maami are correct according to the extract?
I. She is Adjoa’s mother.
II. She questions Nana’s criticism of Adjoa’s legs.
III. Her voice suggests that she is inwardly hurt.
IV. She openly laughs at Adjoa’s legs.
(a) I and II only
(b) I, II and III only
(c) II, III and IV only
(d) I, III and IV only
Answer: (b) I, II and III only
20. Combination of Statements: Which statements correctly describe Nana’s belief?
I. A woman should have legs with sufficient flesh on them.
II. Good calves are desirable.
III. Such legs would support solid hips.
IV. Solid hips are connected with the ability to have children.
(a) I and II only
(b) II and III only
(c) I, III and IV only
(d) I, II, III and IV
Answer: (d) I, II, III and IV
21. Mood/Emotion: What emotion does Adjoa mainly experience when adults laugh at her serious statements?
(a) Confusion and discouragement
(b) Pride and satisfaction
(c) Anger and triumph
(d) Excitement and amusement
Answer: (a) Confusion and discouragement
22. Mood/Emotion: What mood is created when Adjoa notices that Maami is “weeping inside”?
(a) Light-heartedness
(b) Emotional sadness
(c) Celebration
(d) Suspenseful excitement
Answer: (b) Emotional sadness
23. Mood/Emotion: Adjoa’s attitude towards Nana, despite disagreeing with her views about her legs, is mainly one of:
(a) Complete hatred
(b) Affection mixed with disapproval
(c) Fear without affection
(d) Indifference
Answer: (b) Affection mixed with disapproval
24. Mood/Emotion: What feeling is suggested when Adjoa says she does not want either Nana or Maami to make the issue of her legs something to fight over?
(a) Desire for peace
(b) Desire for punishment
(c) Desire for public attention
(d) Desire to leave Hasodzi
Answer: (a) Desire for peace
25. Mood/Emotion: Nana’s repeated laughter at Adjoa’s statement creates an atmosphere that Adjoa experiences as:
(a) Completely reassuring
(b) Puzzling and discouraging
(c) Formal and respectful
(d) Quiet and peaceful
Answer: (b) Puzzling and discouraging
26. NOT TRUE: Which statement is NOT TRUE according to the extract?
(a) Adjoa was born in Hasodzi.
(b) Hasodzi is in the Central Region of Ghana.
(c) Adjoa was seven years old.
(d) Hasodzi was described as a dry and infertile village.
Answer: (d) Hasodzi was described as a dry and infertile village.
27. NOT TRUE: Which statement about Nana is NOT TRUE?
(a) She is Adjoa’s maternal grandmother.
(b) She sometimes laughs at Adjoa’s statements.
(c) She has more than one voice.
(d) She never repeats Adjoa’s statements to other people.
Answer: (d) She never repeats Adjoa’s statements to other people.
28. NOT TRUE: Which statement about Adjoa’s communication problem is NOT TRUE?
(a) She can think of many things.
(b) She may lack the proper language to express them.
(c) She worries that adults may not listen to her seriously.
(d) She always finds it easy to make adults understand her.
Answer: (d) She always finds it easy to make adults understand her.
29. NOT TRUE: Which statement about the discussion of Adjoa’s legs is NOT TRUE?
(a) Nana considers them too thin.
(b) Nana also considers them too long for a woman.
(c) Maami questions Nana’s criticism.
(d) Nana considers Adjoa’s legs ideal according to her own standard.
Answer: (d) Nana considers Adjoa’s legs ideal according to her own standard.
30. NOT TRUE: Which statement about Maami’s reaction is NOT TRUE?
(a) She attempts to challenge Nana’s criticism.
(b) Adjoa senses pain in her voice.
(c) Nana notices Maami’s inner weeping.
(d) Maami says that some people have no legs at all.
Answer: (c) Nana notices Maami’s inner weeping.
31. Sequence of Events: Which event comes immediately before Adjoa explains her concern about her legs?
(a) She discusses the fertile land of Hasodzi.
(b) She describes how adults react to her statements.
(c) Nana leaves the village.
(d) Maami stops speaking to Nana.
Answer: (b) She describes how adults react to her statements.
32. Literary Device: The phrase referring to the “land of sweet, soft silence” presents Adjoa’s birth through:
(a) Metaphorical imagery
(b) Sarcasm
(c) Onomatopoeia
(d) Litotes
Answer: (a) Metaphorical imagery
33. Statement I & II Relationship:
Statement I: Adjoa sometimes chooses not to express her thoughts.
Statement II: Her experiences with adults make her uncertain about how her words will be received.
(a) Both I and II are true, and II explains I.
(b) Both I and II are true, but II does not explain I.
(c) I is true, but II is false.
(d) I is false, but II is true.
Answer: (a) Both I and II are true, and II explains I.
34. Combination of Statements: Which statements are supported by Adjoa’s description of Nana?
I. Nana can be a good grown-up.
II. Adjoa likes Nana.
III. Adjoa dislikes only one aspect of Nana’s behaviour.
IV. Adjoa rejects Nana completely.
(a) I and II only
(b) I, II and III only
(c) II, III and IV only
(d) I and IV only
Answer: (b) I, II and III only
35. Mood/Emotion: What feeling is conveyed by Adjoa’s wish that Nana and Maami should not quarrel over her legs?
(a) Concern about conflict
(b) Desire for revenge
(c) Excitement about argument
(d) Pride in disagreement
Answer: (a) Concern about conflict
36. NOT TRUE: Which statement is NOT TRUE about Nana’s explanation concerning people born without limbs?
(a) Nana says such occurrences are very rare.
(b) She considers them sad.
(c) She says such matters are not for everyday discussion.
(d) She says such occurrences happen to every child.
Answer: (d) She says such occurrences happen to every child.
37. Combination of Statements: Which statements explain why Adjoa finds the adults’ reactions confusing?
I. Some statements are forbidden to be repeated.
II. Other statements are repeated to many people.
III. Some statements make adults laugh.
IV. Adults always explain the reason for their reactions.
(a) I and II only
(b) I, II and III only
(c) II, III and IV only
(d) I, III and IV only
Answer: (b) I, II and III only
38. Sequence of Events: Which sequence best represents the discussion between Maami and Nana about Adjoa’s legs?
(a) Maami challenges Nana → Nana says the legs are too thin → Maami mentions people without legs → Nana explains her standard
(b) Nana praises the legs → Maami disagrees → Nana leaves → Adjoa cries
(c) Maami praises the legs → Nana changes her opinion → Adjoa laughs → adults arrive
(d) Nana discusses solid hips → Maami leaves → Nana first notices the legs
Answer: (a) Maami challenges Nana → Nana says the legs are too thin → Maami mentions people without legs → Nana explains her standard
39. Statement I & II Relationship:
Statement I: Adjoa is aware of Maami’s emotional reaction.
Statement II: Adjoa understands this from the sound of Maami’s voice.
(a) Both I and II are true, and II explains I.
(b) Both I and II are true, but II does not explain I.
(c) I is true, but II is false.
(d) I is false, but II is true.
Answer: (a) Both I and II are true, and II explains I.
40. NOT TRUE: Which statement best contradicts the extract?
(a) Adjoa is sensitive to the reactions of adults.
(b) Nana’s views about female legs are connected with traditional ideas about motherhood.
(c) Maami remains completely unaffected by Nana’s comments.
(d) Adjoa does not want her legs to become a source of conflict.
Answer: (c) Maami remains completely unaffected by Nana’s comments.
THREE-MARK QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. What does Adjoa consider to be her real problem at the age of seven?
Answer: Adjoa’s real problem is that although she can think about many things, she may not possess the proper language to express them. She considers this serious because she has to decide whether to remain silent or speak and risk being laughed at. She also fears that adults may not listen to her seriously.
2. Why does Adjoa hesitate to express her thoughts before adults?
Answer: Adjoa hesitates because adults do not always respond consistently to what she says. Sometimes they tell her never to repeat something, while at other times they laugh at it and repeat it to others. Since nobody explains this difference to her, she becomes confused and discouraged from expressing her thoughts freely.
3. How does Nana usually react when Adjoa tells her something she has thought about for a long time?
Answer: Nana first stops what she is doing and listens to Adjoa. She bends or turns her head so that one ear comes closer and asks what Adjoa has said. After Adjoa repeats herself, Nana may forbid her to repeat it or burst into laughter until tears come to her eyes.
4. Why does Adjoa find the adults’ reactions to her words confusing?
Answer: Adjoa cannot understand why some things she says must never be repeated, while other things are considered so funny that adults repeat them to many people. The adults do not explain the reason for this difference. As a result, Adjoa becomes uncertain and increasingly reluctant to express her thoughts.
5. What happens when Nana finds something Adjoa has said funny?
Answer: Nana laughs intensely, sometimes until tears run down her cheeks. She may stop whatever work she is doing and wipe the tears with the hanging edges of her cloth. When another person comes along, she repeats Adjoa’s words, causing two or more grown-ups to laugh as well.
6. How does Adjoa describe her relationship with Nana despite disagreeing with her?
Answer: Adjoa considers Nana a good grown-up and says that she likes her. However, she dislikes Nana’s attitude towards her legs. Thus, Adjoa’s feelings towards Nana are affectionate despite her disagreement with one particular aspect of Nana’s thinking. She does not reject Nana as a person because of this disagreement.
7. What does Adjoa want Nana and Maami to do about the matter of her legs?
Answer: Adjoa wants Nana and Maami not to worry about her legs or make them a matter of conflict. She does not want either of them to forbid her from talking about the subject or laugh at her because of it. She feels that her legs belong to her and should not cause quarrels.
8. What does Nana think about Adjoa’s legs?
Answer: Nana thinks Adjoa’s legs are too thin and too long for a woman. She believes that a woman should have legs with sufficient flesh and good calves. According to Nana, such legs would support solid hips, which she considers important for a woman who is expected to have children.
9. How does Maami respond to Nana’s criticism of Adjoa’s legs?
Answer: Maami questions Nana’s repeated criticism of Adjoa’s legs. She points out that some people have no legs at all, apparently trying to defend her daughter. Her response shows that she does not accept Nana’s criticism easily. Adjoa also notices from Maami’s voice that she is emotionally hurt by the discussion.
10. What does Nana say about people who are born without limbs?
Answer: Nana says that, once in a very long while, nature, the child’s spirit mother, or an accident may result in someone being born without arms, legs, or both. She considers such a situation sad and says that it is not something meant for everyday discussion.
11. Why does Adjoa feel that Nana is not aware of Maami’s pain?
Answer: Adjoa notices from Maami’s voice that her mother is crying inwardly during the discussion about her legs. However, Nana does not perceive this hidden pain. Adjoa even feels that, if Nana had known about Maami’s inner suffering, it probably would not have changed Nana’s opinion or stopped her from speaking.
12. What does Nana believe about a woman’s legs and hips?
Answer: Nana believes that if a woman is born with both legs, they should have enough flesh and good calves. She thinks such legs would support solid hips. In her traditional understanding, solid hips are desirable because a woman needs them in order to be capable of having children.
13. Why does Adjoa say that she has thought about the issue of her legs from the beginning of her life?
Answer: Adjoa imagines that Nana and Maami must have discussed her legs from the day she was born. She humorously imagines entering the noisy world from a “land of sweet, soft silence” and finding that the first subject awaiting her was the discussion of her legs.
14. How does Adjoa portray the repeated discussion about her legs?
Answer: Adjoa suggests that the discussion has continued repeatedly from the time she was born. Nana frequently comments on the thinness and length of her legs, while Maami questions Nana’s criticism. The repeated discussion makes Adjoa conscious of her legs and unwilling to see them become a source of conflict.
15. What does Nana’s use of different voices reveal about her character in the extract?
Answer: Nana is described as having many voices, including a special one that she uses to silence everyone. This detail shows that her manner of speaking is distinctive and forceful. Adjoa is familiar with these variations in Nana’s voice and can understand something about her attitude from the way she speaks.
16. What does Adjoa understand from the tone of Maami’s voice?
Answer: Adjoa understands that Maami is suffering inwardly when she questions Nana about the criticism of her legs. Although Maami does not openly express her pain, Adjoa can detect it through her voice. This shows that Adjoa pays close attention to the feelings that adults may not express directly.
17. Why is Adjoa particularly sensitive about being laughed at?
Answer: Adjoa is sensitive because she sometimes speaks about things she has thought about seriously, yet adults may treat her words as amusing. Nana may laugh until tears come to her eyes and repeat Adjoa’s words to others. Such experiences make Adjoa uncertain about speaking openly and increase her reluctance to express herself.
18. What does Adjoa mean when she says that she can think many things but may not have the proper language for them?
Answer: Adjoa means that her ability to think is greater than her ability to express those thoughts in appropriate words. At seven, she has ideas and observations but may struggle to communicate them clearly. This creates a difficult choice: she must either remain silent or risk being misunderstood or laughed at.
19. How does the extract show a difference between a child’s understanding and adults’ understanding?
Answer: Adjoa sees her difficulty in expressing thoughts as a serious problem, while adults may laugh at things she says seriously. Similarly, Nana judges Adjoa’s legs according to her own traditional ideas, whereas Adjoa simply regards them as her own. The extract therefore presents different perspectives between the child and adults.
20. Why does Adjoa sometimes choose silence instead of speaking?
Answer: Adjoa chooses silence because she has experienced unpredictable reactions from adults. They may laugh at her words, repeat them to others, or tell her never to repeat them. Since they rarely explain why they react differently, Adjoa becomes discouraged and feels that remaining silent may be safer than risking misunderstanding or ridicule.
21. What does Nana’s repeated concern about Adjoa’s legs suggest about her ideas of womanhood?
Answer: Nana’s concern reflects her traditional understanding of what a woman’s body should be like. She values legs with flesh and good calves because she associates them with solid hips. She then connects solid hips with a woman’s ability to have children. Thus, physical appearance is closely linked to motherhood in her thinking.
22. How does Maami attempt to challenge Nana’s opinion?
Answer: Maami questions Nana’s constant criticism of Adjoa’s legs and reminds her that some people have no legs at all. Her response suggests that she wants Nana to appreciate what Adjoa has rather than focus on whether her legs meet a particular physical standard. Her voice also reveals her emotional discomfort.
23. What does Adjoa’s statement that “they were my legs” convey?
Answer: The statement shows Adjoa’s simple but significant sense of personal identity and ownership. She does not want others to turn her legs into a subject of argument, criticism or amusement. To her, they are simply her own legs. Her attitude contrasts with Nana’s detailed judgment of them according to traditional expectations.
24. How does the extract present Nana as both loving and problematic from Adjoa’s perspective?
Answer: Adjoa considers Nana a good grown-up and clearly likes her. However, Nana’s repeated criticism of her legs is something Adjoa dislikes. Nana’s affection and her traditional beliefs therefore exist together in Adjoa’s view. Adjoa can appreciate Nana as a person while disagreeing with one of her attitudes towards her body.
25. Why does Adjoa believe that the subject of her legs should not become a family quarrel?
Answer: Adjoa does not want Nana and Maami to fight over something that belongs to her. She wishes neither woman would become angry about her legs, forbid her from discussing them, or laugh at her. Her attitude reflects her desire to prevent the subject from creating tension between the two people she loves.
26. How does Nana’s response to Adjoa’s statements affect Adjoa’s willingness to communicate?
Answer: Nana’s unpredictable responses make Adjoa cautious about speaking. Sometimes Nana rejects what she says; at other times she laughs and tells others about it. Because Adjoa does not understand why some statements are acceptable while others are not, these experiences discourage her from expressing her thoughts as often as she might otherwise do.
27. What is the significance of Adjoa’s observation that Nana has many voices?
Answer: Adjoa’s observation shows how closely she watches Nana’s behaviour. She recognizes that Nana changes her voice according to the situation and even has a special voice for silencing people. This detail also makes Nana vivid as a character and shows that Adjoa understands subtle differences in the way adults communicate.
28. What does the extract reveal about Adjoa’s ability to observe adults?
Answer: Adjoa notices details that adults themselves may overlook. She understands Nana’s different voices, recognizes when Nana is laughing at her words, and detects the hidden pain in Maami’s voice. She also thinks carefully about why adults react differently to her statements. These observations reveal her attentiveness to people around her.
29. What central conflict is introduced through the discussion of Adjoa’s legs?
Answer: The discussion introduces a conflict between Nana’s traditional expectations of a woman’s body and the reality of Adjoa’s own body. Nana values fleshy legs, good calves and solid hips because she connects them with motherhood. Adjoa, however, does not want her legs judged or made into a source of conflict.
30. How does the extract combine humour with emotional seriousness?
Answer: The extract contains humour in Nana’s exaggerated reactions, laughter and repeated discussion of Adjoa’s legs. Yet beneath this humour lies emotional seriousness. Adjoa feels discouraged about expressing herself, while Maami suffers inwardly when Nana criticizes her daughter. Thus, apparently amusing situations also contain confusion, pain and disagreement.
FOUR-MARK QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Why does Adjoa consider her inability to express her thoughts properly a serious problem?
Answer: Adjoa is seven and can think about many things, but she may not always have the proper language to express them. This creates a difficult choice for her. If she speaks, adults may misunderstand her, laugh at her, or fail to listen seriously. If she remains silent, she cannot communicate her thoughts. Her previous experiences with adults make this problem more serious because their reactions are unpredictable.
2. How do Nana’s different reactions to Adjoa’s statements influence Adjoa’s behaviour?
Answer: Nana’s reactions make Adjoa uncertain about speaking openly. Sometimes Nana tells her never to repeat what she has said; at other times she laughs so much that tears come to her eyes and then repeats Adjoa’s words to other adults. Since nobody explains why some statements are forbidden while others are repeated for amusement, Adjoa becomes confused and discouraged. Consequently, she does not express her thoughts as often.
3. How does the extract show that Adjoa and the adults have different ideas about what constitutes a problem?
Answer: Nana and Maami appear concerned about Adjoa’s legs, while Adjoa identifies a different problem altogether. Her concern is her difficulty in finding suitable language for the thoughts in her mind. She also worries about whether adults will listen to her. Thus, what the adults regard as a physical matter is not Adjoa’s main concern; her real concern is communication and being understood.
4. Describe Nana’s behaviour when she finds something Adjoa has said amusing.
Answer: Nana may laugh intensely at Adjoa’s statement, sometimes until tears run down her cheeks. She may stop the work she is doing and wipe the tears with the hanging edges of her cloth. When another person comes along, she repeats what Adjoa has said, causing others to laugh too. Two, three, four or more grown-ups may become involved, making Adjoa increasingly puzzled by their reaction.
5. Why does the subject of Adjoa’s legs become important in the extract?
Answer: The subject is important because Nana and Maami have apparently discussed Adjoa’s legs from the time she was born. Nana repeatedly criticizes them as too thin and too long for a woman, while Maami questions this criticism. Adjoa becomes aware that her legs are a source of disagreement between the two women. She wishes them not to worry or quarrel about something that she considers simply her own.
6. Explain Nana’s traditional reasoning about the kind of legs a woman should have.
Answer: Nana believes that if a woman is born with both legs, those legs should have enough flesh and good calves. She thinks such legs would support solid hips. According to her reasoning, solid hips are important because a woman should be able to have children. Therefore, Nana judges Adjoa’s legs according to a traditional idea that connects a woman’s physical build with her expected role as a mother.
7. How does Maami react to Nana’s repeated criticism of Adjoa’s legs, and what does this reveal?
Answer: Maami questions Nana about why she continually complains about Adjoa’s legs. She also points out that some people have no legs at all, suggesting that Adjoa should not be criticized merely because her legs are thin. Her response reveals that she is uncomfortable with Nana’s judgement. Adjoa notices from Maami’s voice that her mother is weeping inwardly, although Nana does not recognize this hidden pain.
8. What does Adjoa’s observation of Maami’s “inside weeping” reveal about her?
Answer: Adjoa is able to notice an emotion that Maami does not openly express. From her mother’s voice, she understands that Maami is suffering inwardly during the discussion about her legs. This suggests that Adjoa pays close attention to the feelings of people around her. She recognizes that adults may hide their emotions, and she can sometimes perceive those feelings through small changes in their speech.
9. How does Adjoa’s attitude towards Nana combine affection and disagreement?
Answer: Adjoa says that, apart from the matter of her legs, Nana is a good grown-up and she likes her. This shows that she does not allow one disagreement to destroy her affection for Nana. At the same time, she clearly rejects Nana’s repeated concern about her legs. Adjoa therefore presents Nana with both appreciation and criticism, showing that affection does not necessarily mean agreeing with everything a person believes.
10. What is the significance of Adjoa’s statement that “they were my legs”?
Answer: The statement expresses Adjoa’s straightforward sense of personal ownership. She does not understand why Nana and Maami should turn her legs into a matter of worry or conflict. To Adjoa, they are simply her legs. The statement also contrasts with Nana’s elaborate judgement of them according to her ideas about women, calves, hips and childbirth. Adjoa therefore views her body more simply than the adults around her.
11. How does Nana’s manner of speaking contribute to her characterization?
Answer: Adjoa describes Nana as having many voices, including a particular voice used to silence everyone. Nana also bends her head towards Adjoa and asks her to repeat what she has said. Her reactions may change from serious questioning to loud laughter. These details make Nana a distinctive and forceful character whose voice and behaviour strongly influence those around her, especially Adjoa during their conversations.
12. Explain the significance of Adjoa’s description of birth as coming from a “land of sweet, soft silence.”
Answer: Adjoa imagines the time before entering the world as a place of sweet and gentle silence. She contrasts this imagined silence with the noisy world she enters after birth. According to her humorous imagination, the first subject she encounters in this new world is the discussion of her legs. The image therefore presents birth from a child’s imaginative perspective while emphasizing how early the discussion about her legs began.
13. How does the extract present the difference between Adjoa’s thoughts and the adults’ responses to them?
Answer: Adjoa takes her own thoughts seriously and struggles to find words to express them. However, adults may not treat those thoughts with the same seriousness. Nana may laugh at something Adjoa has considered important and may repeat it to others. At other times she forbids Adjoa from repeating something. This difference leaves Adjoa confused because the adults do not explain why their responses vary.
14. How does the extract portray the tension between Nana and Maami over Adjoa’s legs?
Answer: Nana repeatedly criticizes Adjoa’s legs, describing them as too thin and too long for a woman. Maami questions why Nana keeps complaining and points out that some people have no legs at all. Nana continues to defend her own view. Adjoa senses emotional pain in Maami’s voice and wishes the subject would not become a source of disagreement between the two women she cares about.
15. How does humour in the extract coexist with serious emotional issues?
Answer: Some situations are presented humorously, especially Nana’s dramatic laughter and the way adults repeat Adjoa’s words to one another. Yet beneath this humour lies a serious issue. Adjoa feels confused and discouraged when adults laugh at her thoughts, while Maami suffers inwardly during the discussion of her daughter’s legs. Thus, the apparently amusing reactions also reveal difficulties involving communication, feelings and differing attitudes.
16. What does Adjoa’s behaviour show about her awareness of the adults around her?
Answer: Adjoa closely observes the adults and their reactions. She notices Nana’s different voices, recognizes when Nana laughs at her words, and remembers how other adults join the laughter. She also detects Maami’s hidden pain from her voice. Adjoa thinks about why adults behave differently towards what she says. These observations show that she is attentive to both spoken words and emotional signals around her.
17. How does the extract introduce a conflict between traditional expectations and Adjoa’s individual identity?
Answer: Nana judges Adjoa’s legs according to her traditional belief that a woman should have fleshy legs and good calves supporting solid hips suitable for childbearing. Adjoa, however, does not want her legs to be judged or become a subject of family conflict. She simply sees them as her own. The contrast introduces a tension between an inherited idea about womanhood and Adjoa’s personal view of herself.
18. Why does Adjoa want both Nana and Maami not to worry about her legs?
Answer: Adjoa does not want her legs to become an issue over which Nana and Maami fight. She considers both women her favourite people and does not want either to forbid her from discussing the matter or laugh at her. Her wish shows that she is more concerned about avoiding conflict than about proving one person right or wrong in the disagreement over her legs.
19. What does the extract reveal about Nana’s ideas concerning womanhood and motherhood?
Answer: Nana’s comments reveal that she associates a woman’s physical appearance with her future role as a mother. She believes that a woman should have fleshy legs and good calves because these would support solid hips. Solid hips, in her view, are necessary for having children. Her remarks therefore show a traditional understanding in which a woman’s body is judged partly according to its suitability for motherhood.
20. What major concerns are introduced through this part of “The Girl Who Can”?
Answer: The extract introduces several connected concerns. Adjoa struggles to express her thoughts because she may lack suitable language and fears adults’ reactions. She also faces repeated judgement about her legs from Nana. Nana’s traditional ideas connect female appearance with motherhood, while Maami experiences hidden pain. Through Adjoa’s observations, the extract presents communication difficulties, differing generations’ perspectives, emotional sensitivity and expectations concerning women’s bodies.
Reference To context
Extract 1
They say that I was born in Hasodzi; and it is a very big village in the Central Region of our country, Ghana. They also say that when all of Africa is not choking under a drought, Hasodzi lies in a very fertile low land in a district
known for its good soil. Maybe that is why any time I don’t finish eating my food, Nana says, ‘You, Adjoa, you don’t know what life is about . . . you don’t know what problems there are in this life . . .’
(i) Where was Adjoa born, and how is the place described in the extract? [3]
Answer: Adjoa was born in Hasodzi, a very big village in the Central Region of Ghana. It is situated in a very fertile lowland in a district known for its good soil. However, the fertility of the land depends on the absence of drought in Africa.
(ii) Why does Nana tell Adjoa that she does not know what life is about? [3]
Answer: Nana says this whenever Adjoa does not finish her food. Nana apparently believes that Adjoa does not understand the difficulties and problems of life. Her words suggest that, from her perspective, food should not be wasted because life contains many hardships that a young child may not yet understand.
(iii) What does the description of Hasodzi’s land suggest about the place? [3]
Answer: Hasodzi is presented as a fertile place with good soil. It lies in a lowland in Ghana’s Central Region and can be very productive when Africa is not suffering from drought. The description establishes the natural richness of Adjoa’s surroundings and provides the geographical background of her early life.
(iv) What does Nana’s remark about food reveal about her attitude towards life? [3]
Answer: Nana’s remark suggests that she considers life difficult and full of problems. Therefore, she does not want Adjoa to take food for granted or leave it unfinished. Her words also show a difference between the grandmother’s understanding of life and the young girl’s understanding, since Adjoa is still too young to view life in the same way.
(v) How does this extract introduce the setting and the relationship between Adjoa and Nana? [4]
Answer: The extract introduces Hasodzi as Adjoa’s birthplace, a large village in Ghana’s Central Region, situated in fertile lowland with good soil. It also introduces Nana as an elder who comments on Adjoa’s eating habits. Nana’s remark shows her concern about food and life’s hardships, while her direct address to Adjoa establishes their familiar grandmother-granddaughter relationship.
Extract 2
As far as I could see, there was only one problem. And it had nothing to do with what I knew Nana considered as ‘problems', or what Maami thinks of as ‘the problem’. Maami is my mother. Nana is my mother’s mother. And they say I am seven years old. 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. And that, I think, is a very serious problem. Because it is always difficult to decide whether to keep quiet 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.
(i) What does Adjoa identify as her “only one problem”? [3]
Answer: Adjoa’s problem is that, at seven years of age, she can think of many things but may not have the proper language to express them. She considers this serious because she has to choose between keeping her thoughts to herself and speaking them out, possibly being laughed at by adults.
(ii) Who are Maami and Nana in relation to Adjoa? [3]
Answer: Maami is Adjoa’s mother, while Nana is Adjoa’s maternal grandmother, that is, her mother’s mother. Adjoa identifies both women while explaining that her own understanding of a “problem” is different from what Nana and Maami consider to be problems.
(iii) Why does Adjoa find it difficult to decide whether to speak or remain silent? [3]
Answer: Adjoa finds it difficult because she may have serious thoughts but lack the proper language to express them. If she speaks, she may be laughed at. If she remains silent, she cannot share what is in her mind. Moreover, even when she speaks seriously, grown-ups may not listen to her.
(iv) What does Adjoa suggest about the attitude of grown-ups towards children? [3]
Answer: Adjoa suggests that grown-ups do not always take children’s thoughts seriously. Even when a child takes the risk of expressing something serious, it may still be difficult to make an adult listen. Her observation reveals the difficulty children may face when they try to communicate serious thoughts to older people.
(v) Why does Adjoa consider her problem “very serious”? Explain fully. [4]
Answer: Adjoa considers her problem serious because she has thoughts that she cannot always express in suitable language. This puts her in a difficult position: she may remain silent or speak and risk being laughed at. Even after deciding to speak seriously, she cannot be sure that an adult will listen. Thus, her difficulty is not merely finding words but also being understood and taken seriously by grown-ups.
Extract 3
‘problems', or what Maami thinks of as ‘the problem’. Maami
Take Nana. First, I have to struggle to catch her attention. Then I tell her something I had taken a long time to figure out. And then you know what always happens? She would at once stop whatever she is doing and, mouth open, stare at me for a very long time. Then bending and turning her head slightly, so that one ear comes down towards me, she’ll say in that voice: ‘Adjoa, you say what?’ After I have repeated whatever I had said, she would either, still in that voice, ask me ‘never, never, but NEVER to repeat THAT,’ or she would immediately burst out laughing. She would laugh and laugh and laugh, until tears run down her cheeks and she would stop whatever she is doing and wipe away the tears with the hanging edges of her cloth. And she would continue laughing until she is completely tired.
(i) Who is speaking here, and whom is she describing? [3]
Answer: Adjoa is the speaker. She is describing her experience of trying to get Nana’s attention and telling her something that she has taken a long time to think about. Adjoa explains Nana’s characteristic reaction, including her staring, questioning, laughter and eventual sharing of Adjoa’s words with others.
(ii) What does Nana do when Adjoa tells her something? [3]
Answer: Nana immediately stops whatever she is doing and stares at Adjoa for a long time, with her mouth open. She then bends and turns her head so that one ear comes nearer to Adjoa and asks her to repeat what she has said. After hearing it again, Nana either forbids Adjoa to repeat it or bursts into laughter.
(iii) Describe Nana’s reaction when she finds Adjoa’s statement amusing. [3]
Answer: Nana bursts into prolonged laughter and continues until tears run down her cheeks. She stops her work and wipes the tears with the hanging edges of her cloth. She then continues laughing until she is completely tired. Her strong reaction makes Adjoa aware that something she has said has greatly amused Nana.
(iv) Why does Adjoa have to struggle before telling Nana something? [3]
Answer: Adjoa has to struggle to catch Nana’s attention before she can tell her something important. She wants Nana to listen to something she has taken a long time to figure out. This suggests that Nana is not immediately available to listen and that Adjoa must make an effort before beginning her serious conversation with her.
(v) How does Nana’s reaction to Adjoa’s words help explain Adjoa’s difficulty in communicating with grown-ups? [4]
Answer: Nana’s reaction illustrates why Adjoa finds communication with adults difficult. After finally getting Nana’s attention, Adjoa shares something she has thought about carefully. Nana may either forbid her from repeating it or laugh uncontrollably. Her laughter is so intense that she cries and stops working. Such unpredictable reactions make Adjoa uncertain about whether adults will understand or take her thoughts seriously.
Extract 4
But then, as soon as another person comes by, just to make sure she doesn’t forget whatever (it was) I had said, she would repeat it to her. And then, of course, there would be two old people laughing and screaming with tears running down their faces. Sometimes this show continues until there are three, four or even more of such laughing and screaming tear-faced grown-ups. And all that performance on whatever I’d said? I find something quite confusing in all this. That is, no one ever explains to me, why sometimes I shouldn’t repeat some things I say; while at other times, some other things I say would not only be all right, but would be considered so funny, they would be repeated so many times for so many people‘s enjoyment. You see how neither way of hearing me out can encourage me to express my thoughts too often?
(i) What happens when another person comes by after Nana has heard what Adjoa said? [3]
Nana repeats Adjoa’s words to the person who has come by, apparently so that she will not forget them. The other person joins Nana in laughing and screaming, with tears running down their faces. Thus, Adjoa’s words become a source of amusement to the grown-ups.
(ii) How does the laughter gradually become a larger “show”? [3]
Initially, Nana and one other old person laugh and scream with tears in their eyes. Sometimes, the laughter continues until three, four, or even more grown-ups join them. They repeatedly enjoy and share what Adjoa has said, turning it into a larger performance.
(iii) What does Adjoa find confusing about the way grown-ups react to her words? [3]
Adjoa is confused because nobody explains why she is sometimes told not to repeat certain things she says, while at other times her words are considered funny and are repeated to many people. She cannot understand the different rules governing the grown-ups’ reactions to her thoughts.
(iv) Why does Adjoa feel that neither kind of response encourages her to express her thoughts? [3]
Adjoa receives two opposite responses from grown-ups. Sometimes she is warned not to repeat what she has said; at other times, people laugh at her words and repeat them for entertainment. Since nobody explains these reactions, both responses make her hesitant to express her thoughts freely.
(v) What does this extract reveal about Adjoa’s difficulty in communicating her thoughts to grown-ups? [4]
The extract shows that Adjoa finds it difficult to communicate her thoughts because grown-ups respond to her words inconsistently. At times, she is forbidden to repeat certain things, while at other times her words are treated as extremely funny and repeated before others. Since nobody explains why these different reactions occur, Adjoa becomes confused and discouraged from expressing her thoughts too often.
Extract 5
she’ll say in that voice: ‘Adjoa, you say what?’ After I have
Like all this business to do with my legs. I have always wanted to tell them not to worry. I mean Nana and my mother. That it did not have to be an issue for my two favourite people to fight over. But I didn’t want either to be told not to repeat that or it to be considered so funny that anyone would laugh at me until they cried. After all, they were my legs... When I think back on it now, those two, Nana and my mother, must have been discussing my legs from the day I was born. What I am sure of is that when I came out of the land of sweet, soft silence into the world of noise and comprehension, the first topic I met was my legs.
(i) Why does Adjoa want Nana and her mother not to worry about her legs? [3]
Adjoa wants Nana and her mother not to worry because she does not consider her legs a problem that should make her two favourite people fight. She wishes they would accept her legs without arguing about them or making them a subject of laughter and concern.
(ii) Why does Adjoa hesitate to speak about her legs? [3]
Adjoa is afraid that if she speaks about her legs, she may receive the same confusing responses she experiences from grown-ups. She does not want either Nana or her mother to forbid her from repeating what she says or to laugh at her until they cry.
(iii) What does Adjoa mean by saying, “After all, they were my legs”? [3]
By saying that they were her legs, Adjoa expresses her simple and personal view that her legs belong to her and should not become a matter of dispute between Nana and her mother. She sees no reason why others should be so worried about or concerned with them.
(iv) What does Adjoa imagine about Nana and her mother’s discussion of her legs from her birth? [3]
Adjoa imagines that Nana and her mother must have been discussing her legs from the very day she was born. She pictures herself emerging from a peaceful, silent state into the noisy world of understanding, where the first subject she encountered was the discussion about her legs.
(v) How does this extract introduce the issue surrounding Adjoa’s legs and her feelings about it? [4]
The extract shows that Adjoa’s legs have been a matter of concern and discussion between Nana and her mother since her birth. She does not understand why they should fight over them because they are simply her legs. She also fears the adults’ laughter or disapproval if she speaks about them. Her reference to the “land of sweet, soft silence” emphasizes her imaginative recollection of entering a world where her legs immediately became a subject of discussion.
Extract 6
‘But Adjoa has legs,’ Nana would insist; 'except that they are too thin. And also too long for a woman. Kaya, listen. Once in a while, but only once in a very long while, somebody decides – nature, a child’s spirit mother, an accident happens, and somebody gets born without arms, or legs, or both sets of limbs. And then let me touch wood: it is a sad business. And you know, such things are not for talking about everyday. But if any female child decides to come into this world with legs, then they might as well be legs.’
(i) What does Nana say about Adjoa’s legs? [3]
Nana acknowledges that Adjoa has legs but complains that they are too thin and too long for a woman. Her concern is based on her traditional idea of how a woman’s legs should look. Thus, she considers the shape and size of Adjoa’s legs unsuitable for a female child.
(ii) What unusual circumstances does Nana mention in which someone may be born without limbs? [3]
Nana says that, though it happens very rarely, a person may be born without arms, legs, or both sets of limbs. She attributes such occurrences to nature, a child’s spirit mother, or an accident. She considers such a situation a sad matter and not something to discuss every day.
(iii) Why does Nana say that such matters are “not for talking about everyday”? [3]
Nana considers being born without arms or legs a sad and unusual occurrence. Therefore, she believes that such matters should not become a subject of everyday conversation. Her remark shows her traditional attitude towards physical differences and her reluctance to discuss such unfortunate circumstances regularly.
(iv) What does Nana mean when she says that if a female child comes into the world with legs, “they might as well be legs”? [3]
Nana means that if a girl is born with legs, her legs should be accepted as normal parts of her body. However, from her following remarks, it is clear that she expects a woman’s legs to have a particular shape and appearance suitable for womanhood.
(v) What does this extract reveal about Nana’s attitude towards Adjoa’s legs? [4]
The extract reveals that Nana accepts the fact that Adjoa has legs but is dissatisfied with their appearance. She considers them too thin and too long for a woman. By contrasting ordinary legs with the rare cases of people born without limbs, Nana presents her traditional expectations about a female body. Her comments show that she associates a woman’s physical features with accepted ideas of womanhood.
Extract 7
‘What kind of legs?’ And always at that point, I knew from her voice that my mother was weeping inside. Nana never heard such inside weeping. Not that it would have stopped Nana even if she had heard it. Which always surprised me.
Because, about almost everything else apart from my legs, Nana is such a good grown-up. In any case, what do I know about good grown-ups and bad grown-ups? How could Nana be a good grown-up when she carried on so about my legs? All I want to say is that I really liked Nana except for that.
Nana: ‘As I keep saying, if any woman decides to come into this world with all of her two legs, then she should select legs that have meat on them: with good calves. Because you are sure such legs would support solid hips. And a woman must have solid hips to be able to have children.’
(i) What does Adjoa understand from her mother’s voice when she asks, “What kind of legs?” [3]
Adjoa understands from her mother’s voice that her mother is suffering inwardly. Although her mother does not openly express her feelings, Adjoa can sense that she is “weeping inside” because of Nana’s comments about her legs. This shows Adjoa’s awareness of her mother’s unspoken emotions.
(ii) How does Nana react to Adjoa’s mother’s unspoken pain? [3]
Nana does not notice the inner pain of Adjoa’s mother. Adjoa even suggests that hearing it would not have stopped Nana from continuing her remarks about the girl’s legs. This surprises Adjoa because she otherwise considers Nana a good grown-up in almost every other respect.
(iii) Why does Adjoa feel confused about calling Nana a “good grown-up”? [3]
Adjoa considers Nana a good grown-up in almost everything except her repeated criticism of Adjoa’s legs. She therefore wonders how Nana can be called a good grown-up while behaving in this way. Her uncertainty also comes from her own limited understanding of what makes grown-ups good or bad.
(iv) Why does Adjoa say that she really likes Nana “except for that”? [3]
Adjoa likes Nana because, apart from her attitude towards the girl’s legs, Nana behaves well in almost everything else. However, Nana’s repeated comments about her legs trouble and confuse her. Therefore, Adjoa makes an exception for this particular behaviour while expressing her overall affection for Nana.
(v) According to Nana, what kind of legs should a woman have, and why? [4]
According to Nana, a woman should have legs with sufficient flesh and good calves. She believes that such legs would support solid hips. In her view, solid hips are necessary for a woman to have children. Thus, Nana connects the physical appearance and structure of a woman’s legs with her traditional expectation of womanhood and motherhood.
Character-based Questions
1. What kind of girl is Adjoa? Discuss her character with reference to the extracts. [4]
Adjoa is a thoughtful, observant and sensitive seven-year-old girl. She can think deeply but feels that she sometimes lacks the proper language to express her thoughts. She is confused by the inconsistent reactions of grown-ups. She is also imaginative, as seen in her description of entering the world of “noise and comprehension”. Though innocent, she questions the adults’ attitude towards her legs and wants to be accepted as she is.
2. What kind of woman is Nana? Discuss her character with reference to the extracts. [4]
Nana is an outspoken and traditional woman who strongly believes in conventional ideas about a woman’s body and motherhood. She repeatedly criticises Adjoa’s thin and long legs and believes that a woman should have fleshy legs, good calves and solid hips for bearing children. She can be insensitive to Adjoa’s and Maami’s feelings. Yet Adjoa says that Nana is a good grown-up in almost everything else and that she really likes her.
3. What kind of woman is Maami? Discuss her character with reference to the extracts. [4]
Maami appears to be a loving, sensitive and protective mother. She objects to Nana’s repeated criticism of Adjoa’s legs and points out that some people have no legs at all. Although she speaks courageously, Adjoa can sense from her voice that she is “weeping inside”. Maami’s response shows that Nana’s remarks hurt her deeply. She appears concerned about Adjoa’s feelings and does not share Nana’s narrow expectations about her daughter’s appearance.