In this writing, the writer tries to analyze the characterization of Adjoa, the protagonist of “The Girl Who Can” by Ama Ata Aidoo. The purpose of this analysis is to understand the characterization of Adjoa with regard to her psychological state.

1. - Andini Azis -
INTRINSIC ELEMENT ANALYSIS:
CHARACTERIZATION OF ADJOA
IN “THE GIRL WHO CAN”
BY AMA ATA AIDOO

2. 
In this writing, the writer tries to analyze the
characterization of Adjoa, the protagonist of “The Girl Who
Can” by Ama Ata Aidoo. The purpose of this analysis is to
understand the characterization of Adjoa with regard to her
psychological state. The writer uses the theory of psychology
with close reading method in analyzing the short story. The
writer finds that Adjoa is an inspiring character based on the
way she thinks and proves her ability without being burdened
by her imperfect body. In conclusion, Adjoa is created by
Ama Ata Aidoo with a great characterization that can spread
positive vibe to its readers.
Keywords: Ama Ata Aidoo, characterization, psychology
Abstract

3. 
“The Girl Who Can” is a short story written by
Ama Ata Aidoo. It tells about a girl who has to be able
to fulfill the expectation of her family and society. The
story brings the role and the struggle of women in
Africa. This struggle includes the struggle of African
women to find a rightful place in society and how to
be accepted in the society with all imperfection in
themselves. The author uses the social background of
a society which the majority of its people think that a
woman will be ‘useful’ if she has a ‘normal’ and ‘same’
body as the others.
Introduction

4. 
Christina Ama Aidoo, well-known as
Ama Ata Aidoo, is a Ghanaian writer. She
was born into a royal Fanti family in Ghana
on 23rd of March, 1942. She had wanted
to be a poet when she was in Wesley Girls’
Highschool in Cape Coast. She studied
there from 1961 to 1964, and then
continued her study in University of Ghana
in Legon in 1964. Her first published play
entitled “as authentically African as
possible” in 1966, which actually had been
staged in 1965, made her recieved the
name of the first African woman dramatist.
In 1982 she was appointed minister of
education in Ghana, making her the first
woman to hold that position.
Biography of
Ama Ata Aidoo

5. 
The story goes from the point of view of Adjoa,
a seven years old girl from Ghana. She was born with
spindy legs that are too long for a woman, and too
thin to be at any use—at least that is what her
grandmother, Nana, always thinks about Adjoa’s legs.
Adjoa has to suffer more than the other Ghanaian
women because of her imperfect feet. But with that
imperfection, she proves to people around her that
she still can achieve something great.
Summary of the
Story

6. 
There are four characteristics of Adjoa based on her psychological
state:
1. Thinker
“And my problem is that at this seven years of age, there are things I
can think in my head, but which, maybe, I do not have the proper
language to speak them out with.” (The Girl Who can: 87)
Many monologues of Adjoa which show that she is a
thinker, whether thinking of her feet problem, how Nana treats her
and else. In her age, Adjoa has shown that she is different from
the other children, not in the physical state but in psychological
or mental state. However, she still has limit in conveying or
speaking up her mind because she is confuse on how the adults
know and accept her opinions.
Discussion

7. 2. Analytical Girl
“And that, I think, is a very serious problem because it is always difficult to
decise whether to keep quite and not say any of the things that come into
my head, or say them and get laughed at. Not that it is easy to get any
grown-up to listen to you, even when you decide to take the risk and say
something serious to them.” (The Girl Who Can: 87)
From the monologue above, we know that Adjoa always remembers
what the reaction she will recieve if she says something to the adults.
From all reactions she ever recieved, she can make a conclusion, and it
indicates that Adjoa is an analytical girl

8. 3. High-sensed Girl
“And always at that point, I knew that point, I knew from her voice
that my mother was weeping inside.” (The Girl Who Can: 88-89)
It is beacuse Adjoa is a thinker and an analytical girl, her
sense, her awareness toward what around her is higher than the other
children. It makes her know her mother’s feeling.
4. Not Very Communicative
This characteristic is built in Adjoa because there is a fear in
herself. There is a such of trauma in her which is created by words
that Nana ever said to her and by people who laughed at her
imperfection. She decides to speak up through her action, her
achievement.
“Except that I was afraid of saying that sort of thing aloud.’ (The
Girl Who Can: 92)
“It’s much better this way. To have acted it out tho show them,
although I could not have planned it.” (The Girl Who Can: 92)

9. 
Adjoa is a kindly and amazing little girl with an
inspiring character based on the way she thinks and
proves her ability without being burdened by her
imperfect body. In conclusion, Adjoa is created by
Ama Ata Aidoo with a great characterization that can
spread positive vibe to people around her.
Conclusion