Girl Group

Question:

hajihassa
hajihassa
Student
High School - 12th Grade

How would you characterize the interaction, however slight, of these two speakers?

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Posted by hajihassa on Sunday September 30, 2007 at 6:30 PM and tagged with characters, girl.

Answers:


  1. sullymonster Teacher
    Community / Jr. College

    eNotes Editor

    The dominant speaker in this short story is the mother, who is dictating to her daughter the "proper" way to behave and fulfill the duties she will have to as a woman.  In addition, the mother is expressing common prejudices, by referring to things that will cause her daughter to be considered a "slut".  The mother is harsh in her speech, pedantic, and condescending.

    The interaction occurs only when the daughter interjects with concerns or questions.  The mother ignores these interjections, which seem to come across as slight whispers (the italics used to identify the daugther's speech make it weak, unsubstantial), until the last one.  When the daugther expresses concern that she won't be allowed to touch the baker's bread, the mother latches on to the comment only to criticize, demanding to know why (in consideration of all her "lessons") her daughter will not be good enough to touch the bread.

    These two characters are not communicating.  The daughter is listening to the mother, but the mother is only interested in preaching.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/girl/

    Rate answer:

    Posted by sullymonster on Sunday September 30, 2007 at 7:06 PM