Throughout the story it is clear that the mother is essentially trying to teach the daughter how to conduct herself in the proper manner. Therefore, this short story can also be seen as a parable as its theme takes the form of a series of lessons. The mother, who can be perceived as the main speaker of the story, relays advice that seems both helpful and chastising towards her daughter. The mother relays lessons that can teach her daughter how to effectively run a household and how to uphold herself. On the other hand, in between her words of knowledge the mother implies that her daughter has attributes like that of a “slut” scolding her only in fear that her daughter will take on a life of promiscuity. Some examples include how she reprimands her little girl for the way she strolls, the way she plays marbles, and how she identifies with other individuals. These constant reprimands bring up the underlying theme of gender identity and demonstrates the amount she desires her little girl to understand that she is "not a boy" and that she needs to act in a way that will win her regard from the group. The daughter who stays attentive to her mother, only speaks when she feels the need to defend herself, for her mother’s chastising that suggests the daughter
Throughout the story it is clear that the mother is essentially trying to teach the daughter how to conduct herself in the proper manner. Therefore, this short story can also be seen as a parable as its theme takes the form of a series of lessons. The mother, who can be perceived as the main speaker of the story, relays advice that seems both helpful and chastising towards her daughter. The mother relays lessons that can teach her daughter how to effectively run a household and how to uphold herself. On the other hand, in between her words of knowledge the mother implies that her daughter has attributes like that of a “slut” scolding her only in fear that her daughter will take on a life of promiscuity. Some examples include how she reprimands her little girl for the way she strolls, the way she plays marbles, and how she identifies with other individuals. These constant reprimands bring up the underlying theme of gender identity and demonstrates the amount she desires her little girl to understand that she is "not a boy" and that she needs to act in a way that will win her regard from the group. The daughter who stays attentive to her mother, only speaks when she feels the need to defend herself, for her mother’s chastising that suggests the daughter