The Olinka girls do not believe girls should be educated. When I asked a mother why she thought this, she said: A girl is nothing to herself; only to her husband can she become something.What can she become? I asked.Why, she said, the mother of his children.But I am not the mother of anybody's children, I said, and I am something.
The Olinka girls' perspective on education reflects a deep-seated belief that undermines the value of women in society. A mother from this community expressed that girls hold no intrinsic worth and can only attain significance through their husbands. This viewpoint reveals a limited understanding of female identity and agency, tying women's value exclusively to their roles as mothers and wives.
In contrast to this belief, the narrator challenges the notion that a woman's only purpose is to bear children, asserting her own identity and worth independent of a male figure. This dialogue highlights the struggle for self-identity and empowerment, as the narrator emphasizes that one can be valuable without fulfilling traditional roles. It underscores the broader theme of seeking personal significance and redefining what it means to be a woman in a patriarchal society.
