Character by Taslima Nasrim

You're a girl
and you'd better not forget
that when you step over the threshold of your house
men will look askance at you
when you keep on walking down the lane
men will follow you and whistle.
When you cross the lane and step onto the main road
men will revile you and call you a loose woman.

If you've got no character
you'll turn back,
and if not
you'll keep going
as you're going now.

2. This poem is a very powerful poem for women. It shows that a lot of times, woman are looked down upon and looked at as a sex object instead of an actual human being. There are many respsonsibilities that women hold, many of them being for the greater being of men. This poem seems to be a warning for women and the struggles they are going to face in their own life when trying to lead their own life. Woman, a lot of times are looked at as inferior to men simply because of the face that they are a woman. Men are supposovely able to do anything, while women are questioned many times, people not knowing if they can complete a task the same way a man could. This poem is saying that women will not always immediately be respected by everyone and that the respect they get must be earned, and not just given to immediately. It really challenges woman and how motivated they are. Women who are determined to prove people wrong will keep chugging along, working hard for what they believe they deserve.

3. This poem is about women trying to get out int he world on their own without men. Women want to see if they can make it on their own. The narrator is warning the women of the world, saying people will doubt their abilities without men and not give them the time of day simply because of their sex. Warning women of the troubles they will face in life and warning them that it will probably always be that way.

4. I think the narrator of this poem is a woman warning other women about the struggles they are going to face in life. The narrator is speaking to other women, young, old, middle aged, any type of woman. The relationship between the speaker and the listener is that of any woman to woman relationship. Women look out for each other, and this woman is concerned for women everywhere.

5. I think the theme of this poem has to deal with women and how strong they are as an individual. Women, men, or anyone in general should never let the opinions of others bring them down. They have to be strong and never look back, have faith in themselves that they accomplish what they have set out to do.