Girl, Woman, Other: A Powerful Reflection On Identity
I'm Radhika, a second-year Economics and Politics student at the University of Bristol and Team Lead for SolidariTee Bristol. During my time at uni, I've studied migration and refugees, leading to my passion for the cause, which encouraged me to start the Bristol branch at SolidariTee. I've volunteered at SolidariTee for nearly a year now, and it's been one of the most enriching experiences I've had at university. I've loved meeting like-minded people (with our team growing to over 30 volunteers) and being able to make a real impact with our work. I look forward to continuing to volunteer with Soli!
Bernadine Evaristo's masterpiece Girl, Woman, Other tells the story of twelve individuals finding themselves and community, and through expert storytelling weaves them together, finding each other. The common thread between these women and girls is their shared identity of being an ‘other’, but as the book progresses, the characters are more intertwined than they, and we as the audience, realise. The navigation of modern Britain by these women is compelling. Watching them develop “consciousness that protects” (p. 116) – a consciousness of their unique, yet shared, identities across generations - is powerful.
Published in 2019, the themes in the book are as relevant now as they were then, exploring how gender, race, sexuality, migration, and other factors shape one’s experience even unbeknownst to them. Their identities shape them, particularly in their motivations for decisions. Girl, Woman, Other carefully navigates these identities, showing that while the shared culture of a diaspora is important, it neither stereotypes nor defines the characters. While racial, sexual, or gender identity is a key part of each of these characters, they are each fully fleshed out individuals with unique and defining traits beyond this identity. With a section of the book dedicated to each of the characters, the reader feels a personal investment in the conclusion of each of their stories.
The book talks about “grassroots activism spreading like wildfire” (p. 438) when a character, Amma, reflects on her daughter’s generation, which was especially important to me, and likely any SolidariTee volunteer, seeing the impact any youth-led organisation can have. What also stood out to me was Evaristo’s writing style – the whole book is written without capitalisation or any periods, allowing her writing to flow smoothly with a hard-hitting finish when a character muses: “this is about being together.”
Radhika Mitra
SolidariTee Bristol TL
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