The Speaker

The speaker can be interpreted as an individual or a collective. She describes herself as a “small-town girl” (Line 1), with the implication that this particular small town is all she has ever known. She and her friends have been oppressed and subjugated by men, sometimes with violent results. When another girl is at risk, the speaker is able to stand up for what’s right and enact revenge.

The Man

The man is the antagonist of the poem. He’s never referred to by anything more specific than “He”; in this way he is used to symbolise a certain male culture that’s prevalent in this setting. This man is a socially accepted predator who targets vulnerable women; this behaviour is so common here that he may not even understand the gravity of his own actions. When he’s finally defeated, there is a sense of victory...