I've always seen the short story this film
is based on as an allegory for the beginning of a male-dominated patriarchal relationship of the type that was ubiquitous in the 1960's when the story was written. A tale of a young girl trapped by burgeoning desire into falling for the illusion of 'love' that was on offer: an illusion to tempt you out and erase you and turn you into a thing to be owned, used & swung about before you even get to know who you are, before you're old enough to know your own strength and tell the world to go *beep* itself.
From reviews I've read of this film the story comes across as a morality tale. Ugh.