Since the beginning of time‚ gender roles have existed in society. Women are assigned the tasks of food preparation and childcare‚ while men perform most activities that require physical strength. Struggles against society’s ideas of how gender roles should be‚ as well as threats of a feminist influence on some issues are found in "Boys and Girls" composition written by Alice Munro. In this story‚ the main character‚ who appears to be an unnamed girl‚ faces her awakening body and the challenge of
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In her story “Boys and Girls”‚ Alice Munro reveals a young girl’s resistance to womanhood in a society infested with gender roles and stereotypes. In the story‚ the protagonist is an unnamed character that symbolizes the lack of identity compared to her younger brother‚ Laird‚ which means “the one with power”. The author purposely gives these names to her characters to represent how society naturally considers the male child superior to female child. The story takes place in the 1940s on a fox farm
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1. Since there is only one girl character ( the narrator) and one boy character(the narrator’s younger brother) in “ Boys and Girls ‚” why do you think Alice Munro uses plural words in the title? I think Alice Munro uses plural in the title to show the readers how stereotypical our society was back then when it comes to gender roles. Back then‚ men were preferable by the society when it comes to doing certain tasks. For example‚ back then women were assign the task of child care‚ food preparation
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ideas concerning proper behaviors regarding gender roles. How does one handle this pressure placed by a society? Is accepting the pressure of society alright or is it possible to overcome the gender stereotype placed by society to achieve self fulfillment? "Gender is not an easy conversation to have. It makes people uncomfortable‚ sometimes even irritable. Both men and women are resistant to talk about gender‚ or are quick to dismiss the problems of gender. Because thinking of changing the status quo
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“Boys and Girls” by Alice Munro tells a story about a young girl’s search for identity and opposition to womanhood in a society with well-defined gender roles. The story takes place in the 1940s on her family’s fox farm in Canada. Becoming a “girl” was a time filled with struggles for the young protagonist because she knew that women were considered inferior to men. Originally‚ she tried to prevent being the “typical girl” by resisting her parents’ attempts to educate her behaviors that women of
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Furthermore‚ in “Boys and Girls‚” the main character conforms to gender norms because she loses faith in her dream and defers her dream‚ preventing her full potential from emerging. She dreams of someone she could be one day‚ someone who has a better life than hers when she narrates‚ “Now for the time that remained to me… never did” (Munro 113). She dreams of being someone adventurous‚ courageous‚ strong‚ heroic‚ and brave‚ but is told instead her future is to become like her mother‚ who simply cooks
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BOYS AND GIRLS ONLINE ESSAY In the short story “Boys and Girls”‚ Alice Munro portrays the difficulties of the narrator and her brother. Throughout the story‚ the narrator faces inequality of being a different sex compared to her brother Laird and the effect this has on her as she is growing up. The narrator goes through many experiences that she has to understand herself as she is growing up. Alice Munro shows how gender labeling‚ different relationships within the family and the narrator’s innocence
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She also looks at the very different worlds—outside and inside‚ the male sphere and the female sphere— described by Munro in the story. ‘‘My father was a fox farmer.’’ So begins Alice Munro’s short story ‘‘Boys and Girls‚’’ a narrative which highlights the almost invisible societal forces which shape children‚ in this case‚ the narrator and her brother Laird‚ into gendered adults. There is no doubt that males and females are biologically distinct at birth. Yet the behaviours and roles ascribed
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In Alice Munro’s “Boys and Girls” the story is about a young girl’s resistance to womanhood in a society based all upon gender roles and stereotypes. Initially‚ the girl believes that she can be of great value to her father in his work‚ then the destruction of her dreams occurs when she realizes society’s view and expectations of her being a female.Therefore‚ she loves working on the fox farm with her father as she also‚ loves the attention she gets from her father while working. "Wait till Laird
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In the short story “Boys and Girls‚” by Alice Munro Laird is a dynamic character who undergoes emotional and physical changes. In the story‚ the pressure of society influences how individuals portray themselves amongst others. First of all‚ Laird is a gentle and loyal character who is compelled to act tough because of society’s standards. Laird’s gentle disposition helps strengthen the bond he has with his sister‚ while his fragile personality contrasts with her strong-willed attitude. During
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