Stereotyping and the discovery of limitations of the female gender can be seen as two important themes Alice Munro deals within her short story "Boys and Girls". In "Boys and Girls", which will be the base of this term paper, Munro criticises the social expectations and the gender roles of females, illustrated through the rebellion of the main character.
The paper will show how the main protagonist deals with existing gender roles and rules in the society to that time and her attempts of liberation from social norms, although the 20th century is also characterized by two waves of feminism.
First, the author will concentrate on female and male characters in the story as well as on general gender conceptions in the Canadian society to that time. Thus, the term paper will focus on the relationships between the characters as well as on how gender and symbols are connected.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Gender in „Boys and Girls“
- Expectations
- Female and male characters
- Father and daughter
- Father and son
- Mother and daughter
- Husband and wife
- Gender and symbols
- The foxes
- Flora
- The setting
- Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This term paper analyzes Alice Munro's short story "Boys and Girls" to explore the theme of female gender roles in Canadian society during the first half of the 20th century. The paper examines how the protagonist, a young girl growing up on a fox farm, experiences and challenges the expectations imposed upon her as a female.
- The impact of societal expectations on the protagonist's identity
- The portrayal of gender roles within the family unit
- The use of symbols to represent gender dynamics
- The protagonist's rebellion against traditional gender norms
- The influence of personal experiences on Munro's writing
Chapter Summaries
The introduction provides background information on Alice Munro and her short story "Boys and Girls," highlighting the story's first-person narration and the author's tendency to incorporate personal experiences into her writing. The paper then delves into the themes of gender roles and expectations, focusing on the protagonist's struggle to conform to the perceived "female" image.
The following section examines the female and male characters in the story, particularly the dynamics within the family unit. The author explores how the protagonist's experiences of unequal treatment reveal the societal hierarchy that privileges men and their roles.
Keywords
The key themes and concepts explored in this paper include female gender roles, societal expectations, family dynamics, gender symbols, rebellion against social norms, and personal experiences in literature. The analysis focuses on the protagonist's journey of self-discovery and her attempts to navigate the constraints of traditional gender expectations in a period marked by societal shifts and evolving notions of female identity.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2020, Female gender roles in the short story "Boys and Girls" by Alice Munro, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/937363
