Boys and Girls by Alice Munro
неділя, 6 грудня 2015 р.
Conclusion
Alice Munro has often written about the seemingly unbridgeable gap that separates men and women. In “Boys and Girls,” this gap is examined in the small world of a farm. Because the narrator is female, she is expected to behave in a subdued and frivolous way, to be devoted to domestic chores, and to ally with her mother against “male” pursuits such as farming, shooting, and heroism. The girl rebels against these stereotypes. Initially, she identifies more readily with her father than with her mother, noting that her father’s work seems important and interesting while her mother’s is depressing. Her mother says that she feels she does not have a daughter at all and looks forward to the day that Laird can be a “real help” to her husband. When that day arrives, her daughter will be expected to work indoors.
Stylistic Analysis
The text
under analysis is the short story by Alice Munro, a Canadian writer, the Nobel
Prize winner primarily known for her short stories. Her first collection of
stories was published as Dance of the Happy Shades. Munro's work has been
described as having revolutionized the architecture of short stories,
especially in its tendency to move forward and backward in time. Munro's
fiction is most often set in her native Huron County in southwestern Ontario.
Her stories explore human complexities in an uncomplicated prose style. Munro's
writing has established her as one of our greatest contemporary writers of
fiction. The short story "Boys and
Girls" was originally published in 1964 and subsequently in Munro's 1968
collection of short stories, Dance of the Happy Shades.
The
narrator, a young girl tries to keep away from any work in her mother's range
of tasks because she does not really take any interest in that kind of work and
shares her daily routine with her father. The narrator remembers that by the
time she was eleven years old she was faced with more and more expectations of
what a girl should be like and what she should do or not do. Her role in the
family began to change, and the narrator concludes with telling the story of an
event in which she behaved according to her intuition, is squealed on by her
younger brother and subsequently is being assigned the new gender role by her
father.
The main
theme of the story is the theme of initiation. The story depicts initiation as
a rite of passage according to gender stereotypes and a loss of innocence.
Conformity plays a vital role in determining the outcome of the narrator's
passage into adulthood and her resistance to womanhood.
The idea of
the story is to show the development of the main character, inner and outer
conflicts she encounters, a place of a young girl in the society full of
male/female stereotypes.
The events
in the short story “Boys and Girls” take place on a fox breeding farm. The
father of the main character is a fox farmer. He breeds silver foxes, skins
them and sells their fur. The narrator and her smaller brother Laird like
watching their father doing skinning work, which he does in the cellar of their
house each fall or early winter when the foxes’ fur is prime.
The
narrator describes how in bed at the end of the day she can still smell foxes,
and that this makes her comfortable. She gives the detailed description how the
foxes are penned and cared for, and what the specific chores are that she
performs to help her father. For example, she feeds and waters the foxes, rakes
the ground around the pens.
From the
point of view of presentation the text is the 1st person narrative.
The main
character (and the narrator) of the story is the girl on the casp of puberty,
unnamed and therefore undignified. Unlike the narrator, the young brother Laird
is named – a name that means "lord" – and implies that he, by virtue
of his gender alone, is invested with identity and is to become a master. This
stereotyping in names alone seems to suggest that gender does play an important
role in the initiation of young children into adults. Growing up, the narrator
loves to help her father outside with the foxes, rather than to aid her mother
with "dreary and peculiarly depressing" work done in the kitchen. In
this escape from her predestined duties, the narrator looks upon her mother's
assigned tasks to be "endless," while she views the work of her
father as "ritualistically important". This view illustrates her
happy childhood, filled with dreams and fantasy. Her contrast between the work of
her father and the chores of her mother, illustrate an arising struggle between
what the narrator is expected to do and what she wants to do. Work done by her
father is viewed as being real, while that done by her mother was considered
boring. Conflicting views of what was fun and what was expected lead the
narrator to her initiation into adulthood.
The other
characters are the father and the mother and the younger brother of the main
character. The type of personages' characterization is indirect, as we have the
attitude of the narrator towards them, not the author's description. The speech
characterization of the main character should also be mentioned, as she uses
complex syntax and learned words, though she is young.
From the
point of view the text comprises the following parts:
- The
exposition is the first paragraph of the story,
- The plot
itself, which represents the rising action: "Girls don't slam doors like
that." "Girls keep their knees together when they sit down." And
worse still, when I asked some questions, "That's none of girls’
business." The narrator understands that she has to play the conventional
and stereotypical role of the woman in society, but she resists: I continued to
slam the doors and sit as awkwardly as possible, thinking that by such measures
I kept myself free.
- The
climax: "Instead of shutting the gate, I opened it as wide as I could. I
did not make any decision to do this, it was just what I did."; "I
had never disobeyed my father before, and I could not understand why I had done
it. I had done it."
- The
falling action "A story might start off in the old way, with a spectacular
danger, a fire or wild animals, and for a while I might rescue people; then
things would change around, and instead, somebody would be rescuing me. It
might be a boy from our class at school, or even Mr. Campbell, our teacher, who
tickled girls under the arms. And at this point the story concerned itself at
great length with what I looked like – how long my hair was, and what kind of
dress I had on; by the time I had these details worked out the real excitement
of the story was lost."
- The
anticlimax "She could of shut the gate and she didn't. She just open’ it
up and Flora ran out."; "Never
mind. She's only a girl".
The text is
the representation of the inner conflict of the main character, her resistance
to womanhood, mas well as the outer conflict between her and her family and the
society in general.
The type of
speech employed by the author is mostly narration with the elements of
description and direct speech.
In order to
portray the characters, to describe the settings of events vividly and
expressively the author uses such stylistic devices as:
Metaphors:
(After the pelt had been stretched inside-out on a long board my father scraped
away delicately, removing the little clotted webs of blood vessels, the bubbles
of fat; the wind harassed us all night, coming up from the buried fields, the
frozen swamp, with its old bugbear chorus of threats and misery; my eyes
smarting and streaming; the bubbles of fat; the smell of blood and animal fat.-
to make the reader better understand the descriptions, to make the descriptions
brighter)
Epithets:
(I could hear his long, satisfied, bubbly breaths: derisive eyes; winter-paled
face – to give Henry evaluative characteristic), (They were beautiful for their
delicate legs and heavy, aristocratic tails and the bright fursprinkled on dark
down their back” – to contribute to the vividness of the description.)
Personification:
“the wind harassed us all night, coming up” – to add expressiveness to the
action.
Similes: (I
found it reassuringly seasonal, like the smell of oranges and pine needles –
the smell of blood is compared to the other smells that the girl finds as rare
phenomenon in their house; when snowdrifts curled around our house like
sleeping whales – to add expressiveness)
Oxymoron:
(Henry didn't answer me. Instead he started to sing in a high, trembly,
mocking-sorrowful voice. – to render Henry’s emotions brighter)
Hyperbole:
(“It seemed to me that work in the house was endless”– to emphasize).
Imagery:
The "odor of the fox itself" (imagery pertaining to smell) is
something the narrator describes as "reassuringly seasonal" and a
comfort to her at night. Images of light and dark: the "brightly lit
downstairs world," contrasted with the "stale cold air
upstairs." Light = warmth and
safety; dark = cold and fear.
Further
images of light and dark in her room: provide the narrator and her brother with
boundaries of safety. At night, as long
as the lights are on, they are "safe."
Henry
Bailey's laugh (imagery pertaining to sound): the children "admired"
the sound of "whistlings and gurglings...faulty machinery of his
chest." Despite his sickness, Henry
Bailey also provides a source of emotional comfort and protection.
Description
of the foxes pens as "a medieval town" (sight imagery): symbolizes
the safety and security her father is able to provide, both for the foxes and
for her.
Description
of the "hot dark kitchen in summer" (mostly sight but some sound
imagery): shows that the narrator feels caged in by inherently female tasks and
contrasts directly with the freedom she feels when working outside, like a man.
In the
short story “Boys and Girls” Alice Munro examines the gap between men and women
in the small world of a farm. The author uses bright imagery in order to depict
the setting, which is vivid and colourful, almost tangible. The author examines
the eternal problems of gender role, stereotypes and prejudices in society and
resistance of the main character to these problems.
The linguistic peculiarities of the story
"Boys
and Girls" by Alice Munro highlights and emphasises the theme of
initiation. The story depicts initiation as a rite of passage according to
gender stereotypes and a loss of innocence. Conformity plays a vital role in
determining the outcome of the narrator's passage into adulthood. Throughout
the story, the narrator is confronted with conflicting thoughts and ideas
regarding her initiation into adulthood. Ultimately, she wishes to work with
her father, and stay a 'tomboy,' but
through a conflict with her mother and grandmother, she comes to realise that
she is expected, like the women before her, to adopt the gender stereotype
which comes with her growing and passing into adult hood. Similarly, her
younger brother, Laird, is also initiated, but into man-hood, something he
yearns for.
In order to portray the characters, to describe the settings of events vividly and expressively the author uses such stylistic devices as:
In order to portray the characters, to describe the settings of events vividly and expressively the author uses such stylistic devices as:
Metaphors: (After the pelt had been stretched
inside-out on a long board my father scraped away delicately, removing the
little clotted webs of blood vessels, the bubbles of fat; the wind harassed us
all night, coming up from the buried fields, the frozen swamp, with its old
bugbear chorus of threats and misery; my eyes smarting and streaming; the
bubbles of fat; the smell of blood and animal fat.- to make the reader better understand the descriptions,
to make the descriptions brighter)
Epithets: (I could hear his long, satisfied,
bubbly breaths: derisive eyes; winter-paled face – to give Henry evaluative
characteristic), (They were beautiful for their delicate legs and heavy,
aristocratic tails and the bright fursprinkled on dark down their back” – to
contribute to the vividness of the description.)
Personification:
“the wind harassed us all night, coming up” – to add expressiveness to the action.
Similes: (I found it reassuringly seasonal,
like the smell of oranges and pine needles – the smell of blood is compared to the other smells that the
girl finds as rare phenomenon in their house; when snowdrifts curled around our
house like sleeping whales – to add expressiveness)
Oxymoron: (Henry
didn't answer me. Instead he started to sing in a high, trembly,
mocking-sorrowful voice. – to render Henry’s emotions brighter)
Hyperbole: (“It seemed
to me that work in the house was endless”– to emphasize).
Imagery: The "odor of the fox
itself" (imagery pertaining to smell) is something the narrator describes
as "reassuringly seasonal" and a comfort to her at night. Images of light and dark: the
"brightly lit downstairs world," contrasted with the "stale cold
air upstairs." Light = warmth and
safety; dark = cold and fear.
Further images of
light and dark in her room: provide the narrator and her brother with
boundaries of safety. At night, as long
as the lights are on, they are "safe."
Henry Bailey's laugh
(imagery pertaining to sound): the children "admired" the sound of
"whistlings and gurglings...faulty machinery of his chest." Despite his sickness, Henry Bailey also
provides a source of emotional comfort and protection.
Description of the
foxes pens as "a medieval town" (sight imagery): symbolizes the
safety and security her father is able to provide, both for the foxes and for
her.
Description of the
"hot dark kitchen in summer" (mostly sight but some sound imagery):
shows that the narrator feels caged in by inherently female tasks and contrasts
directly with the freedom she feels when working outside, like a man.
The fact that the
narrator remains unnamed throughout the story could be symbolic of her search
for an identity throughout the story.
Characters
The main character (and the narrator) of the
story is the girl on the casp of puberty, unnamed and therefore undignified.
Unlike the narrator, the young brother Laird is named – a name that means
"lord" – and implies that he, by virtue of his gender alone, is
invested with identity and is to become a master. This stereotyping in names
alone seems to suggest that gender does play an important role in the
initiation of young children into adults. Growing up, the narrator loves to
help her father outside with the foxes, rather than to aid her mother with
"dreary and peculiarly depressing" work done in the kitchen. In this
escape from her predestined duties, the narrator looks upon her mother's
assigned tasks to be "endless," while she views the work of her
father as "ritualistically important". This view illustrates her
happy childhood, filled with dreams and fantasy. Her contrast between the work
of her father and the chores of her mother, illustrate an arising struggle
between what the narrator is expected to do and what she wants to do. Work done
by her father is viewed as being real, while that done by her mother was considered
boring. Conflicting views of what was fun and what was expected lead the
narrator to her initiation into adulthood.
The other characters are the father and the
mother and the younger brother of the main character. The type of personages'
characterisation is indirect, as we have the attitude of the narrator towards
them, not the author's description. The speech characterisation of the main
character should also be mentioned, as she uses complex syntax and learned
words, though she is young.
Plot
From the point of view the text comprises
the folllowing parts:
- The exposition is the first paragraph of
the story,
- The plot itself, which represents the
rising action: "Girls don't slam doors like that." "Girls keep
their knees together when they sit down." And worse still, when I asked
some questions, "That's none of girls’ business." The narrator
understands tha she has to play the conventional and stereotypical role of the
woman in society, but she resists: I continued to slam the doors and sit as
awkwardly as possible, thinking that by such measures I kept myself free.
- The climax: "Instead of shutting the
gate, I opened it as wide as I could. I did not make any decision to do this,
it was just what I did."; "I had never disobeyed my father before,
and I could not understand why I had done it. I had done it."
- The falling action "A story might
start off in the old way, with a spectacular danger, a fire or wild animals,
and for a while I might rescue people; then things would change around, and instead,
somebody would be rescuing me. It might be a boy from our class at school, or
even Mr. Campbell, our teacher, who tickled girls under the arms. And at this
point the story concerned itself at great length with what I looked like – how
long my hair was, and what kind of dress I had on; by the time I had these
details worked out the real excitement of the story was lost."
- The anticlimax "She could of shut the
gate and she didn't. She just open’ it up and Flora ran out."; "Never mind. She's only a girl".
The text is the representation of the inner
conflict of the main character, her resistance to woomanhood, mas well as the
outer conflict between her and her family and the society in general.
From the point of view of presentation the
text is the 1st person narrative. The type of speech employed by the author is
mostly narration with the elements of description and direct speech.
неділя, 29 листопада 2015 р.
Setting
The events in the short story “Boys and Girls” take place on a fox breeding farm. The father of the main character is a fox farmer. He breeds silver foxes, skins them and sells their fur. The narrator and her smaller brother Laird like watching their father doing skinning work, which he does in the cellar of their house each fall or early winter when the foxes’ fur is prime.
The narrator describes how in bed at the end of the day she can still smell foxes, and that this makes her comfortable. She gives the detailed description how the foxes are penned and cared for, and what the specific chores are that she performs to help her father. For example, she feeds and waters the foxes, rakes the ground around the pens.
The narrator describes how in bed at the end of the day she can still smell foxes, and that this makes her comfortable. She gives the detailed description how the foxes are penned and cared for, and what the specific chores are that she performs to help her father. For example, she feeds and waters the foxes, rakes the ground around the pens.
неділя, 15 листопада 2015 р.
Alice Munro (née Laidlaw) is a Canadian writer
primarily known for her short stories. Her first collection of stories was
published as Dance of the Happy Shades. In 2009, Munro won the Man Booker
International Prize. That same year, she published the short-story collection
Too Much Happiness. In 2013, at age 82, Munro was awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize
in Literature.
Munro's work has been described as having
revolutionized the architecture of short stories, especially in its tendency to
move forward and backward in time. Munro's fiction is most often set in her
native Huron County in southwestern Ontario. Her stories explore human
complexities in an uncomplicated prose style. Munro's writing has established
her as one of our greatest contemporary writers of fiction.
The short story "Boys and Girls" was originally
published in 1964 and subsequently in Munro's 1968 collection of short stories,
Dance of the Happy Shades.
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