"Boys and Girls"

Term Paper # 91446

English > Analysis
Gender and Sexuality
Literature > American

"Boys and Girls"

Illustrates gender expectations of boys and girls through this short story by Alice Munro.

1,128 words () | 0 sources | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

Using the short story, "Boys and Girls" by Alice Munro, this essay explains the finer points of the societal gender expectations of boys and girls in the past. Many examples are used with quotations from the story to illustrate these points. Laird, the boy in the story, was favored over the girl to complete simple tasks on the farm. The expectations were that Laird do all of the outdoor work and that the girl should stay inside to cook and clean. In the end, a disaster ruins the girl's hopes of ever working outside of the house.

From the Paper:

"The girl had begun to accept her role on the farm as a passive female, which was expected of her at the time. She lost her sense of rebellion and with it her dreams and goals in life. Her actual dreams started to change. At first, she dreamed about rescuing others, now she dreams about being rescued. The girl has a sense of helplessness right now. No matter what she does, she will not have the chance to be herself. The horse, Flora parallels her story as well. Flora was a horse that was rebellious and untamed, which was much like the protagonist."