English 113.3
Essay #1
Kendra Wack
Barry Popowich
1156959
Boys and Girls written by Alice Munro is a short story written from the
perspective of a first person narrative. Boys and Girls emphasizes the feeling of loss as a
major theme throughout the story, loss is portrayed through out the story as the narrator
begins to lose personal ideas, and values the story because of the continual pressure she
was faced with. The narrative of Boys and Girls was spoken through a daughter of a fox
farmer in the early 1900’s; this narration explicitly highlights the generational and sexist
paradigms of this time. The paradigms, expectations, farm life and other characters, such
as the narrators’ family continually pressure the loss of self that the daughter develops
and continually grapples with as the short story precedes.
The narrators’ brother, named Laird was one of the major reasons for the loss of
self the narrator had experienced. The name Laird is significant through the story, the
name Laird comes from the word Lord; this continually represents the lack of
appreciation that the narrator experienced being a woman during this time. Before Laird
was old enough to be help on the farm the narrator enjoyed helping her father with the
chores in the farm; this brought the narrator a sense of pride and contentment. As Laird
grew older he began took over the role of farm hand, thus forcing the narrator to partake
in her the stereotypical role of a woman on the farm, moving her from outside helping her
father to inside assisting her mother. The honor and enjoyment the narrator felt when she
was helping her father on the farm passed as she began to fulfill her role inside with her
mother.
As Laird got older the narrator’s mother continually pressured the narrator to
begin her stereotypical role as a woman on the farm. This continual pressure that the
narrator felt to conform to these expectations increased, as she got older. These roles
were continually subjects of importance as statements of expectation were made towards
the narrator and her roles within society and within the family. Family members, as well
as from people from the public, continually made statements of expectations through the
story. These statements were often commands made towards her such as “girls keep their
knees together when they sit down” as well as “girls don’t slam doors like that”. These
statements and expectations continually pressured her to conform to the expectations that
society and stereotypes outlined for her. These pressures and expectations became more
prominent the narrator then began to express and go through greater stages of loss of self.
Stereotypical expectations of the narrator increased, as she became older.
Throughout the story the narrator shifts from child to young adult, the reader develops an
expectation for the narrator to fulfill her stereotypical roles as a young woman during this
era. Loss of self can be predicted through preceding events that occur in the story,
foreshadowing of the major theme; loss is shown early in the story. The narrator gives
vivid details about the loss of animals on the farm. There is detailed description about the
skinning and butchering of the foxes that they family had raised. This vivid description of
the loss of the animals that she loved on the farm gives the reader insight towards the loss
of self the narrator experiences. As the narrator began to work less on the farm she began
to experience continual loss of self.
The final metaphor of the family horse being released by the narrator represents
the complete loss self and the fight to rebel against the stereotypes the narrator previously
had. This final act of rebellion represents her frustrations and fight towards the
stereotypical pressures being released as she finally decides to conform to the societal
gender stereotypes. This action metaphorically represents the complete loss of the
narrators’ fight and struggle she had been facing since she was a child. This
representation gives the reader the understanding that the narrator is finally ready to give
up the continual fight by pursuing a final rebellious act towards the characters that
continually pressured her to conform. After Laird and the father finally catch Flora, the
horse is killed as meat for the foxes. This harsh ending of the horses’ life is comparable to
the narrators’ loss as she fought and tried to free herself from the roles expected; with the
inevitable outcome of loss of passion for the narrator.
The loss of self is continually outlined through the story as the author emphasizes
the pressures that the narrator felt as she was facing. The metaphorical loss of her animals
outlined thoroughly throughout the story, such as fox butchering became foreshadowing
towards the loss that he experiences within herself. The narrators’ frustration continually
increased, this frustration builds towards the end of the story when she releases Flora and
metaphorically releases the fight within herself. These paradigms and expectations
continually pressured the narrator as she molded to the outlined stereotypical roles.