“Boys and Girls” by Alice Munro (Journal)

Want to read the rest of this paper? Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay and over 50,000 other term papers

I worked willingly under his eyes, and with a feeling of pride." Consequently, she began to fear working in the kitchen with her mother, and therefore loss respect for her mother's passive position in the household. When describing her mother's housework it was "endless" compared to her father's work outside, which was "ritualistically important." This obvious dislike for society's womanly duties symbolizes the narrator's desire to be more than "just a girl".

The protagonist in the story began to realize society's views of her when her father introduced her to a salesman, while she was working outside, as his "new hired hand". She was almost pleased until the salesman replied "I thought it was only a girl". Even her grandmother advices her, "Girls keep their knees together when they sit down." And "Girls don't slam doors like that." The worst was when she asked a question and her grandmother answered "That's none of a girl's business." Even after that, she continued to slam doors ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays. Write better papers. Get better grades. Already a member? Login

CITE THIS PAGE: