Theme

1.      Alice Munro’s “Boys and Girls” is a story about a girl and her desire to be free from the conventional role of women.

a.       The lack of freedom is suggested in the description of the farm and the God like control her father has over it.

                                                              i.      “Alive, the foxes inhabited a world my father made for them” (150)

                                                            ii.      Compare the role of the horse’s life to hers- the type of life they have while alive - until their end, (existence of male vs. female horse).

b.      The Girl does not feel her mother’s contribution to the farm is of value.

                                                              i.      The Girl spends her time working on the farm is referred to as useful, everything about the farm even the killing of animals is shed in a positive light.  Everything to do with the house is depicted as dark and dreary.

                                                            ii.      She sees her mother as the person who want to hold her back from what she loves to do “although she knew I hated it (because she knew I hated it) and keep me from working for my father” (152)

c.       The overall view of women the idea that women are valued differently than men is evident throughout the story.

                                                              i.      The girl in the story is not named, not even when her parents are having a conversation about her, but the animals are.

                                                            ii.      She puts value in the men’s work. “work done out of doors, and in my father’s services, was ritualistically important.” (151)

 

2.      Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is a story about a family who goes on road trip and ends up getting murdered.

a.       The Misfit is mentioned throughout the story; the grandmother is the misfit in the family. The two reveal a strong connection at the end of the story.

                                                              i.      The grandmother is the main character in the story, but a tolerance to the family, her son ignores her and the children disrespect her.

                                                            ii.      The connection between the misfit and the grandmother is when her son speaks harshly to her. The Misfit has a pang of pity for her because she is being treated by her son as he has been treated by society.

b.      The Grandmother thought of herself as a lady, the way she dressed and talked with people who she thought worthy.

                                                              i.      She discussed issues with Red Sam, but not his wife.

                                                            ii.      She had a long dialogue with the Misfit, even after he killed her son and grandchildren.

c.       The scenery changes along the way during their trip play into the life and death theme.

                                                              i.      “she thought it was going to be a good day for driving, neither too hot nor too cold,” (259).  As they get closer to their doom, “they drove off again into the hot afternoon”(261)

                                                            ii.      The forest is described as beautiful as seen from above then when the grandmother realizes who the Misfit is “Behind them the line of woods gaped like a dark open mouth”(264) very fitting place to murder the family.