Topic > Gender discrimination in boys and girls by Alice Munro

Gender roles/discriminations have been known for a long time and still exist today. In the story “Boys and Girls” written by Alice Munro, the main character faces the difficulties of breaking gender stereotypes while being surrounded by people who do not support her decisions. In this story, the protagonist, who remains nameless, wants to follow in her father's footsteps in the fox breeding business. This is the situation of a young woman who is in conflict between the work she has to do and the work that her sexual orientation allows her to do. He wants to fulfill his father's career by raising foxes for their pelts, which is usually a man's job. This idea causes her mother to not help but contradict the young woman's need to support her father. The mother pushes the girl to help her with household chores while her brother, Laird, is pushed to do a more important job to help their father. The conflict in the story helps us understand the ongoing gender stereotype that the main character faces during his quest to discover what he truly wants to accomplish. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Alice Munro's assemblage of an anonymous female character suggests that this character is devoid of personality or to show the weakness/lesser importance of a woman. However, his brother is mentioned. The young brother Laird (meaning lord) suggests that he, by the excellence of his sexual orientation alone, possesses personality and is viewed more favorably in their family. This stereotype in names alone implies that sex plays a significant role from the beginning of childhood through adulthood. This name symbolizes society's prejudice against men and how the male child was predominant to their parents. The way the main character remains anonymous while his brother was given the name Laird implies the distinction between the sexes. The protagonist's dream of being able to help her father in his work is shattered when she understands society's point of view and desires towards her. The girl needs to work with her father on the farm and she likes the consideration her father gives her while she works. This is demonstrated when a salesman comes to the ranch while the girl helps her father rake freshly cut grass; her father introduces her as his 'new mercenary'. The seller replies: 'I could have been wrong... I thought it was just a girl.' If it had been her brother, Laird, rather than the young woman, the circumstances would likely have been different. The seller's response clearly shows that everyone in this time period thinks what the main character is doing is strange. It is also clear that the protagonist is not willing to recognize and ensure her responsibilities as a woman in society, basically in light of the fact that she would not want to be the young woman that the entire society expects a girl to be. She's making a decent attempt to find out what her identity is, but she wouldn't want to do feminine tasks like staying at home. Laird becomes interested in the masculine work of hunting and killing the horse, and the main character, while not yet embracing his mother's work, is detaching himself from his father's work and turning to the more feminine work of decorating his room . . Neither sings songs anymore, although the narrator continued to enjoy himself, Laird began to stop. This is an example of both Laird becoming more masculine, because he no longer wants to sing songs, and the narrator becoming more feminine,why he bends so easily to his brother's opinion. Laird has begun to accept the role of "leader" instead of simply being the younger brother, and the narrator takes the opinions of others into consideration when deciding his actions, instead of simply doing what he wants. From the beginning to the end of the story, the narrator undergoes a transformation from a farm child to a young woman. From my point of view, it's not particularly masculine to begin with; she's more of a blank slate trying to rebel against what she sees as an unjust society. Even though it's clear that the main character would much rather be with her father, the family continually pushes the girl to be a girl who sticks to her gender role. The way the narrator adores her father provides further evidence of her attempt to break gender stereotypes. As time passes, the burden on his family becomes harder to avoid. The main character's grandmother seems to be the ideal example of how women were regarded. Having grown up in a time when the principles imposed on women were much stricter, the grandmother best expresses what the mentality of a young woman should be. "'Girls don't slam doors like that.' "Girls keep their knees together when they sit." The narrator does not give in to the advice offered to her, and reacts with resistance. From then on, she continues to slam doors and sit in an unfeminine way, hoping that this will help her free. The protagonist is not willing to recognize and guarantee her role as a woman in society - an inclination that disturbs her mother and it is precisely at this moment that the mother consciously forces the protagonist to carry out tasks around the house, preparing her for what lies ahead. is expected later throughout her life. The young woman, despite everything, seems to accept that, in case she does not fit the principles of society, she can find her opportunity and one way or another break this stereotype. Grandma comes from a time when there were much stricter standards for young women. The main character's parents are less strict than Grandma and much less outspoken. She expresses what she was taught when she was a young girl. At the time, young women were expected to be humble and obedient, while a man was relied on to be muscular and have a stronger appearance. There is a prominent line in consideration of the obligations that young men and women must expect to place in a safe place for men and women on the ranch and inside the house separately. Common generalizations in the book regarding the qualities of young men and young women describe young men as predominant and strong while young women remain aloof and silent in accepting their work in the general public. Furthermore, it is recommended that troublesome farm work and fox hunting be the future responsibility of young men, while housework is intended for young women. The protagonist enjoys helping out on the farm, which is a man's job, and continually seeking her father's approval as she distances herself from and avoids her mother and grandmother's advice to work around the house. Keep in mind: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In the story, it is evident that the main character's parents take into account their daughter's attitude and perspectives regarding the issue of sexual orientation. Parents also encouraged gender roles by raising their children dependent on social structures and standards, ignoring the main character's qualities and needs. Towards the beginning of the story, the main character has no vision..