Considering ideas and thoughts from a different perspective can be interesting to readers. Stepping into someone else’s shoes and looking at a story through their eyes can develop a reader’s connection with the narrator. The short story, “Boys and Girls,” which is written by Alice Munro, is told in first-person retrospective narration. The narrator does not formally introduce who they are in the story, which makes it the reader’s responsibility to learn who the narrator is. The secondary characters’ perspective and thoughts are told by the narrator. A reader must rely on the narrator to help develop the characters and learn more about who they are. When a story is being told in first-person narrative there are strengths and limitations that
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The narrator at the time of the story is known as a hard working character as she is working alongside her father most days, opposing the gender stereotype of women working outside. The reader will learn that the story is in first-person retrospective narration and is told by an older woman. The following quotation gives a hint to the reader that the narrator is a woman; “And then I can use her more in the house” is said by the narrator’s mother (Munroe 469). The quote is implying that the narrator should be working more indoors with her mother and not outdoors with her father. The narrator, also being the main character of the story is looking back on her childhood. A child would, not say the sentence; “I saw and kicked my heels monotonously,” This gives the reader the hint that the narrator is older. She reminisces during the winter when the family owned two horses, Mack and Flora (470). This allows the reader to learn that the story had taken place when the narrator was eleven years old from a child’s point of view. By putting together information from the story a reader will be able to create an identity of the …show more content…
A story told in one person’s point of view is first-person narrative. In the short story, the narrator did not introduce who she is to the audience. Therefore it is the reader’s responsibility to determine who the narrator is based on information they choose to share. Secondary characters were introduced from the narrator’s point of view. A reader must place their trust in the narrator to describe the other characters and the events they partake in to develop the story. First-person narrative has strengths and limitations that can affect the reader’s enjoyment of the story. Strengths in first-person narrative include being able to look back and explain the story in from a different age, a connection can be felt with the narrator, and being separated from the other characters turns the reader’s focus towards the narrator. Limitations in first-person narrative includes limited access to other characters, it can create bias towards events and other characters, and it can be difficult for the reader to understand who the narrator is since she did not introduce herself formally. Although there are limitations to first-person narrative, Munro had written the story in a way that makes it interesting to the reader to consider a new perspective and different point of
The narrator at the time of the story is known as a hard working character as she is working alongside her father most days, opposing the gender stereotype of women working outside. The reader will learn that the story is in first-person retrospective narration and is told by an older woman. The following quotation gives a hint to the reader that the narrator is a woman; “And then I can use her more in the house” is said by the narrator’s mother (Munroe 469). The quote is implying that the narrator should be working more indoors with her mother and not outdoors with her father. The narrator, also being the main character of the story is looking back on her childhood. A child would, not say the sentence; “I saw and kicked my heels monotonously,” This gives the reader the hint that the narrator is older. She reminisces during the winter when the family owned two horses, Mack and Flora (470). This allows the reader to learn that the story had taken place when the narrator was eleven years old from a child’s point of view. By putting together information from the story a reader will be able to create an identity of the …show more content…
A story told in one person’s point of view is first-person narrative. In the short story, the narrator did not introduce who she is to the audience. Therefore it is the reader’s responsibility to determine who the narrator is based on information they choose to share. Secondary characters were introduced from the narrator’s point of view. A reader must place their trust in the narrator to describe the other characters and the events they partake in to develop the story. First-person narrative has strengths and limitations that can affect the reader’s enjoyment of the story. Strengths in first-person narrative include being able to look back and explain the story in from a different age, a connection can be felt with the narrator, and being separated from the other characters turns the reader’s focus towards the narrator. Limitations in first-person narrative includes limited access to other characters, it can create bias towards events and other characters, and it can be difficult for the reader to understand who the narrator is since she did not introduce herself formally. Although there are limitations to first-person narrative, Munro had written the story in a way that makes it interesting to the reader to consider a new perspective and different point of