Gender Roles In Boys And Girls By Alice Munroe

Society’s perception of individuals has had a monumental impact which dictates the way individuals act, ultimately leading to a changed self-perception of oneself. In the short story, “Boys and Girls” by Alice Munroe, when a girl begins to comprehend society’s male chauvinistic perception, the girl is pressured into conforming with the societal standards for 'proper girls'. Initially, the girl is portrayed as a carefree tomboy, oblivious to the societal expectations forced upon her as a girl. However, when the girl’s self-perception begins to shift, she rebels against society’s unfair expectations of her. Finally, through her encounter with the callous male world, she begins to conform with society’s gender roles. Despite an individual's secure identity, when society's prejudicial perception pressures an individual into …show more content…
The girl cannot comprehend society’s unwritten rules of inequality and her job as a female. The girl exhibits malevolent resentment towards her mother’s lackluster life and work, often dismissing the “hot dark kitchen” as "dreary and peculiarly depressing". Despite her mother’s love and care, the girl greatly undermines her mother’s significance in her life, often criticizing her pale, “out of place” complexion. Whenever the girl is asked to help the father with a task, the girl happily and obediently abides. By aligning herself with her father, the girl feels secure in the male sphere of influence and inclines towards the power and knowledge the father has. The juxtaposition between the father’s “ritualistically important” jobs and her mother’s “endless” chores, symbolizes the emerging conflict between societal expectation and her own desires. Through the girl’s inner turmoil, her conflicting perceptions allows her to recognize the complexity of society and prejudice towards women, ultimately leading to her loss of