In this paper three short stories will be analyzed and compared, The Man Who Was Almost a Man by Richard Wright (1961) from the short story collection Short Fiction: An Anthology by Mark Levene and Rosemary Sullivan (2015), Ranch Girl by Maile Meloy (n.d., 2013), and Boys and Girls by Alice Munro (n.d., 1968). Although, these short stories have few similarities and many differences, the focus will be on the themes portrayed by the authors and the effects they have on the three young protagonists.
Richard Wright’s The Man Who Was Almost a Man (2015/1961) is about a boy by the name of Dave. Dave, a seventeen year old African-American boy, spends his days in the summer working in the fields. He struggles to prove his manliness and maturity. Dave, …show more content…
This young teenage girl, raised by her father, adoring horses, becomes agitated with the idea of staying on the farm for the rest of her life. The protagonist returns from college and resides at her family farm. The protagonist reverts from a life of travel to a life of security and comfort.
Alice Munro’s short story Boys and Girls (n.d., 1968) describes the life of a little girl who lives on a farm. The main characters include the Father, Mother, Daughter, a son named Laird, and Henry Bailey, who helps the Father around the property. The family raises silver foxes and relies on selling the pelts to fur trading companies. The functions of the farm, as well as the responsibilities of each family member are explored throughout the short story.
The three stories had few things in common but do share an adaptation of farm life into the themes; rite of passage and coming of age. The three stories resemble what life can be like for a child who dreams big in a place that resist to change. In the Man Who Was Almost a Man (Wright, 2015/1961) Dave reached his manhood by jumping on a train, leaving behind what was left of his childhood. In Ranch Girl (Meloy, n.d./2013) the narrator does the same. She left behind her childhood only to reach adulthood to realize and embrace her dull, safe upbringing. In Boys and Girls (Munro, n.d./1968) the main character achieved her rite of passage when she conformed …show more content…
Furthermore, demonstration that a coming of age story/rite of passage does not discriminate between colour of skin, gender, or socio-economic standing. This implies the innocence of a child changes when the real world becomes evident and the adulthood becomes dominant.
Boys and Girls by Alice Munro (n.d., 1968) is another story that depicts a life of a child on a farm who does struggle with a changing environment. The narrator, unwilling to change and wanting to remain being one of the boys, finds herself gripping onto her last bit of adolescent after a series of events. "She's only a girl, he said. I didn't protest that, even in my heart. Maybe it was true (n.d., 1968, para 45). In the end both narrators accept the role that is placed and by doing so transition through a rite of passage but do not obtain the same freedom of choice that Dave does in The Man Who Was Almost a
Richard Wright’s The Man Who Was Almost a Man (2015/1961) is about a boy by the name of Dave. Dave, a seventeen year old African-American boy, spends his days in the summer working in the fields. He struggles to prove his manliness and maturity. Dave, …show more content…
This young teenage girl, raised by her father, adoring horses, becomes agitated with the idea of staying on the farm for the rest of her life. The protagonist returns from college and resides at her family farm. The protagonist reverts from a life of travel to a life of security and comfort.
Alice Munro’s short story Boys and Girls (n.d., 1968) describes the life of a little girl who lives on a farm. The main characters include the Father, Mother, Daughter, a son named Laird, and Henry Bailey, who helps the Father around the property. The family raises silver foxes and relies on selling the pelts to fur trading companies. The functions of the farm, as well as the responsibilities of each family member are explored throughout the short story.
The three stories had few things in common but do share an adaptation of farm life into the themes; rite of passage and coming of age. The three stories resemble what life can be like for a child who dreams big in a place that resist to change. In the Man Who Was Almost a Man (Wright, 2015/1961) Dave reached his manhood by jumping on a train, leaving behind what was left of his childhood. In Ranch Girl (Meloy, n.d./2013) the narrator does the same. She left behind her childhood only to reach adulthood to realize and embrace her dull, safe upbringing. In Boys and Girls (Munro, n.d./1968) the main character achieved her rite of passage when she conformed …show more content…
Furthermore, demonstration that a coming of age story/rite of passage does not discriminate between colour of skin, gender, or socio-economic standing. This implies the innocence of a child changes when the real world becomes evident and the adulthood becomes dominant.
Boys and Girls by Alice Munro (n.d., 1968) is another story that depicts a life of a child on a farm who does struggle with a changing environment. The narrator, unwilling to change and wanting to remain being one of the boys, finds herself gripping onto her last bit of adolescent after a series of events. "She's only a girl, he said. I didn't protest that, even in my heart. Maybe it was true (n.d., 1968, para 45). In the end both narrators accept the role that is placed and by doing so transition through a rite of passage but do not obtain the same freedom of choice that Dave does in The Man Who Was Almost a