Dreams are something all humans share in common and they manifest the realization of our lives. They have a great influence over our essence and can provide colossal amounts of courage and strength to accomplish our greatest desires. However, when we do not have dreams to fight for our lives become meaningless and sorrowful, nevertheless this is the situation many people face throughout their lives. Broken dreams have become a popular theme among writers because a connection can be made with the theme and because there one’s truth can be faced. Whether dreams are forgotten or unaccomplished, there is a theory by philosopher Carl Jung that states, “Nothing has a stronger influence psychologically on their environment, and especially on their children, than the unlived lives of their parents”, incorporated into literary pieces, we are able to understand the impact thorough the work of several writers. The theme is encountered on “Boys and Girls” by Alice Munro, “Brother Dear” by Bernice Friensen, and “A Cap of Steve” by Morley Callaghan. The stories portray parents living vicariously through their children as well as the impact their social and economical status has on them therefore forcing their will upon them and leaving them with no choice but to resign to their life and fulfillment of their dreams. In the short stories, living vicariously is a common motif the protagonists are victims of. They are being manipulated by their parents to achieve for them what themselves failed to accomplish. In the short story “Boys and Girls”, the narrator who is part of the female minority, is faced with the paradox of becoming what society but especially her mother wants her to become. Later on realizing that she did not had a choice, an... ... middle of paper ... ...ronment they live in. Unfortunately many children struggle to obtain the support and faith from their mentors, leaving them broken and unhappy struggling throughout their lives. Instead of being unsupportive and unfaithful in dreams, parent should guide and encourage them to pursue them, aiding them in their way and sharing their previous knowledge in order for them to succeed and reach their greatest desires, therefore being part of their journey to success. Works Cited Callaghan, Morley “A Cap for Steve” Viewpoints 11. Ed, Amanda Joseph and Wendy Mathieu. Alexandria, VA: Prentice Hall, 2001. Print. Friesen, Bernice “Brother Dear” Viewpoints 11. Ed, Amanda Joseph and Wendy Mathieu. Alexandria, VA: Prentice Hall, 2001. Print. Munro, Alice ““Boys and Girls” Viewpoints 11. Ed, Amanda Joseph and Wendy Mathieu. Alexandria, VA: Prentice Hall, 2001. Print.
Harmon, William, William Flint Thrall, Addison Hibbard, and C. Hugh Holman. A Handbook to Literature. 11th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009. Print.
Gender socialization between boys and girls have been a topic of controversy for years. With views varying from supportive to disproving, one general consensus can be drawn from either side: gender socialization is the foundation of how children are brought up and is the primary reason for how boys and girls view the world in different ways. In Michael Lewis’s “Buy That Little Girl an Ice Cream Cone”, the reader is given personal anecdotes about Lewis’s family vacation trip to Bermuda, followed by an event that shaped the way he viewed both his two young daughters and the socialization of parents towards their children. Society’s differentiation between how boys and girls should act and behave is the main indication that children are socialized
McQuade, Donald, ed. The Harper American Literature. Harper & Row Publishers: New York, 1987, pp. 1308-1311. This paper is the property of NetEssays.Net Copyright © 1999-2002
Coontz, Stephanie. “For Better, For Worse.” The Contemporary Reader. Ed. Gary Goshgarian. 10th edition. Boston: Longman, 2011. 496-499. Print.
Danzer, Gerald, J. Jorge Klor de Alva, Larry Krieger, Louis Wilson, and Nancy Woloch. The Americans. 1. 1. McDougal Little, 2005. 1121. Print.
King, Larry, and Cal Fussman. My Remarkable Journey. 1st ed. New York: Weinstein, 2009. Print.
In the story, the narrator is forced to tell her story through a secret correspondence with the reader since her husband forbids her to write and would “meet [her] with heavy opposition” should he find her doing so (390). The woman’s secret correspondence with the reader is yet another example of the limited viewpoint, for no one else is ever around to comment or give their thoughts on what is occurring. The limited perspective the reader sees through her narration plays an essential role in helping the reader understand the theme by showing the woman’s place in the world. At ...
...s and Contexts. Ed. Stephen A. Scipione Feinstein and Marisa. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin's, n.d. 119-34. Print. 29 Oct. 2013.
In Alice Munro’s “Boys and Girls” she tells a story about a young girl’s resistance to womanhood in a society infested with gender roles and stereotypes. The story takes place in the 1940s on a fox farm outside of Jubilee, Ontario, Canada. During this time, women were viewed as second class citizens, but the narrator was not going to accept this position without a fight.
Rose, Mike. "Lives on the Boundary." The Presence of Others. Eds. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997. 45-200.
Rose, Mike. "Lives on the Boundary." The Presence of Others. Eds. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997. 97-111.
Bishop, J. Michael. "Enemies of Promise." The Presence of Others:Voices that Call for Response. 2nd ed. Ed Andrea A. Lunsford and John J.Ruszkiewics. New York:St Martin's Press, 1997. 255-263.
philosaphy. ED.J.Baird Callicott and robert Fdrodeman usa, 2009, 458-463. opposing view points in context. web.12 feb.2014
In conclusion, through critical analysis and comparison of the two tales, it is evident tales shape gender mindsets at certain points in time whilst being shaped by changing mindsets, thereby producing more and new ideas on gender through women's place in story, the process of becoming a woman and on which gender blame tends to be put.
In Alice Munro’s “Boys and Girls,” there is a time line in a young girl’s life when she leaves childhood and its freedoms behind to become a woman. The story depicts hardships in which the protagonist and her younger brother, Laird, experience in order to find their own rite of passage. The main character, who is nameless, faces difficulties and implications on her way to womanhood because of gender stereotyping. Initially, she tries to prevent her initiation into womanhood by resisting her parent’s efforts to make her more “lady-like”. The story ends with the girl socially positioned and accepted as a girl, which she accepts with some unease.