ALICE MUNRO

"Boys And Girls"

My father was a fox farmer. That is, he raised silver foxes, in pens; and in
the fall and early winter, when their fur was prime, he killed them and
skinned them and sold their pelts to the Hudson's Bay Company or the
Montreal Fur Traders. These companies supplied us with heroic calendars to
hang, one on each side of the kitchen door. Against a background of cold
blue sky and black pine forests and treacherous northern rivers, plumed
adventures planted the flags of England and or of France; magnificent
savages bent their backs to the portage.
For several weeks before Christmas, my father worked after supper in
the cellar of our house. the cellar was whitewashed , and lit by a hundredwatt bulb over the worktable. My brother Laird and I sat on the top step and
watched. My father removed the pelt inside-out from the body of the fox,
which looked surprisingly small, mean, and rat-like, deprived of its arrogant
weight of fur. The naked, slippery bodies were collected in a sack and buried
in the dump. One time the hired man, Henry Bailey, had taken a swipe at me
with this sack, saying, "Christmas present!" My mother thought that was not
funny. In fact she disliked the whole pelting operation--that was what the
killing, skinning, and preparation of the furs was called and wished it did
not have to take place in the house. There was the smell. After the pelt had
been stretched inside-out on a long board my father scraped away delicately,
removing the little clotted webs of blood vessels, the bubbles of fat; the
smell of blood and animal fat, which the strong primitive odor of the fox
itself, penetrated all parts of the house. I found it reassuringly seasonal, like
the smell of oranges and pine needles.
Henry Bailey suffered from bronchial troubles. He would cough and cough
until his narrow face turned scarlet, and his light blue, derisive eyes filled up
with tears; then he took the lid off the stove, and, standing well back, shot
out a great clot of phlegm hss straight into the heart of the flames. We
admired his for this performance and for his ability to make his stomach
growl at will, and for his laughter, which was full of high whistlings and
gurglings and involved the whole faulty machinery of his chest. It was
sometimes hard to tell what he was laughing at, and always possible that it
might be us.

ALICE MUNRO
"Boys And Girls"
Tatal meu avea o ferma de vulpi. Asta e, chiar crestea vulpi in niste custi, iar
catre toamna sau inceputul iernii, atunci cand blana lor era mai fumoasa, le
omora si le jupuia pentru a o vinde Companiei Hudson Bay sau Negutatorilor de
Blanuri de la Montreal. Aceste societati ne ofereau eroice calendare anuale, pe
care le atarnam de o parte si de cealalta a usii de la bucatarie. Pe fundalul unui
albastru rece al cerurilor si a verdelui unor paduri de brazi se infoiau
indraznetele steaguri ale Angliei si Frantei; magnifice salbaticiuni isi intorceau
spatele unor involburate rauri.
Vreme de cateva saptamani inainte de Craciun, tatal meu lucra dupa cina
in pivnita casei. Pivnita era varuita in alb si luminata deasupra unei mesei de un
bec de sute de watti. Fratele meu Laird si cu mine stateam pe partea de sus a
scarilor si urmaream ce se petrecea. Tatal meu scotea blana dinauntru, in afara
trupurilor vulpilor, ce pareau a fi surprinzator de mici, prapadite, asemeni unor
sobolani, dupa ce erau lipsite de aroganta greutate a blanilor lor. Corpurile
dezgolite, lucioase erau adunate in saci si aruncate intr-o groapa. Odata, un
angajat de-al nostru, pe nume Henry Bailey, a aruncat in mine cu un astfel de
sac, spunandu-mi, "Cadou de Craciun!" Mamei mele nu i-a placut deloc gluma
asta. De fapt, nu putea suporta toata aceasta treaba, ce presupunea uciderea,
jupuirea si pregatirea blanurilor si isi dorea sa nu se petreaca intre peretii casei
noastre. Pe langa asta, mai era si mirosul! Dupa ce o blana era "dezbracata" de
pe un animal, tatal meu o curata delicat, indepartand micile pete de vase de
sange si stropii de grasime; mirosul de sange si grasime animala, impreuna cu
odoarea de salbaticie a vulpilor se raspandea in toate ungherele casei. Cu
timpul, mi s-a parut ca acesta este un reper statornic al anului, la fel ca si
mirosul portocalelor si al acelor brazilor.
Henry Bailey avea probleme cu bronsita. Era in stare sa tuseasca fara
oprire, pana cand fata ii devenea vinetie, iar ochii i se albastreau, umplandu-ise jalnic cu lacrimi; ridica apoi capacul sobei si, proptindu-se bine in spate,
arunca o mare mare flegma - hass - direct in adancul flacarilor. Il admiram
pentru aceasta performanta si pentru talentul sau de a-si face stomacul sa
chioraiasca la comanda, dar si pentru rasul sau, plin de stridente fluieraturi si
bolboroseli, ce ii punea la treaba intreaga masinarie stricata a pieptului. Uneori,
era greu sa explici de ce anume ii erau provocate hohotelile, fiind totusi mereu
1

After we had sent to be we could still smell fox and still hear Henry's
laugh, but these things reminders of the warm, safe, brightly lit downstairs
world, seemed lost and diminished, floating on the stale cold air upstairs. We
were afraid at nigh in the winter. We were not afraid of outside though this
was the time of year when snowdrifts curled around our house like sleeping
whales and the wind harassed us all night, coming up from the buried fields,
the frozen swamp, with its old bugbear chorus of threats and misery. We
were afraid of inside, the room where we slept. At this time upstairs of our
house was not finished. A brick chimney went up on wall. In the middle of
the floor was a square hole, with a wooden railing around it; that was where
the stairs came up. On the other side of the stairwell wee the things that
nobody had any use for anymore a soldiery roll of linoleum, standing on
end, a wicker bay carriage, a fern basket, china jugs and basins with cracks in
them, a picture of the Battle of Balaclava, very sad to look at. I had told Laird,
as soon as he was old enough to understand such things, that bats and
skeletons lived over there; whenever a man escaped from the county jail,
twenty miles away, I imagined that he had somehow let himself in the
window and was hiding behind the linoleum. But we had rules to keep us
safe. When the light was on, we were safe as long as we did not step off the
square of worn carpet which defined our bedroom-space; when the light was
off no place was safe but the beds themselves. I had to turn out the light
kneeling on the end of my bed, and stretching as far as I could to reach the
cord.
In the dark we lay on our beds, our narrow life rafts, and fixed our eyes on
the faint light coming up the stairwell, and sang songs. Laird sang "Jingle
Bells", which he would sing any time, whether it was Christmas or not, and I
sang "Danny Boy". I loved the sound of my own voice, frail and supplicating,
rising in the dark.
.... ...

posibil sa ii fie starnite de noi.

Desi ne confruntam mereu cu mirosul de vulpe si cu rasul lui Henry,
aceste lucruri ne aduceau aminte de lumina calda, sigura, stralucitoare din
lumea de dedesupt, pe masura ce acestea se diminuau, plutind vag in aerul
ranced si rece de deasupra. In timpul noptilor de iarna eram cuprinsi de teama.
Nu ne inspaimantam atat de ceea ce era afara, desi era acea vreme a anului
cand palele de zapada se incolaceau in jurul casei noastre asemeni unor balene
adormite si vantul nu ne dadea pacea toata noaptea, sosit din campuri
ingropate de nea, din mlastini inghetate, cu zvonurile sale de rau augur, de
amenintari si necazuri. Ne era frica de ceea ce era inauntru, de locul in care
dormeam. In acel timp, partea de sus a locuintei noastre nu era inca terminata.
Un semineu din caramizi se inalta pe un perete. In mijlocul podelei se gasea o
gaura patrata, cu o balustrada de lemn in juru-i; aceasta dadea de veste despre
scarile ce urmau a se cladi acolo. In cealalta parte a putului scarilor se lasau
banuite lucruri pe care nu le mai folosea nimeni - un sul soldatesc de linoleum,
la unul din capete, un mare cufar de nuiele, un cos din ferigi, vase chinezesti si
oale crapate, o pictura a bataliei de la Balaclava, extrem de deprimanta la
prima vedere. Aveam totusi reguli ce ne tineau departe de pericole. Atunci
cand lumina era aprinsa, eram in siguranta atat vreme cat nu paseam in afara
covorului uzat ce ne delimita spatiul dormitorului; daca lumina era inchisa, nu
puteam fi aparati de orice risc, decat in paturile noastre. Trebuia sa inchid
lumina ingenunchind la marginea patului, si intinzandu-ma cat mai mult pentru
a pune mana pe snurul intrerupatorului.
Stateam intinsi in paturile noastre, ingustele barci de salvare ale vietii
noastre, cu ochii fixati catre lumina venind de deasupra scarilor, inganand
cantece. Laird canta "Jingle Bells", o bucata careia ii dadeam glas tot timpul,
indiferent daca era Craciun sau nu, dar ne uneam vocile si pentru cantecul
"Danny Boy." Imi placea sunetul glasului meu, plapand si implorator, inaltanduse in intuneric.
..............................

We could make out the tall frosted shapes of the windows now, gloomy
and white. When I came to the part, y the cold sheets but by pleasurable
emotions almost silenced me. You'll kneel and say an Ave there above me
What was an Ave? Every day I forgot to find out.
Laird went straight from singing to sleep, I could hear his long, satisfied,
bubbly breaths. Now for the time that remained to me, the most perfectly
private and perhaps the best time of the whole day, I arranged myself tightly

Am putea face n cele mai nalte forme ngheate ale ferestrelor acum ,
sumbru si alb . Cnd am ajuns la o parte , Y foile de rece, dar emoiile de
placute aproape ma redus la tcere . Vei ngenuncheaz i spune o Ave acolo
sus ma - Ce a fost un Ave ? n fiecare zi am uitat s aflu .
Laird dus direct la cntnd la somn , am putut auzi sale satisfcui respiraii
lungi , , Bulbuc . Acum, pentru timpul care a rmas pentru mine , momentul cel
mai perfect privat i , probabil, cel mai bun din toat ziua , m-am aranjat bine
2

under the covers and went on with one of the stories I was telling myself
from night to night. These stories were about myself, when I had grown a
little older; they took place in a world that was recognizably mine, yet one
that presented opportunities for courage, boldness, and self-sacrifice, as
mine never did. I rescued people from a bombed building (it discouraged me
that the real war had gone on so far away from Jubilee). I shot two rabid
wolves who were menacing the schoolyard (the teachers cowered terrified
at my back). Rode a fine horse spiritedly down the main street of Jubilee,
acknowledging the townspeoples gratitude for some yet-to-be-worked-out
piece of heroism (nobody ever rode a horse there, except King Billy in the
Orangemens Day parade). There was always riding and shooting in these
stories, though I had only been on a horse twice the first because we did
not own a saddle and the second time I had slid right around and dropped
under the horse's feet; it had stepped placidly over me. I really was learning
to shoot, but could not hit anything yet, not even tin cans on fence posts.
Alive, the foxes inhabited a world my father made for them. It was
surrounded by a high guard fence, like a medieval town, with a gate that was
padlocked at night. Along the streets of this town were ranged large, sturdy
pens. Each of them had a real door that a man could go through, a wooden
ramp along the wire, for the foxes to run up and down on, and a kennel
sometimes like a clothes chest with airholes where they slept where they
slept and stayed in winter and had their young. There were feeding and
watering dishes attached to the wire in such a way that they could be
emptied and cleaned from the outside. The dishes were made of old tin cans,
and the ramps and kennels of odds and ends of old lumber. Everything was
tidy and ingenious; my father was tirelessly inventive and his favorite book in
the world was Robinson Crusoe. He had fitted a tin drum on a wheelbarrow,
for bringing water down to the pens. This was my job in the summer, when
the foxes had to have water twice a day. Between nine and ten o'clock in the
morning, and again after supper. I filled the drum at the pump and trundled
it down through the barnyard to the pens, where I parked it, and filled my
watering can and went along the streets. Laird came too, with his little cream
and green gardening can, filled too full and knocking against his legs and
slopping water on his canvas shoes. I had the real watering can, my father's,
though I could only carry it three-quarters full.
The foxes all had names, which were printed on a tin plate and hung
beside their doors. They were not named when they were born, but when
they survived the first years pelting and were added to the breeding stock.

sub capacele i a continuat cu una dintre povetile mi spuneam de la noapte la

noapte . Aceste poveti au fost despre mine , cnd am crescut un pic mai n
vrst , au avut loc ntr-o lume care a fost recunoscut ca a mea , dar unul care a
prezentat oportunitile de curaj , ndrzneal , i sacrificiul de sine , cum nu al
meu a fcut . Am salvat oameni de la o cldire bombardat ( ma descurajat c
rzboiul real, a mers pe att de departe de Jubilee ) . Am mpucat doi lupi
turbati care au fost amenintorcolii ( profesorii ghemuit ngrozii la spatele
meu ) . Clrea un cal bun spiritedly pe strada principal a Jubileului ,
recunoscnd recunotinaorenilor pentru unii nc - a - fi - a lucrat -out
bucat de eroism ( nimeni nu a mers vreodat un cal acolo , cu excepia Regele
Billy n parada de Ziua Orangemen lui ) . Nu a fost ntotdeauna de echitatie i
fotografiai n aceste poveti , dei am fost doar pe un cal de dou ori - prima
pentru c nu avea o a - i a doua oar am alunecat dreapta n jurul i a sczut
sub picioarele calului , ea a pit linitit peste mine . Am fost ntr-adevr de
nvare pentru a trage , dar nu ar putea lovi nc nimic , nici mcar cutii de
conserve pe posturile gard .
n via , vulpile locuit -o lume tatl meu a fcut pentru ei . Acesta a fost
inconjurat de un gard nalt de paza , ca un ora medieval , cu o poarta care a
fost blocat timp de noapte . Pe strzile din acest ora au variat de pixuri mari ,
robust . Fiecare dintre ele a avut o u adevrat c un om poate trece prin , o
ramp de lemn de-a lungul firului , pentru vulpi pentru a rula n sus i n jos pe ,
i o canisa - uneori ca un piept haine cu gauri de aerisire - unde au dormit unde
au dormit i a rmas n timpul iernii i au avut puii . Au fost hran i ap
preparate ataatesrm n aa fel nct s poat fi golite i curate din
exterior . Feluri de mncare au fost fcute din cutii de conserve vechi , precum
i rampe si canise de mruniuri de cherestea vechi . Totul era curat i
ingenios , tatl meu a fost neobosit inventiv i cartea sa favorit n lume a fost
Robinson Crusoe . El a montat un tambur cositor pe o roab , pentru a aduce
ap pn la pixuri . Aceasta a fost munca mea , n timpul verii , cnd vulpile
trebuie s aib ap de dou ori pe zi . ntre nou i zece dimineaa , i din nou
dup cin . Am umplut toba la pomp i trundled -l n jos , prin hambar cu
pixuri , unde am parcat-o , i a umplut udare meu poate i a mers de-a lungul
strzilor . Laird a venit prea , cu putin sau smntn i grdinrit verde poate ,
umplut prea plin i bate mpotriva picioare i mizeria de ap pe pantofi panza .
Am avut udare real poate , tatl meu , dei am putea transporta numai c trei
sferturi plin .
Vulpile au toate numele , care au fost imprimate pe o plac de tabl i
atrnat pe lng uile lor . Ei nu s-au numit atunci cnd s-au nscut , dar atunci
3

Those my father had named were called names like Prince, Bob, Wally, and
Betty. Those I had named were called Star or Turk, or Maureen or Diana.
Laird named one Maude after a hired girl we had when he was little, one
Harold after a boy at school, and one Mexico, he did not say why.
Naming them did not make pets out of them, or anything like it.
Nobody but my father ever went into the pens, and he had twice had bloodpoisoning from bites. When I was bringing them their water they prowled up
and down on the paths they had made inside their pens, barking seldom
they saved that for nighttime, when they might get up a chorus of
community frenzy--but always watching me, their eyes burning, clear gold, in
their pointed, malevolent faces. They were beautiful for their delicate legs
and heavy, aristocratic tails and the bright fur sprinkled on dark down their
back which gave them their name but especially for their faces, drawn
exquisitely sharp in pure hostility, and their golden eyes.
Besides carrying water I helped my father when he cut the long grass,
and the lamb's quarter and flowering money-musk, that grew between the
pens. He cut with they scythe and I raked into piles. Then he took a pitchfork
and threw fresh-cut grass all over the top of the pens to keep the foxes
cooler and shade their coats, which were browned by too much sun. My
father did not talk to me unless it was about the job we were doing. In this
he was quite different from my mother, who, if she was feeling cheerful,
would tell me all sorts of things the name of a dog she had had when she
was a little girl, the names of boys she had gone out with later on when she
was grown up, and what certain dresses of hers had looked like she could
not imagine now what had become of them. Whatever thoughts and stories
my father had were private, and I was shy of him and would never ask him
questions. Nevertheless I worked willingly under his eyes, and with a feeling
of pride. One time a feed salesman came down into the pens to talk to him
and my father said, "Like to have you meet my new hired hand." I turned
away and raked furiously, red in the face with pleasure.
"Could of fooled me." said the salesman. "I thought it was only a girl."
After the grass was cut, it seemed suddenly much later in the year. I
walked on stubble in the earlier evening aware of the reddening skies, on
entering silence of fall. When I wheeled the tank out of the gates and put
padlocks on. It was almost dark. One night at this time I saw my mother and
father standing talking on the little rise of ground we called the gangway, in
front of the barn. My father had just come from the meathouse; he had his
stiff bloody apron on, and a pail of cut-up meat in his hand.

cnd au supravieuit primului an pelting i au fost adugate pentru animalele

de reproducere . Cei care tatl meu ar fi nume au fost porecle precum Prince ,
Bob , Wally , i Betty . Cei care am numit -au numit Steaua sau turc , sau
Maureen sau Diana . Laird numit unul Maude dup o fat angajat am avut-o
cnd era mic , o Harold dup un biat de la coal , i o Mexic , el nu a spus de
ce .
Numirea ei nu au animale de companie din ele , sau ceva de genul asta .
Nimeni dar tatl meu sa dus vreodat n stilouri , i el a avut de doua ori
septicemie de la mucturi . Cnd am fost de a le aduce apa lor, ei trcoale n
sus i n jos pe cile le-au fcut n interiorul pixuri lor , latra rar - au salvat de pe
timp de noapte , atunci cnd s-ar putea obine un cor de frenezie comunitate dar mereu cu ochii pe mine , ochii lor ardere , aur curat , n ascuite feele lor ,
ruvoitoare . Ei au fost frumos pentru picioarele lor delicate i cozi grele ,
aristocratice si blana stralucitoare stropit pe ntuneric pe spatele lor - pe care
le-a dat numele lor - dar mai ales de feele lor , trase minunat brusc ostilitate
pur , i ochii lor de aur .
Pe lng transportul apei l-am ajutat pe tatl meu cnd a tiat iarba
lung , i un sfertde miel i nflorire bani - mosc , care a crescut ntre arcurile . El
a taiat cu coasa ei i am greblat n grmezi . Apoi a luat o furc i a aruncat
iarb proaspt tiat pe toat partea de sus a stilouri pentru a menine rece
vulpi i umbr hainele lor , care s-au rumenit de prea mult soare . Tatl meu nu
a vorbit cu mine dac nu era vorba de locuri de munc faceam . In aceasta el a
fost destul de diferit de la mama mea , care , n cazul n care ea se simte vesel ,
mi -ar spune tot felul de lucruri - numele unui caine ea a avut atunci cnd ea a
fost o feti , nume de baieti ea a plecat cu mai trziu, pe cnd ea a fost
crescut , i ce anumite rochii de ei au uitat ca - ea nu a putut imagina acum
ceea ce a devenit de ele . Oricare ar fi gndurile i povetile tatlui meu au fost
privat , i am fost timid de el i nu s-ar pune -i ntrebri . Cu toate acestea, am
lucrat de bun voie sub ochii lui , i cu un sentiment de mndrie . Un timp, un
vnztor de alimentare a venit n stilouri s vorbesc cu el i tatl meu a spus , "
Ca s te cunosc noul meu mna angajat . " M-am ntors i punctat furios , rou
la fa , cu plcere .
" Ar putea de m-ai pclit . " a spus vnztorul . " Am crezut ca a fost doar
o fat . "
Dup ce iarba a fost tiat , se pare dintr-o dat mult mai trziu n cursul
anului . Am intrat pe mirite , n seara devreme contieni de cer nroire , la
intrarea tcere de toamna . Cnd am roi rezervorul din porile i a pus lacte
pe . Era aproape ntuneric . ntr-o noapte , la acest moment am vzut mama i
4

It was an odd thing to see my mother down at the barn. She did not
often come out of the house unless it was to do something hang out the
wash or dig potatoes in the garden. She looked out of place, with her bare
lumpy legs, not touched by the sun, her apron still on and damp across the
stomach from the supper dishes. Her hair was tied up in a kerchief, wisps of
it falling out. She would tie her hair up like this in the morning, saying she did
not have time to do it properly, and it would stay tied up all day. It was true,
too; she really did not have time. These days our back porch was piled with
baskets of peaches and grapes and pears, bought in town, and onions an
tomatoes and cucumbers grown at home, all waiting to be made into jelly
and jam and preserves, pickles and chili sauce. In the kitchen there was a fire
in the stove all day, jars clinked in boiling water, sometimes a cheesecloth
bag was strung on a pole between two chairs straining blue-back grape pulp
for jelly. I was given jobs to do and I would sit at the table peeling peaches
that had been soaked in hot water, or cutting up onions, my eyes smarting
and streaming. As soon as I was done I ran out of the house, trying to get out
of earshot before my mother thought of what she wanted me to do next. I
hated the hot dark kitchen in summer, the green blinds and the flypapers,
the same old oilcloth table and wavy mirror and bumpy linoleum. My mother
was too tired and preoccupied to talk to me, she had no heart to tell about
the Normal School Graduation Dance; sweat trickled over her face and she
was always counting under breath, pointing at jars, dumping cups of sugar. It
seemed to me that work in the house was endless, dreary, and peculiarly
depressing; work done out of doors, and in my father's service, was
ritualistically important.
I wheeled the tank up tot he barn, where it was kept, and I heard my
mother saying, "Wait till Laird gets a little bigger, then you'll have a real
help."
What my father said I did not hear. I was pleased by the way he stood
listening, politely as he would to a salesman or a stranger, but with an air of
wanting to get on with his real work. I felt my mother had no business down
here and I wanted him to feel the same way. What did she mean about
Laird? He was no help to anybody. Where was he now? Swinging himself sick
on the swing, going around in circles, or trying to catch caterpillars. He never
once stayed with me till I was finished.
"And then I can use her more in the house," I heard my mother say. She
had a dead-quiet regretful way of talking about me that always made me
uneasy. "I just get my back turned and she runs off. It's not like I had a girl in

tata n picioare vorbind in crestere mica de teren am numit pasarela , n faa

hambar . Tatl meu tocmai a venit de la meathouse , a avut su or sngeros
rigid pe , i o gleat de carne cut- up n mna lui .
A fost un lucru ciudat s vd pe mama n jos, la hambar . Ea nu a venit
de multe ori afar din cas dac nu a fost de a face ceva - stausplare sau
cartofi sape n grdin . Ea sa uitat din loc , cu picioarele ei cocoloase goale , nu
atinse de soare , orul nc pe i umed pe stomacul de feluri de mncare cin .
Parul ei a fost legat ntr-o basma , mnunchiuri de ea se ncadreaz afar . Ea ar
lega prul n sus ca acest lucru n dimineaa , spunnd c nu au avut timp s o
fac n mod corespunztor , i ar rmne legat toat ziua . Este adevrat , de
asemenea , c ntr-adevr nu au avut timp . Aceste zile veranda noastr din
spate a fost pline cu couri de piersici i struguri si pere , cumprate n ora , i
ceap o roii i castravei cultivate la domiciliu , toi ateapt s fie fcute n
jeleu i gem i conserve , murturi i sos de chili . n buctrie era un foc n sob
toat ziua , borcane ciocnit n ap clocotit , uneori, un sac de pnz a fost
nirate pe un stlp ntre dou scaune strecurat pulpa de struguri albastru -back
pentru jeleu . Am fost dat de locuri de munc de fcut i mi-ar sta la masa
peeling piersici care au fost inmuiate in apa fierbinte , sau tiere pn ceapa ,
ochii usturime i de streaming . De ndat ce am terminat am fugit afar din
cas , ncercnd s ias din auditiv nainte de mama mea a crezut de ce a vrut
s fac n continuare . Am urt n buctrie fierbinte ntuneric n timpul verii ,
jaluzelele verzi i flypapers , aceeai mas muama vechi i oglind ondulat i
linoleum accidentat . Mama mea a fost prea obosit i preocupat s vorbeasc
cu mine , ea nu a avut inima s-i spun despre Normal absolvire scoala de dans ;
sudoare se prelingeau pe faa ei i ea a fost mereu de numrare n oapt ,
artnd la borcane , dumping cani de zahar . Mi se prea c munca n cas era
fr sfrit , trist , i deosebit de deprimant , munca efectuat de ui , i n
serviciul tatlui meu , a fost ritual important.
Am roi rezervorul de sus tot el hambar , unde a fost inut , i am auzit pe
mama mea spunnd , " Ateapt Laird devine un pic mai mare , atunci vei avea
un real ajutor . "
Ceea ce tatl meu a spus c nu am auzit . Am fost ncntat de modul n
care a fost ascultat , politicos ca el ar fi la un agent de vnzri sau un strin , dar
cu un aer de care doresc s mergem mai departe cu munca lui real . M-am
simit mama mea nu a avut afaceri aici i am vrut ca el s se simt la fel . Ce a
vrut s spun despre Laird ? El a fost nu ajuta pe nimeni . Unde era el acum ?
Swinging nsui bolnav pe leagn , merge n cerc , sau ncercarea de a prinde
omizi . El niciodat nu o dat a stat cu mine pn am terminat .
5

the family at all."

I went and sat on a feed bag in the corner of the barn, not wanting to
appear when this conversation was going on. My mother, I felt, was not to
be trusted. She was kinder than my father and more easily fooled, but you
could not depend on her, and the real reasons for the things she said and did
were not to be known. She loved me, and she sat up late at night making a
dress of the difficult style I wanted, for me to wear when school started, but
she was also my enemy. She was always plotting. She was plotting now to
get me to stay in the house more, although she knew I hated it (because she
knew I hated it) and keep me from working for my father. It seemed to me
she would do this simply out of perversity, and to try her power. It did not
occur to me that she could be lonely, or jealous. No grown-up could be; they
were too fortunate. I sat and kicked my heels monotonously against a feed
bag, raising dust, and did not come out till she was gone.
At any rate, I did not expect my father to pay any attention to what she
said. Who could imagine Laird doing my work Laird remembering the
padlock and cleaning out the watering dishes with a leaf on the end of a
stick, or even wheeling the tank without it tumbling over? It showed how
little my mother knew about the way things really were.
I had forgotten to say what the foxes were fed. My father's bloody apron
reminded me. They were fed horsemeat. At this time most farmers still kept
horses, and when a horse got too old to work, or broke a leg or got down
and would not get up, as they sometimes did , the owner would call my
father, and he and Henry went out to the farm in the truck. Usually they shot
and butchered the horse there, paying the farmer from five to twelve dollars.
If they had already too much meat on hand, they would bring the horse back
alive, and keep it for a few days or weeks in our stable, until the meat was
needed. After the war the farmers were buying tractors and gradually getting
rid of horses, that there was just no use for any more. If this happened in the
winter we might keep the horse in our stable till spring, for we had plenty of
hay and if there was a lot of snow and the plow did not always get our
roads cleared it was convenient to be able to go to town with a horse and
cutter.
The winter I was eleven years old we had two horses in the stable. We did
not know what names they had had before, so we called them Mack and
Flora. Mack was an old black workhorse, sooty and indifferent. Flora was a
sorrel mare, a driver. We took them both out in the cutter. Mack was slow
and easy to handle. Flora was given to fits of violent alarm, veering at cars

" i atunci eu pot folosi o mai mult n cas , " am auzit mama mea spune .
Avea un fel de regret mort -silenioas de a vorbi despre mine ca mereu ma
nelinitit . " Am doar spatele ntors i ea fuge . Nu e ca am avut o fat n
familie , la toate . "
M-am dus i sa aezat pe un sac de alimentare n colul din hambar , nu
doresc s apar atunci cnd aceast conversaie se ntmpl . Mama mea , mam simtit , nu a fost s fie de ncredere . Era buni dect tatl meu i mai uor de
pclit , dar nu ar putea depinde de ei , iar motivele reale pentru lucrurile pe
care ea a spus i a fcut nu ar fi cunoscut . Ea ma iubit , i a stat pn trziu n
noapte a face o rochie destil dificil am vrut , pentru mine de a purta atunci cnd
coala a nceput , dar ea a fost , de asemenea, inamicul meu . Ea a fost mereu
complot . Ea a fost complot acum s m fac s stea n cas mai mult , cu toate
c tia c -l uram ( pentru c tia l-am urt ) i ine-m de lucru pentru tatl
meu . Mi se prea c va face acest lucru pur i simplu din perversitate , i s
ncerce puterea ei . Ea nu a avut loc pentru mine faptul c ea ar putea fi singur ,
sau gelos . Nu crescut-up ar putea fi , ei au fost prea norocos . M-am aezat i a
lovit tocuri meu monoton mpotriva unui feed sac , ridicarea prafului , si nu a
ieit pn la ea a fost plecat .
n orice caz , nu m ateptam pe tatl meu s acorde nici o atenie la
ceea ce a spus ea . Cine ar putea imagina Laird face munca mea - Laird
amintindu lactul i cura feluri de mncare de udare cu o frunz la captul
unui b , sau chiar nvrtindu-se n rezervor , fr a se rostogolea peste ?
Acesta a artat ct de puin mama mea stia despre modul n care lucrurile ntradevr au fost .
Am uitat s spun ceea ce vulpile au fost hranite . or sngeroase
Tatl meu mi-a amintit . Ei au fost hrnite carne de cal . n acest moment
majoritatea fermierilor nc pstrat cai , i atunci cnd un cal ajuns prea vechi
pentru a lucra , sau a rupt un picior sau cobort i nu ar lua n sus, aa cum ,
uneori, au , proprietarul ar numi pe tatl meu , i el i Henry a ieit la ferma n
camion . De obicei, au mpucat i mcelrit calul acolo , plata fermierul cinci la
doisprezece dolari . Dac ar avea deja prea mult carne pe o parte , le-ar aduce
calul napoi n via , i pstrai-l pentru cteva zile sau sptmni n grajdul
nostru , pn cnd a fost nevoie de carne . Dup rzboi, fermierii au fost de
cumprare tractoare i, treptat, a scpa de cai , care nu a fost doar nici un folos
pentru orice mai mult. Dac acest lucru sa ntmplat n iarna am putea ine
calul n grajd noastre pn la primvar , pentru am avut o multime de fn i
dac a existat o mulime de zpad - i plugul nu a primit ntotdeauna
drumurile noastre eliminate - a fost convenabil pentru a putea du-te la ora cu
6

and even at other horses, but we loved her speed and high-stepping, her
general air of gallantry and abandon. On Saturdays we wen down to the
stable and as soon as we opened the door on its cozy, animal-smelling
darkness Flora threw up her head, rolled here eyes, whinnied despairingly,
and pulled herself through a crisis of nerves on the spot. It was not safe to go
into her stall, she would kick.
This winter also I began to hear a great deal more on the theme my
mother had sounded when she had been talking in front of the barn. I no
longer felt safe. It seemed that in the minds of the people around me there
was a steady undercurrent of thought, not to be deflected, on this one
subject. The word girl had formerly seemed to me innocent and unburdened
like the word child; now it appeared that it was no such thing. A girl was not,
as I had supposed, simply what I was; it was what I had to become. It was a
definition, always touched with emphasis, with reproach and
disappointment. Also it was a joke on me. Once Laird and I were fighting, and
for the first time ever I had to use all my strength against him; even so, he
caught and pinned my arm for a moment, really hurting me. Henry saw this,
and laughed, saying, "Oh, that there Lairds gonna show you, one of these
days!" Laird was getting a lot bigger. But I was getting bigger too.
My grandmother came to stay with us for a few weeks and I heard
other things. "Girls don't slam doors like that." "Girls keep their knees
together when they sit down." And worse still, when I asked some questions,
"That's none of girls business." I continued to slam the doors and sit as
awkwardly as possible, thinking that by such measures I kept myself free.
When spring came, the horses were let out in the barnyard. Mack
stood against the barn wall trying to scratch his neck and haunches, but Flora
trotted up and down and reared at the fences, clattering her hooves against
the rails. Snow drifts dwindled quickly, revealing the hard gray and brown
earth, the familiar rise and fall of the ground, plain and bare after the
fantastic landscape of winter. There was a great feeling of opening-out, of
release. We just wore rubbers now, over our shoes; our feet felt ridiculously
light. One Saturday we went out to the stable and found all the doors open,
letting in the unaccustomed sunlight and fresh air. Henry was there, just
idling around looking at his collection of calendars which were tacked up
behind the stalls in a part of the stable my mother probably had never seen.
"Come say goodbye to your old friend Mack?" Henry said. "Here, you
give him a taste of oats." He poured some oats into Lairds cupped hands and
Laird went to feed Mack. Mack's teeth were in bad shape. He ate very slowly,

un cal i tiere .
Iarna am avea unsprezece ani, am avut doi cai n grajd . Noi nu am tiut
ce nume au avut-o nainte , aa c le Mack i Flora numit . Mack a fost un
btrn cal de povar negru , acoperit de funingine i indifereni . Flora a fost o
mare mcri , un ofer . Noi amndoi au luat n tiere . Mack a fost lent i uor
de manevrat . Flora a fost dat la accese de alarma violente , de schimbare a
direciei la autoturisme i chiar la alte cai , dar am iubit -o vitez i de mare pas
cu pas , aerul ei general de vitejie i s abandoneze . n zilele de smbt newen pn la stabil i de ndat ce am deschis ua confortabile , flora ntuneric
animale mirositoare aruncat capul ei , laminate aici ochii , nechezat disperare ,
i se trase printr-o criz de nervi la faa locului . Nu era sigur pentru a merge n
standul ei , ea ar lovi cu piciorul .
n aceast iarn , de asemenea, am nceput s aud mult mai mult pe
tema mama mea a sunat atunci cnd ea a vorbit n faa hambar . Nu mai
simeam n siguran . Se pare c n mintea oamenilor din jurul meu nu a fost
un curent subteran constant de gndire , nu s fie deviat , pe aceasta tem .
Fata Cuvntul a trecut mi sa prut nevinovat i unburdened ca un copil cuvnt ,
acum se pare c a fost un astfel de lucru . O fat nu a fost , aa cum am
presupus , pur i simplu ceea ce am fost , a fost ceea ce am avut de a deveni . A
fost o definiie , ntotdeauna atins cu accent , cu repro i dezamgire . De
asemenea, a fost o glum pe mine . Odat Laird i am luptat , i pentru prima
dat am avut de a folosi toat puterea mea mpotriva lui , chiar i aa , el a
prins si fixat bratul meu pentru o clip , ntr-adevr ma doare . Henry a vzut
acest lucru , i a rs , spunnd , " Oh , c este Laird s-i art , una dintre aceste
zile ! " Laird a fost obtinerea mult mai mare . Dar am fost obtinerea mai mari
prea .
Bunica mea a venit s stea cu noi de cteva sptmni i am auzit alte
lucruri . " Fetele nu trnti uile aa . " " Fetele pstra genunchii mpreun atunci
cnd stai jos . " i mai ru , atunci cnd am pus cteva ntrebri , " Asta e treaba
fetelor . " Am continuat s trntesc uile i stau la fel de dur ca posibil ,
gndindu-se c prin astfel de msuri am inut eu liber .
Cnd a venit primvara , caii au fost lsai n hambar . Mack sttea de
perete hambar ncearc s zgrie gt i coapse lui , dar Flora copiat n sus i n
jos i crescute la garduri , clmpnind copitele mpotriva ine . Nmei diminuat
rapid , dezvluind pmntul gri si maro greu , creterea familiar i cderea de la
sol , simplu i a nscut dup peisajul fantastic de iarn . Nu a fost un sentiment
minunat de deschidere -out , de eliberare . Tocmai am purtat cauciuc acum ,
peste pantofi noastre , picioarele noastre simit ridicol de lumin . ntr-o
7

patiently shifting the oats around in his mouth, trying to find a stump of a
molar to grind it on. "Poor old Mack, said Henry mournfully. "When a horse's
teethes gone, he's gone. That's about the way.
"Are you going to shoot him today?" I said. Mack and Flora had been in
the stables so long I had almost forgotten they were going to be shot.
Henry didn't answer me. Instead he started to sing in a high, trembly,
mocking-sorrowful voice. Oh, there's no more work, for poor Uncle Ned, he's
gone where the good darkies go. Mack's thick, blackish tongue worked
diligently at Lairds hand. I went out before the song was ended and sat
down on the gangway.
I had never seen them shot a horse, but I knew where it was done. Last
summer Laird and I had come upon a horse's entrails before they were
buried. We had thought it was a big black snake, coiled up in the sun. That
was around in the field that ran up beside the barn. I thought that if we went
inside the barn, and found a wide crack or a knothole to look through, we
would be able to see them do it. It was not something I wanted to see; just
the same, if a thing really happened it was better to see, and know.
My father came down from the house, carrying a gun.
"What are you doing here?" he said.
"Nothing."
"Go on up and play around the house."
He sent Laird out of the stable. I said to Laird, "Do you want to see
them shoot Mack?" and without waiting for an answer led him around to the
front door of the barn, opened it carefully, and went in. "Be quiet or they'll
hear us," I said. We could hear Henry and my father talking in the stable;
then the heavy shuffling steps of Mack being backed out of his stall.
In the loft it was cold and dark. Thin crisscrossed beams of sunlight fell
through the cracks. The hay was low. It was rolling country, hills and hollows,
slipping under our feet. About four feet up was a beam going around the
walls, We piled hay up in one corned and I boosted Laird up and hoisted
myself. The beam was not very wide; we crept along it with our hands flat on
the barn walls. There were plenty of knotholes, and I found one that gave me
the view I wanted a corner of the barnyard, the gate, part of the field. Laird
did not have a knothole and began to complain.
I showed him a widened crack between two boards. "Be quiet and
wait. If they hear you you'll get us in trouble."
My father came in sight carrying the gun. Henry was leading Mack by
the halter. He dropped it and took out his cigarette papers and tobacco; he

smbt ne-am dus la grajd i a gsit toate uile deschise , lsnd n lumina
soarelui obisnuit si aer curat . Henry era acolo , doar ralanti n jurul caut la
colecia sa de calendare care s-au adus de pe spatele tarabe ntr- o parte din
stabile mama mea , probabil, nu mai vzuse niciodat .
" Vino la revedere de la vechiul tu prieten Mack ? " Henry a spus . " Aici ,
l-ai da un gust de ovz . " El a turnat nite ovz n minile fcute cu Laird Laird
i a mers s se hrneasc Mack . Dinii Mack au fost n stare proast . El a
mncat foarte ncet , cu rbdare trecerea de ovz n jurul gurii lui , ncercarea
de a gsi un ciot de un molar de a se pisa pe . " Bietul Mack , a spus Henry trist .
" Cnd teethes un cal plecat , a plecat . Asta e despre modul .
" Ai de gnd s-l mpute azi ? " I-am spus . Mack i Flora a fost n grajduri
att de mult timp am avut aproape uitat c au de gnd s fie mpucat . Henry
nu mi-a rspuns . n schimb, el a nceput s cnte ntr -o voce tremurtoare
mare , , batjocoritoare - trist . Oh , nu mai e de lucru , pentru sraci unchiul
Ned , el a mers acolo unde darkies buni merg . Gros , limba negricios Mack a
lucrat cu srguin la mna lui Laird . M-am dus nainte melodia a fost ncheiat
i se aez pe pasarel .
Nu am mai vzut mpucat un cal , dar am tiut unde a fost fcut . Vara
trecut Laird i am venit pe mruntaiele unui cal nainte de a fi ngropat. Ne-am
gndit c a fost o mare arpe negru , nfurat nsoare . Care a fost n jurul n
domeniu, care a fugit de lng hambar . M-am gndit c , dac ne-am dus n
interiorul hambar , i a gsit o fisur larg sau o knothole s se uite prin , ne-ar
putea vedea ei o fac . Nu a fost ceva ce am vrut s vd , la fel , dac ceva sa
ntmplat de fapt a fost mai bine pentru a vedea , i tiu . Tatl meu a venit de
lacasa , port ilegal de arma . " Ce faci aici ? " , a spus el . " Nimic . " " Du-te
i joac n jurul casei . "
El a trimis Laird din grajd . I-am spus s Laird , " Vrei s-i vezi trage
Mack ? " i fr a mai atepta un rspuns l-au condus n jurul la ua din fa a
grajd , a deschis-o cu grij , i a mers inch " Taci sau ne vor auzi ", am spus . Am
putut auzi Henry i tatl meu vorbesc n grajd , apoi paii grele amestecare de
Mack fi retras din stand su .
n pod era frig i ntuneric . Grinzi subiri impletite de lumina soarelui
czut prin fisuri . Hay a fost sczut . Acesta a fost de rulare ar , dealuri i
gropi , aluneca sub picioarele noastre . Aproximativ patru picioare pn fost un
fascicul merge n jurul zidurilor , am adunat fn ntr- o vit i am amplificat
Laird i eu arborat . Fasciculul nu a fost foarte mare , am strecurat mpreun cu
minile noastre plate pe perei hambar . Au fost o multime de knotholes , i am
gsit unul care mi-a dat punctul de vedere am vrut - un col dehambar , poarta ,
8

rolled cigarettes for my father and himself. While this was going on Mack
nosed around in the old, dead grass along the fence. Then my father opened
the gate and they took Mack through. Henry led Mack away from the path to
a patch of ground and they talked together, not loud enough for us to hear.
Mack again began to searching for a mouthful of fresh grass, which was not
found. My father walked away in a straight line, and stopped short at a
distance which seemed to suit him. Henry was walking away from Mack too,
but sideways, still negligently holding on to the halter. My father raised the
gun and Mack looked up as if he had noticed something and my father shot
him.
Mack did not collapse at once but swayed, lurched sideways, and fell,
first on his side; then he rolled over on his back and, amazingly, kicked his
legs for a few seconds in the air. At this Henry laughed, as if Mack had done a
trick for him. Laird, who had drawn a long, groaning breath of surprise when
the shot was fired, said out loud, "He's not dead." And it seemed to me it
might be true. But his legs stopped, he rolled on his side again, his muscles
quivered and sank. The two men walked over and looked at him in a
businesslike way; they bent down and examined his forehead where the
bullet had gone in, and now I saw his blood on the brown grass.
"Now they just skin him and cut him up," I said. "Let's go." My legs
were a little shaky and I jumped gratefully down into the hay. "Now you've
seen how they shoot a horse," I said in a congratulatory way, as if I had seen
it many times before. "Let's see if any barn cats had kittens in the hay." Laird
jumped. He seemed young and obedient again. Suddenly I remembered
how, when he was little, I had brought him into the barn and told him to
climb the ladder to the top beam. That was in the spring, too, when the hay
was low. I had done it out of a need for excitement, a desire for something to
happen so that I could tell about it. He was wearing a little bulky brown and
white checked coat, made down from one of mine. He went all the way up
just as I told him, and sat down from one of the beam with the hay far below
him on one side, and the barn floor and some old machinery on the other.
Then I ran screaming to my father. "Lairds up on the top beam!" My father
came, my mother came, my father went up the ladder talking very quietly
and brought Laird down under his arm, at which my mother leaned against
the ladder and began to cry. They said to me, "Why weren't you watching
him?" but nobody ever knew the truth. Laird did not know enough to tell.
But whenever I saw the brown and white checked coat hanging in the closet ,
or at the bottom of the rag bag, which was where it ended up, I felt a weight

o parte din teren . Laird nu au avut un knothole i a nceput s plng .

I- am artat -o crptur a crescut ntre dou plci . " Fii linitit i
ateapt . Dac auzi c ne vei avea probleme . "
Tatl meu a venit n vedere efectuarea arma . Henry a fost lider Mack de
cpstru . El a scpat i a luat n lucrrile sale igri i tutun , a rulat igri
pentru tatl meu i el nsui . n timp ce acest lucru se ntmpl pe Mack nas n
jurul n iarb vechi , mort de-a lungul gardului . Apoi, tatl meu a deschis poarta
i au luat Mack prin intermediul . Henry a condus Mack departe de calea spre
un petic de pmnt i au vorbit mpreun , nu suficient de tare pentru noi s
auzim . Mack a nceput din nou s cutarea pentru o gura de iarb proaspt ,
care nu a fost gsit . Tatl meu a plecat ntr -o linie dreapt , i sa oprit scurt la
o distan care prea s-l potrivi . Henry a fost de mers pe jos de la Mack prea ,
dar lateral , nc neglijen deine petreangul . Tatl meu a ridicat arma i
Mack privit ca n cazul n care el a observat ceva si tatal meu l-au mpucat .
Mack nu sa prbuit dintr-o dat , dar cltin , se repezi ntr-o parte , i
a czut , n primul rnd de partea lui , apoi a rostogoli pe spate i , uimitor , dat
picioarele pentru cteva secunde n aer . La aceast Henry rs , ca i n cazul n
care Mack a fcut un truc pentru el . Laird , care a atras o , respiraie lung
gemnd de surpriz atunci cnd a fost tras , a spus cu voce tare , " El nu este
mort . " i mi se prea c ar putea fi adevrat . Dar picioarele sa oprit , el a
rostogolit pe o parte din nou , muschii lui tremura i sa scufundat . Cei doi
brbai se duse i se uit la el ntr -un mod oamenilor de afaceri , care sa
aplecat i a examinat frunte unde glonul a trecut n , i acum am vzut sngele
lui pe iarb maro .
" Acum, ei doar l- piele i taie -l n sus ", am spus . " S mergem . "
Picioarele mele au fost un pic ubred i am srit cu recunotin n jos n fn . "
Acum, ai vzut cum se trage un cal , " i-am spus ntr -un fel de felicitare , ca i
cum a fi vzut-o de multe ori nainte . " S vedem dac toate pisicile hambar
avut pisoi n fn . " Laird srit . Prea tnr i asculttor din nou . Dintr-o data
mi-am amintit cum , cnd era mic , l-am adus n hambar i ia spus s urce pe
scara de grinda de sus . Asta a fost n primvar , de asemenea , atunci cnd
Hay a fost sczut . Am fcut-o dintr-o nevoie de entuziasm , o dorinta pentru
ceva s se ntmple , astfel nct am putea spune despre el . Purta un pic mai
voluminos maro i halat alb verificat , a fcut de la o de-a mea . El a mers tot
drumul pn la fel cum i-am spus , i a ezut jos la una din fascicul cu fn mult
sub el , pe de o parte , iar pe podea hambar i unele utilaje vechi pe de alt
parte . Apoi am fugit ipnd la tatl meu . " Laird e pe grinda de sus ! " Tatl
meu a venit , mama mea a venit , tatl meu a urcat pe scara vorbesc foarte
9

in my stomach, the sadness of unexorcised guilt.

I looked at Laird, who did not even remember this, and I did not like
the look on this thing, winter-paled face. His expression was not frightened
or upset, but remote, concentrating. "Listen," I said in an unusually bright
and friendly voice, "you aren't going to tell, are you?"
"No," he said absently.
"Promise."
"Promise," he said. I grabbed the hand behind his back to make sure he
was not crossing his fingers. Even so, he might have a nightmare; it might
come out that way. I decided I had better work hard to get all thoughts of
what he had seen out of his mind which, it seemed to m, could not hold
very many things at a time. I got some money I had saved and that afternoon
we went into Jubilee and saw a show, with Judy Canova, at which we both
laughed a great deal. After that I thought it would be all right.
Two weeks later I knew they were going to shoot Flora. I knew from
the night before, when I heard my mother ask if the hay was holding out all
right, and my father said, "Well, after tomorrow there'll just be the cow, and
we should be able to put her out to grass in another week." So I knew it was
Flora's turn in the morning.
This time I didn't think of watching it. That was something to see just
one time. I had not thought about it very often since, but sometimes when I
was busy, working at school, or standing in front of the mirror combing my
hair and wondering if I would be pretty when I grew up, the whole seen
would flash into my mind: I would see the easy, practiced way my father
raised the gun, and hear Henry laughing when Mack kicked his legs in the air.
I did not have any great feelings of horror and opposition, such as a city child
might have had; I was too used to seeing the death of animals as a necessity
by which we lived. Yet I felt a little ashamed, and there was a new wariness,
a sense of holding-off, in my attitude to my father and his work.
It was a fine day, and we were going around the yard picking up tree
branches that had been torn off in winter storms. This was something we
had been told to do, and also we wanted to use them to make a teepee. We
hard Flora whinny, and then my father's voice and Henry's shouting, and we
ran down to the barnyard to see what was going on.
The stable door was open. Henry had just brought Flora out, and she
had broken away from him. She was running free in the barnyard, from one
end to the other. We climbed on the fence. It was exciting to see her
running, whinnying, going up on her hind legs, prancing and threatening like

ncet i a adus Laird pe sub bra , la care mama mea se sprijini de scar i a
nceput s plng . Ei mi-a spus , " De ce nu au fost s-l uitam ? " dar nimeni nu
a tiut niciodat adevrul . Laird nu tiu suficient pentru a spune . Dar ori de
cte ori am vzut haina maro i alb verificat agat n dulap , sau n partea de
jos a sac de crp , care a fost acolo unde a ajuns , am simit o greutate n
stomac , tristeea de vinovie unexorcised .
M-am uitat la Laird , care nu-mi amintesc chiar i aceast , i eu nu-mi
place privirea de pe chestia asta , iarn - plit fa . Expresia lui nu a fost speriat
sau suprat , dar de la distan , de concentrare . " Ascult ", am spus cu o voce
neobinuit de luminos i prietenos , " nu suntei de gnd s spun , nu? "
" Nu ", a spus el absent . " Promise ". " Promise ", a spus el . Am luat
mna la spate pentru a se asigura c nu a fost de trecere degetele . Chiar i
aa , el ar putea avea un comar , s-ar putea veni n acest fel . M-am hotrt s
funcioneze mai bine greu pentru a obine toate gndurile de ceea ce vzuse
din mintea lui - care , se prea m , nu a putut ine foarte multe lucruri la un
moment dat . Am luat nite bani am salvat i c dup-amiaza ne-am dus n
Jubilee i a vzut un spectacol , cu Judy Canova , la care am rs amndoi o
afacere mare . Dup aceea m-am gndit c ar fi n regul .
Dou sptmni mai trziu, am tiut c au de gnd s trag Flora . Am
tiut de la o noapte nainte , cnd am auzit mama mea ntreb dac fn inea de
bine , i tatl meu a spus , " Ei bine , dup ziua de mine nu va mai fi la fel de
vac , iar noi ar trebui s poat s -i scoat la iarb ntr- o sptmn . " Aa c
am tiut c era rndul Flora n dimineaa .
De data asta nu cred c de -l uitam . Asta a fost ceva pentru a vedea
doar o singur dat . Nu m-am gndit la asta de foarte multe ori de atunci, dar ,
uneori, atunci cnd am fost ocupat , de lucru la coal , sau n picioare n faa
oglinzii pieptna prul meu si ma intrebam daca mi-ar fi destul de cnd am
crescut , tot vzut -ar clipi n mea minte : voi vedea mai uor , practicat tatl
meu a ridicat arma , i auzi Henry rs cnd Mack lovit picioarele n aer . Nu am
nici sentimente mari de groaz i de opoziie , cum ar fi un oras copil ar fi avut ,
am fost prea folosit pentru a vedea moartea animalelor ca o necesitate de care
am trit . Cu toate acestea, m-am simit un pic de ruine , i acolo a fost un nou
circumspecie , un sentiment de holding - off , n atitudinea mea fa de tatl
meu i munca sa .
A fost o zi frumoas , i am fost merge n jurul curte iau crengi care au
fost rupte n furtuni de iarn . Acest lucru a fost ceva ce a fost spus s fac , i ,
de asemenea, am vrut s le foloseasc pentru a face un cort . Noi greu Flora
nechezat , iar apoi vocea tatlui meu i ipetele lui Henry , i am alergat pn la
10

a horse in a Western movie, an unbroken ranch horse, though she was just
an old driver, an old sorrel mare. My father and Henry ran after her and tried
to grab the dangling halter. They tried to work her into a corner, and they
had almost succeeded when she made a run between them, wild-eyed, and
disappeared round the corner of the barn. We heard the rails clatter down as
she got over the fence, and Henry yelled. "She's into the field now!"
That meant she was in the long L-shaped field that ran up by the
house. If she got around the center, heading towards the lane, the gate was
open; the truck had been driven into the filed this morning. My father
shouted to me, because I was on the other side of the fence, nearest the
lane, "Go shut the gate!"
I could run very fast. I ran across the garden, past the tree where our
swing was hung, and jumped across a ditch into the lane. There was the
open gate. She had not got out, I could not see her up on the road; she must
have run to the other end of the field,. There gate was heavy. I lifted it out of
the gravel and carried it across the roadway. I had it half way across when
she came in sight, galloping straight toward me. There was just time to get
the chain on. Laird came scrambling though the ditch to help me.
Instead of shutting the gate, I opened it as wide as I could. I did not
make any decision to do this, it was just what I did. Flora never slowed down;
she galloped straight past me, and Laird jumped up and down, yelling, "Shut
it, shut it!" even after it was too late. My father and Henry appeared in the
field a moment too late to see what I had done. They only saw Flora heading
for the township road. They would think I had not got there in time.
They did not waste any time asking about it. They went back to the
barn and got the gun and the knives they used, and put these in the truck;
then they turned the truck around and came bounding up the field toward
us. Laird called to them, "Let me got too, let me go too!" and Henry stopped
the truck and they took him in. I shut the gate after they were all gone.
I supposed Laird would tell. I wondered what would happen to me. I had
never disobeyed my father before, and I could not understand why I had
done it. I had done it. Flora would not really get away. They would catch up
with her in the truck. Or if they did not catch her this morning somebody
would see her and telephone us this afternoon or tomorrow. There was no
wild country here for her, we needed the meat to feed the foxes, we needed
the foxes to make our living. All I had done was make more work for my
father who worked hard enough already. And when my father found out
about it he was not going to trust me any more; he would know that I was

hambar pentru a vedea ce se ntmpl .

Ua grajdului era deschis . Henry a adus tocmai Flora afar , iar ea sa
rupt de el . Fugea liber nhambar , de la un capt laaltul . Am urcat pe gard . A
fost interesant s vd desfurarea ei , whinnying , merge pe picioarele din
spate , opie i ameninnd ca un cal ntr -un film de Vest , o ferma de cai
nentrerupt , dei ea a fost doar un driver vechi , un vechi mare mcri . Tatl
meu i Henry a alergat dup ea i a ncercat s apuca treangul marionet . Au
ncercat s-i lucreze ntr-un col , i au reuit aproape atunci cnd ea a fcut o
centrare ntre ele , slbatic - ochi , i a disprut dup col dehambar . Am auzit
ine zngnit n jos ca ea a ajuns peste gard , i Henry strigat . " Ea este n
cmpul acum ! "
Asta a nsemnat ea a fost n domeniul lung n form de L , care a fugit de
la casa . n cazul n care ea a ajuns n jurul centrului , ndreptndu-se ctre
banda , poarta era deschis ,camionul a fost condus n domeniul n aceast
diminea . Tatl meu a strigat la mine , pentru c am fost pe partea cealalt a
gardului , cel mai apropiat de banda , " Du-te nchis poarta ! "
Am putea alerga foarte repede . Am fugit peste gradina , pe lng
copacul unde leagn noastr a fost spnzurat , i a srit peste un an n banda .
Nu a fostpoarta deschis . Ea nu a ieit , eu nu o pot vedea pe drum , ea trebuie
s ruleze la cellalt capt al terenului. Nu poarta a fost greu . L-am scos din
pietri i au dus-o pe carosabil . Am avut o jumatate peste , atunci cnd ea a
venit la vedere , galop direct spre mine . Nu a fost doar timp pentru a obine
lanul pe . Laird a venit de codare deian s m ajute .
n loc de a nchide poarta , am deschis-o la fel de mare ca am putut . Nu
am face orice decizie de a face acest lucru , a fost doar ceea ce am fcut . Flora
nu a ncetinit , ea galop dreapt peste mine , i Laird a srit n sus i n jos ,
strignd , " Taci din gur , nchide -l ! " chiar i dup ce acesta a fost prea trziu .
Tatl meu i Henry a aprut n domeniu un moment prea trziu pentru a vedea
ce am fcut . Ei doar au vzut Flora rubrica pentru drum comuna . Ei ar putea
crede nu am ajuns la timp . Ei nu au pierdut vremea ntrebat despre asta . Sau dus napoi la hambar i a luat pistolul i cuitele pe care le utilizai , i pune le in portbagaj , apoi s-au ntorsn jurul camion i a venit de ncadrare pe
domeniul fa de noi . Laird chemat la ei , " Las-m s ai prea , las-m s
merg prea ! " i Henry a oprit camionul i l-au luat inch am nchis poarta dup
ce au fost toate plecat . Ar trebui Laird -ar spune . M-am ntrebat ce se va
ntmpla cu mine . Nu am avut niciodata ascultat pe tatl meu nainte , i nu
puteam nelege de ce am fcut-o . Am fcut-o . Flora nu ar fi cu adevrat
scape . Ei ar prinde cu ei n camion . Sau n cazul n care nu i-am prins n aceast
11

not entirely on his side. I was on Flora's side, and that made me no use to
anybody, not even to her. Just the same, I did not regret it; when she came
running at me I held the gate open, that was the only thing I could do.
I went back to the house, and my mother said, "What's all the
commotion?" I told her that Flora had kicked down the fence and got away.
"Your poor father," she said, "now he'll have to go chasing over the
countryside. Well, there isn't any use planning dinner before one." She put
up the ironing board. I wanted to tell her, but thought better of it and went
upstairs and sat on my bed.
Lately I had been trying to make my part of the room fancy, spreading the
bed with old lace curtains, and fixing myself a dressing table with some
leftovers of cretonne for a skirt. I planned to put up some kind of barricade
between my bed and Lairds, to keep my section separate from his. In the
sunlight, the lace curtains were just dusty rags. We did not sing at night any
more. One night when I was singing Laird said, "You sound silly," and I went
right on but the next night I did not start. There was not so much need to
anyway, we were no longer afraid. We knew it was just old furniture over
there, old jumble and confusion. We did not keep to the rules. I still stayed
away after Laird was asleep and told myself stories, but even in these stories
something different was happening, mysterious alterations took place. A
story might start off in the old way, with a spectacular danger, a fire or wild
animals, and for a while I might rescue people; then things would change
around, and instead, somebody would be rescuing me. It might be a boy
from our class at school, or even Mr. Campbell, our teacher, who tickled girls
under the arms. And at this point the story concerned itself at great length
with what I looked like how long my hair was, and what kind of dress I had
on; by the time I had these details worked out the real excitement of the
story was lost.
It was later than one o'clock when the truck came back. The tarpaulin was
over the back, which meant there was meat in it. My mother had to heat
dinner up all over again. Henry and my father had changed from their bloody
overalls into ordinary working overalls in the barn, and they washed arms
and necks and faces at the sink, and splashed water on their hair and
combed it. Laird lifted his arm to show off a streak of blood. "We shot old
Flora," he said, "and cut her up in fifty pieces."
"Well I don't want to hear about it," my mother said. "And don't come to
my table like that."
My father made him go was the blood off.

diminea cineva ar fi ea i telefon ne vad aceast dup-amiaz sau mine .

Nu a fost nici o ar slbatic aici pentru ea , am nevoie de carne pentru a hrni
vulpile , am avut nevoie de vulpi pentru a face viaa noastr . Tot ce am fcut a
fost s lucreze mai mult pentru tatal meu care a lucrat destul de greu deja . i
cnd tatl meu a aflat despre ea, el nu a fost de gnd s ncredere n mine mai
mult , el ar ti c nu a fost n ntregime de partea lui . Am fost de partea lui
Flora , i care mi-a facut nici un folos nimnui , nici mcar pentru ei . La fel , nu
l-am regreta , atunci cnd ea a venit n fug la mine am inut poarta deschis ,
care a fost singurul lucru pe care am putut face . M-am dus napoi la casa , iar
mama mi-a spus , " Ce -i cu toata agitatia asta ? " I-am spus c Flora a dat jos
gardul i a fugit . " Tatl tu sraci ", a spus ea , " acum el va trebui s mearg
urmarind peste rural . Ei bine , nu exist nici o planificare a utilizrii cin nainte
de unul . " Ea a pus masa de clcat . Am vrut s -i spun , dar se rzgndi i a
mers la etaj i se aez pe patul meu . In ultimul timp am fost ncercarea de a
face partea mea de fantezie camer , rspndirea pat cu perdele de dantel
vechi , i fixarea eu o msu de toalet cu unele resturi de creton pentru o
fusta . Am planificat pentru a pune un fel de baricad ntre patul meu i a lui
Laird , de a pstra seciunea mi separat de lui . n lumina soarelui , perdele de
dantel au fost doar crpe de praf . Noi nu canta pe timp de noapte mai mult .
ntr-o noapte , cnd am fost cntnd Laird a spus , "Voi parea o prostie , " i am
mers chiar mai departe, dar n noaptea urmtoare nu am ncepe . Nu a fost att
de mult trebuie s oricum , nu mai era fric . Am tiut c a fost doar mobilier
vechi de peste acolo , talme-balme vechi i confuzie . Nu am respectai
regulile . Am mai rmas , dup Laird dormea i ia spus eu povesti , dar chiar i n
aceste poveti ceva diferit se intampla , modificri misterioase a avut loc . O
poveste s-ar putea ncepe n vechiul mod , cu un pericol spectaculos , un
incendiu sau animale slbatice , i pentru un timp, s-ar putea salva oamenii ,
atunci lucrurile se vor schimba n jurul , i n schimb , cineva ar fi salvarea mea .
Acesta ar putea fi un biat din clasa noastr de la coal , sau chiar domnul
Campbell , profesorul nostru , care gadilat fete sub arme . i la acest punct,
povestea n sine n cauz la o lungime mare cu ceea ce m-am uitat ca - ct de
mult a fost parul meu , i ce fel de rochie am avut pe , pn cnd am avut
aceste detalii lucratemoie real a povetii a fost pierdut . A fost mai trziu de
o or atunci cnd camionul a venit napoi . Prelata a fost de peste partea din
spate , ceea ce nsemna c era carne n ea . Mama mea a trebuit s se
nclzeasc la cin peste tot din nou . Henry si tatal meu au schimbat de la
salopete lor sngeroase n salopete de lucru obinuite n hambar , i-au splat
arme i gt i se confrunt de la chiuvet , i stropit cu ap pe prul lor i
12

We sat down and my father said grace and Henry pasted his chewing gum
on the end of his fork, the way he always did; when he took it off he would
have us admire the pattern. We began to pass the bowls of steaming,
overcooked vegetables. Laird looked across the table at me and said proudly
distinctly, "Anyway it was her fault Flora got away."
"What?" my father aid.
"She could of shut the gate and she didn't. She just open it up and Flora
ran out."
"Is that right?" m father said.
Everybody at the table was looking at me. I nodded, swallowing food with
great difficulty. To my shame, tears flooded my eyes.
My father made a curt sound of disgust. "What did you do that for?"
I didn't answer. I put down my fork and waited to be sent from the table, still
not looking up.
But this did not happen. For some time nobody said anything, then Laird
said matter-of-factly, "She's crying."
"Never mind," my father said. He spoke with resignation, even good
humor the words which absolved and dismissed me for good. "She's only a
girl," he said
I didn't protest that, even in my heart. Maybe it was true.
[1968]
..........
NOTES ON ALICE MUNRO'S "BOYS AND GIRLS"
-point of view of the daughter (she/her)
-father fox farmer
-pelting: killing, skinning and preparation of the furs.
-Henry Bailey - coworker of father
-Laird : brother
-kids give themselves "rules" to keep them safe.
-she shot to rabid wolves and was crowned hero
-went down main street on horse (see above)
-rode two horses in her life
-they had a shack for the foxes
-fathers favorite book was robinson crusoe (inventive dad)
-named the foxes
-Girl helps bring water to the foxes, cuts grass, waters plants
-mother very open about her past, father private of his ideas

pieptnat -l . Laird a ridicat mna pentru a scoate n eviden o dung de

snge . " Am filmat Flora vechi ", a spus el , " i a tiat-o n cincizeci de buci .
" " Ei bine, eu nu vreau s aud despre asta ", a spus mama . " i nu vin la masa
mea aa . " Tatl meu a fcut s mearg fost sngele de pe . Ne-am aezat i
tatl meu a spus harul i Henry lipit guma de mestecat la sfritul furculia , aa
cum a fcut ntotdeauna , atunci cnd a luat-o de pe el ar trebui sa ne admira
modelul . Am nceput s treac boluri de abur , legume gatite . Laird se uit
peste mas la mine i a spus cu mndrie distinct , "Oricum era Flora vina ei a
scpat . " " Ce ? " meu de ajutor tat . " Ea ar putea a nchis poarta i ea nu a
fcut-o . Tocmai deschide " -l n sus i Flora a fugit afar . " " Este corect ? " m
tatl a spus . Toat lumea de la mas se uita la mine . Am dat din cap ,
nghiirea alimentelor cu mare dificultate . Spre ruinea mea , lacrimile inundat
ochii mei . Tatl meu a fcut un sunet scurt de dezgust . " Ce -ai fcut asta?
"Nu am rspuns . Mi-am pus jos furculia mea i am ateptat s fie trimis de la
mas , nc nu uita n sus . Dar acest lucru nu sa ntmplat . De ceva timp,
nimeni nu a spus nimic , apoi Laird a declarat materie - de - fapt divers , "
Plnge . " " Nu conteaz ", a spus tatl meu . El a vorbit cu resemnare , chiar i
umor bun cuvintele care absolvit i mi- a respins pentru totdeauna . " E doar o
fat ", a spus el Nu am protestat c , chiar n inima mea . Poate c era
adevrat .[ 1968 ]. . . . . . . . . .NOTE ASUPRA ALICE Munro " biei i fete " punct de vedere al fiicei ( ea / ei ) - Tatl Fox fermier - pelting : uciderea ,
jupuirea i pregtirea blnuri . - Henry Bailey - coleg al tatlui - Laird : fratele Copiii se da " reguli" pentru a le menine n condiii de siguran . - a mpucat
la lupi turbati i a fost ncoronat erou - sa pe strada principal de pe cal ( a se
vedea mai sus ) - clrit doi cai in viata ei - au avut -o barac pentru vulpi Prinii cartea preferata a fost Robinson Crusoe ( tata inventiv ) - numit vulpile Fata ajut aduce apa la vulpi , reducerile de iarb , plante ape - mam foarte
deschis despre trecutul ei , tatl privat din ideile sale - Ea devine "mercenar " ,
o face fericit : D n afara de munc este cu tatl , vulpi , de ap , couri de
munc n interior este cu mama , buctrie , pregtind mncare ca jeleu , gem ,
pstreaz parcele - mama mpotriva ei, astfel ea poate fi n buctrie .
( dragoste / ur relaie ) - vulpile au fost hrnite carne de cal pe care tatl i
Henry primit de la ferme . * Meniune de rzboi , ( 14-18 ? ) - Mack i Flora , cai
ferma ( flor slbatic ) Iarn - Apoi, ea e 11 , mama vrea ca ei s fie mai mult n
cas - Laird ce mai mare - Mack devine vechi , mpucat , copiii se vedea - Laird
este din nou asculttor , ea i spune s mearg n sus fascicul de top n hambar Ea devine prinii pentru c el e acolo , -Strat a purtat aduce amintiri proaste
pentru ei - El promite s -i c obiceiul spune c l-au facut o fac - Flora este de
13

- She becomes "the hired hand", makes her happy :D

-work outside is with father, foxes, water, baskets
-work inside is with mother, kitchen, prepping food as jelly, jam, preserves
-mother plots against her so she can be in kitchen. (love/hate relationship)
-foxes were fed horsemeat that father and henry got from farms.
*Mention of war, (14-18?)
-Mack and Flora, farm horses (FLORA WILD)
-Next winter, she's 11, mother wants her to be more in house
-Laird getting bigger
-Mack gets old, shot, kids see it
-Laird is obedient again, she tells him to go up top beam in barn
-She gets the parents because he's up there,
-The coat he wore brings bad memories to her
-he promises to her that he wont tell she made him do it
-Flora is going to get shot?
-Flora gets away from the house because she opens the gate
-Father, Henry and laird goes off the find Flora
-She lies to mother
-They come back with the horse
-Henry says its her fault (mention of gum?)
-Father gets angry
-she cries
-father laughs off : "she's just a girl"
WRITTEN IN 1968 by Alice Munro
Summary of Boys and Girls
Written in 1968 by Alice Munroe, the story of Boys and Girls follows a
young woman living on a farm with her family. The name of the young girl, as
well as some of the other characters including the father and mother, is
never told during the story. We do know the names of the younger brother
Laird, and the father's co-worker Henry Bailey. Taking place on a farm, the
year is not definitive either, but we can guess early 1900's since mention of
the war and of modern tools such as gum and cars.
On the farm, the father breeds foxes and the young narrator helps her
father maintain the pens. Her mother spends most of her time busy in the
house and never comes out unless she needs to. Her younger brother Laird
follows her wherever he can and either do as she says or wanders off playing

gnd pentru a obine mpucat ? - Flora devine departe de casa, deoarece ea

deschide poarta - Tat , Henry i Laird se stingegsi Flora - Ea se afl la mama Ei vin napoi cu calul - Henry spune c vina ei ei ( vorbim de gum ? ) - Tatl se
enerveaz - plnge - Tatl rde : " ea este doar o fat " Scris n 1968 de ctre
Alice Munro Rezumatul Fete si baieti Scris n 1968 de ctre Alice Munroe ,
povestea de biei i fete urmeaz o tnr femeie care triesc la o ferm
mpreun cu familia ei . Numele de fat tnr , precum i unele dintre
celelalte personaje , inclusiv tatl i mama , nu se spune n povestea . Noi nu
tim numele de fratele mai micLaird , i tatl co - lucrtor Henry Bailey . Loc la o
ferma , anul nu este definitiv , fie, dar putem ghici nceputul lui 1900 ,
deoarece meniunea de rzboi i de instrumente moderne , cum ar fi guma si
masinile . La ferm , tatl rase vulpi i tineri naratorul ajuta pe tatl ei s
menin pixuri . Mama ei i petrece majoritatea timpului ei ocupat n cas i
niciodat nu iese dect dac e nevoie. Fratele ei mai mic Laird ei urmeaz ori
de cte ori el poate i nici nu cum spune ea sau rtcete pe joc cu ferme flora
sau bug-uri din jur . Ca parte a muncii sale , a blnurilor Tatl ( jupuire i
pregtirea blana ) de vulpi dup iarn i este chemat n ora pentru animale
mcelar , care sunt la sfritul utilitatea lor . Mama curnd de prere c atunci
cnd Laird va fi destul de mare pentru a ajuta tatl , tnra ar trebui s lucreze
n cas . Curnd ferma primete doi cai i o vac . Cnd caii trebuie s fie ucis ,
unul fuge i atunci cnd tnra are o ans de a nchide poarta i s pstreze cal
n , ea loc las s plece . Cnd prinii nva din acest lucru, ea ncepe s
plng . Chiar i atunci Tatl rde " ea este doar o fat " . Cepoveste ncearc
s spun este modul atingere identitate abusive.
.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Feminist auto-descoperire Centrale de caractere
n " Fete si baieti " de Alice Munro
Dac m-ai ntreba de ce am ales aceast poveste special pentru analiza
mea ficiune , a rspunde cu plcere , " Pentru c eu sunt o feminist . " Da ,
eu sunt ca un nebun care crede c femeile pot face de locuri de munc
tradiionale de sex masculin doar fine sau , n unele cazuri , chiar mai bine . Eu
sunt cel care este mpotriva discriminrilor de gen , cum ar fi compensarea
inegal a brbailor i femeilor pentru aceeai poziie cu aceeai cantitate de
pregtire i experien , dificulti de promovare , i chiar o chestiune de curaj .
Cred c din cauza lor naturale femeilor instinctul matern general supravieui
ntr-o " piatr de moar " a vieii moderne, mult mai bine decat barbatii . Mai
mult dect att , femeile sunt ca for magic , care ine oamenii merg . Am
14

with the farms flora or surrounding bugs. As part of his work, the father pelts
(skinning and preparation of the furs) the foxes after winter and is called
upon in town to butcher animals that are at the end of their usefulness. The
mother soon feels that when Laird will be old enough to help the father, the
young girl should work in the house. Soon the farm receives two horses and
a cow. When the horses needs to be killed, one runs away and when the
young girl has a chance to close the gate and keep the horse in, she instead
lets it leave. When the parents learn of this, she starts to cry. Right then the
father laughs off "she's just a girl".
What the story is trying to tell is how unfair identity prejudice is.
...................
Feminist Self-Discovery of the Central Character in Boys and Girls by Alice
Munro

If you would ask me why I chose this particular story for my fiction analysis, I
would gladly answer, Because I am a feminist. Yes, I am that nut case who
thinks that women can do the traditional male jobs just fine or, in some
cases, even better. I am the one who is against gender discriminations such
as unequal compensation of men and women for the same position with the
same amount of training and experience, promotion difficulties, and even a
matter of courage. I think that because of their natural maternal instinct
women generally survive in a grinder of modern life much better than men
do. Moreover, women are that magic force, which keeps men going. We
could be struck by a sad number if only we tried to count how many men lost
their life battle and sunk straight to the bottom without a female
encouragement. The story Boys and Girls by Alice Munro portrays a
feminist notion of search for ones own identity as evident in (from)
characterization, symbolism, and theme. In her interviews Munro admitted
that she addressed herself in the childhood and adolescence when she wrote
autobiographical stories such as Boys and Girls, Walker Brothers Cowboy,
Images, and Red Dress (Rasporich 36). Step by step, I will now unravel
the process of the central characters painful self-discovery.

putea fi lovit de un numr de trist , dac doar am ncercat s numere ci

oameni a pierdut lupta lor de via i de scufundat direct la partea de jos , fr
o ncurajare de sex feminin. Povestea " Fete si baieti " de Alice Munro descrie o
noiune feministe de cutare pentru propria identitate ca evident n ( din )
caracterizarea , simbolism , i tem . n interviurile sale Munro a recunoscut c
ea se adreseaz n copilrie i adolescen , atunci cnd ea a scris poveti
autobiografice , cum ar fi " Fete si baieti ", " Walker Brothers Cowboy ", "
Imagini " i " Red Dress " ( Rasporich 36 ) . Pas cu pas , voi descoperi acum
procesul de dureros de auto - descoperire a personajului central .n povestea "
Fete si baieti ", personajul central , o fat , a descris viaa ei la o ferm vulpe i
procesul su de cutare pentru identitatea de gen . Din descrieri vii , cititorii au
nvat cum fata folosit pentru a viziona tatl ei pelting de vulpi . Naratorul , de
asemenea, cu mndrie mprtit modul n care ea a ajutat pe tatl ei n
hambar alimentare vulpile , saramuriide ap , i curarea feluri de mncare
delicioase . Fata asistat la modul n mai multe rnduri mama ei persistent
negociat cu tatl ei despre obtinerea de fata pentru a lucra n cas mai mult .
ntr-o zi ea secret privit cum tatal ei mpucat unul dintre cei doi cai de
alimentare Fox . La sfritul povetii se lasa de-al doilea cal , Flora , evadare ,
dar calul a fost nc capturat i mcelrit . Dei fratele mai mic al fetei a anunat
cu mndrie n timpul cina de familie, care a fost vina surorii lui c Flora scpat ,
tatl ei a concediat-o cu resemnare i umor chiar bun , spunnd c ea a fost "
doar o fat . "Munro prezint personajele sale prin descriere direct i , de
asemenea, le n aciune arat . n " Fete si " personajul principal este o tnr
fat care nareaz povestea despre viaa ei la o ferm i despre cutarea ei
pentru identitatea de gen . Prin diverse episoade din povestea aflm c fata
este curajos , puternic fizic , aventuros , i foarte imaginativ . Unele dintre
aceste caliti sunt punctele forte tipice masculine i ar putea fi folosite n mod
normal pentru a descrie un personaj masculin . Feminismul de personaj central
Munro este prezentat prin posesia ei cu aceste caliti masculine i cu ea
exercitarea acestora n viaa ei de zi cu zi . De exemplu , n fiecare noapte cnd
Laird , fratele mai mic al fetei adormit , ea sa aranjat bine sub cuverturi de pat
i a spus ea poveti . Potrivit amintirile fetei , ea a " salvat oameni de la o
cldire bombardat , mpucat doi lupi turbati , i rode un cal bun spiritedly pe
strada principal din Jubilee " ( Barnet 254 ) . Faptul c aceste povesti inainte
de culcare a prezentat posibilitatea de eroism , curaj i sacrificiu de sine ,
vorbete despre curajul fetei , care este de obicei considerat a fi o calitate
masculin . Fata a fost , de asemenea, de nvare pentru a trage n realitate , i,
dei ea nu ar putea lovi nimic nc , ea a practicat cu siguranta un masculin
15

In the story Boys and Girls, the central character, a girl, described her life
on a fox farm and her process of search for gender identity. From the vivid
descriptions, the readers learned how the girl used to watch her father
pelting the foxes. The narrator also proudly shared how she helped her
father in the barn feeding the foxes, brining the water, and cleaning the
watering dishes. The girl witnessed how on several occasions her mother
persistently negotiated with her father about getting the girl to work in the
house more. One day she secretly watched how her father shot one of the
two horses for fox food. At the end of the story she let the second horse,
Flora, escape, but the horse was still captured and butchered. Although the
girls younger brother announced proudly during the family dinner that it
was his sisters fault that Flora got away, her father dismissed her with
resignation and even good humor by saying that she was only a girl.
Munro presents her characters through direct description and also shows
them in action. In Boys and Girls the central character is a young girl who
narrates the story about her life on a farm and about her search for gender
identity. Through various episodes in the story we learn that the girl is
courageous, physically strong, adventurous, and highly imaginative. Some of
those qualities are typical masculine strengths and would be normally used
to describe a male character. Feminism of Munros central character is
shown through her possession with those masculine qualities and with her
exercising them in her everyday life. For example, every night when Laird,
the girls younger brother fell asleep, she arranged herself tightly under the
bed covers and told herself stories. According to the girls memories, she
rescued people from a bombed building, shot two rabid wolves, and rode a
fine horse spiritedly down the main street of Jubilee (Barnet 254). The fact
that those bedtime stories presented the opportunity for heroism, boldness
and self-sacrifice, speaks of the girls courage, which is usually considered to
be a male quality. The girl was also learning to shoot in reality, and although
she could not hit anything yet, she practiced definitely a masculine (male)
hobby, which may have made her look manly in the eyes of the strangers.
From descriptions of the girl helping her farther to take care of the foxes we
conclude that despite of her young age she possessed with enough physical
strength to carry out jobs, which involve hard physical labor. One of the
girls jobs in summer was to bring water to the fox pens. Twice a day, after

( brbat ) hobby , care ar fi fcut-o s arate brbtesc n ochii strinilor .Din

descrierile de fata ajutnd-o mai departe pentru a avea grij de vulpi am ajuns
la concluzia c, n ciuda vrstei ei tnr avea ea cu rezistenta fizica suficient
pentru a efectua de locuri de munc , ceea ce implic munc fizic grea . Unul
dintre locurile de munc ale fetei , n timpul verii a fost de a aduce apa la pixuri
vulpe . De dou ori pe zi , dup nou dimineaa i apoi din nou dup cin , ea a
umplut tamburul de la pompa de ap i trundled -l n jos , prin hambar pentru
stilouri , parcat , umplut udare ei pot , i a mers de-a lungul pixuri . , i
amintete ea sarcastic c Laird , fratele ei mai mic , " a venit prea , cu putin sa
crem i grdinrit verde poate , umplut prea plin i bate mpotriva picioare i
mizeria de ap pe pantofi panza " ( Barnet 255 ) . Spre deosebire de Laird , sora
lui mai folosit tatlui ei " udare real poate ", dei ea ar putea efectua doar de
trei sferturi plin . Cu mare mndrie , fata a demonstrat tatlui ei c ea a fost
capabil de a face munca unui om i de manipulare a instrumentelor reale din
lumea adulilor .n mod ironic , fata perceput Laird doar ca un bieel , nu vd
sau nu doresc s recunoasc o perspectiv de el n cele din urm n cretere i
de a deveni un om . Atunci cnd o zi mama copiilor a spus soului ei , " Ateapt
Laird devine un pic mai mare , atunci vei avea un real ajutor , " toat natura
fata de furie protestat . Ea a simit c nimeni nu " ar putea imagina Laird
amintindu- lactul i curarea vaselor de udare cu o frunz la captul unui b ,
sau chiar nvrtindu-se n rezervor , fr a se rostogolea peste " ( Barnet 256 ) .
n opinia sa Laird a fost de " nici un ajutor nimnui ", pentru c , de obicei
aruncat el nsui bolnav de leagn , a mers n cerc , sau a ncercat s prind
omizi . Nu a fost pn cnd fata sa transformat unsprezece ani , atunci cnd ea
experimentat puterea fizic fratelui ei . Odat Laird i ea s-au luptat , i " pentru
prima dat ", ea a trebuit s foloseasc toat puterea ei mpotriva lui . Chiar i
aa , Laird nc prini i prinse de bra pentru o clip , ntr-adevr o doare .
Lucrtorul Henry ferma vzut lupta i a spus , " Oh , c este n cazul n care Laird
este s-i art , una dintre aceste zile ! " ( Barnet 257 ) . Aceasta a fost prima
dat cnd fata a dat seama c fratele ei , ncet dar sigur , a nceput transform
ntr-un om . Cu toate acestea , partea feminist a personajul ei a refuzat s se
predea , spunnd c ea " a fost obtinerea mai mari prea . " Din cele dou
episoade remarcabile aflm c personajul central din " Fete si " nu a fost numai
curajos i atletic , dar, de asemenea, aventuros . n ziua tatal copiilor a fost de
gnd s mpucat unul din cei doi cai , Mack , le-a trimis destabil pentru a juca
n jurul casei . Fata nu a vzut niciodat tatl ei trage un cal , dar ea tia unde a
fost fcut . Mor de curiozitate , ea a condus Laird jurul valorii de la ua din fa
a grajd , a deschis-o cu grij , i a mers inchfn a fost sczut , iar copiii au
16

nine in the morning and then again after supper, she filled the drum at the
water pump and trundled it down through the barnyard to the pens, parked
it, filled her watering can, and went along the pens. She recalls sarcastically
that Laird, her younger brother, came too, with his little cream and green
gardening can, filled too full and knocking against his legs and slopping water
on his canvas shoes (Barnet 255). As opposed to Laird, his older sister used
her fathers real watering can, though she could only carry it threequarters full. With great pride, the girl demonstrated to her father that she
was capable of doing a mans work and handling the real tools from the adult
world.
Ironically, the girl perceived Laird only as a little boy, not seeing or not
wanting to recognize a perspective of him eventually growing up and
becoming a man. When one day the childrens mother said to her husband,
Wait till Laird gets a little bigger, then youll have a real help, the girls
entire nature furiously protested. She felt that no one could imagine Laird
remembering the padlock and cleaning the watering dishes with a leaf on the
end of a stick, or even wheeling the tank without it tumbling over (Barnet
256). In her opinion Laird was of no help to anybody because he usually
swung himself sick on the swing, went around in circles, or tried to catch
caterpillars. It was not until the girl turned eleven years old when she
experienced her brothers physical strength. Once Laird and she were
fighting, and for the first time ever she had to use all her strength against
him. Even so, Laird still caught and pinned her arm for a moment, really
hurting her. The farm worker Henry saw the fight and said, Oh, that is
where Laird is gonna show you, one of these days! (Barnet 257). This was
the first time when the girl realized that her brother, slowly but surely, began
turning into a man. However, the feminist part of her character refused to
surrender, saying that she was getting bigger too.
From the two outstanding episodes we learn that the central character in
Boys and Girls was not only courageous and athletic, but also adventurous.
On the day the childrens father was going to shot one of the two horses,
Mack, he sent them out of the stable to play around the house. The girl
never saw her father shoot a horse, but she knew where it was done. Dying
from curiosity, she led Laird around to the front door of the barn, opened it
carefully, and went in. The hay was low, and the children had to pile it up in
one corner. Then the girl boosted her brother up and hoisted herself. They

trebuit s se adune ntr-un col . Apoi fata a amplificat fratele ei n sus i se

arborat . Ei au descoperit knotholes n perei hambar i linite privit Mack a fi
mpucat . Cnd picioarele lui Mack oprit lovind n aer i muchii lui sa
scufundat , fata a spus ntr -un fel de felicitare , " Acum, ai vzut cum trage un
cal " ( Barnet 259 ) . Procedura de filmare unui cal nu era ceva fata a vrut s
vad , dar ea a recunoscut , " era mai bine pentru a vedea i cunoate ca un
lucru sa ntmplat cu adevrat " ( Barnet 258 ) . Aceast mrturisire
caracterizeaz fata ca un om de aciune i comunic , de asemenea, nevoia ei
de a fi n centrul ateniei . Ea nu a vrut alte persoane i spun cum au vazut un cal
a fost mpucat , n schimb , ea a vrut sa ma uit la procesul de nsi , astfel
nct ea ar putea spune despre el .Imediat dup Mack a fost mpucat , fata
amintit cum , cnd Laird era mic , ea a adus n hambar i ia spus s urce pe
scara de grinda de sus . Cnd a fcut-o , ea a fugit ipnd la tatl ei . Mama ei
rezemat de scara plngnd n timp ce tatl ei a urcat i a adus Laird jos . Ambii
prini au ajuns la concluzia c fata pur i simplu nu se uita la fratele ei , i ,
desigur , biatul era prea mic s tie suficient pentru a spune . Aflm de la
naraiunea pe care fata nu a fcut-o de cruzime , dar " dintr-o nevoie de
entuziasm i o dorin pentru ceva s se ntmple " , astfel ea ar putea spune
despre el ( Barnet 259 ) . Viaa la ferm a fost n condiii de siguran i de
echilibru , i fata a efectuat aceeai vechi treburile de zi dup zi , an dup an .
Acesta a fost de rutin c fata nu ar putea pune sus cu , i a fost nevoie de
aventur care a inspirat fata de a comite aceste dou acte . Nimic nu poate
aduga mai mult la o imagine cu caracter feminist dect aceste dou episoade
n care fata de fapt a acionat ca un lider . Ambele ori a spus fratele ei mai mic
exact ceea ce ea a vrut ca el s fac , i n ambele cazuri a urmat asculttoare
ordinele ei . Aici este un alt mod de a privi la ea : Ct de des vom rula intr-o fata
tradiional , non- feminist care vrea s vad o lovitur cal i care pune viaa
fratelui su n pericol pentru distracie ?Aceeai nevoie de entuziasm ,
mpreun cu nesatisfctoare , realitatea plictisitoare stimulat imaginaia
imensa tinere fete . Naratorul trit n dou lumi , imaginare i reale , de
cltorie nainte i napoi , n mintea ei ntre cas i un loc exotic altul. Aa cum
am menionat n mai multe paragrafe din ntreaga eseul meu , fata i
amintete cum n povetile ei de culcare devreme ea ", au salvat oameni de la o
cldire bombardat , mpucat doi lupi turbati , i clrea un cal bun spiritedly
pe strada principal a Jubileului . " Cnd personajul central transformat
unsprezece ani vechi , fanteziile ei a suferit o modificare substanial . Acum,
oamenii a salvat-o i povestiri au fost preocupai de ceea ce fata arta . Chiar
descrierea stilouri vulpe a fost atins de imaginaie vie fetei care a transformat
17

found the knotholes in the barn walls and quietly watched Mack being shot.
When Macks legs stopped kicking in the air and his muscles sank, the girl
said in a congratulatory way, Now youve seen how they shoot a horse
(Barnet 259). The procedure of shooting a horse was not something the girl
wanted to see, but as she admitted, it was better to see and know as if a
thing really happened (Barnet 258). This confession characterizes the girl as
a person of action and also communicates her need for being a center of
attention. She did not want other people tell her how they saw a horse
being shot; instead, she wanted to watch the process herself so that she
could tell about it.
Right after Mack was shot, the girl remembered how, when Laird was little,
she had brought him into the barn and told him to climb the ladder to the
top beam. When he did, she ran screaming to her father. Her mother
leaned against the ladder crying while her father climbed up and brought
Laird down. Both parents arrived at a conclusion that the girl simply was not
watching her brother, and, of course, the boy was too little to know enough
to tell. We find out from the narrative that the girl had done it not out of
cruelty, but out of a need for excitement and a desire for something to
happen so she could tell about it (Barnet 259). The life on the farm was safe
and steady, and the girl carried out the same old chores day after day, year
after year. It was the routine that the girl could not put up with, and it was a
need for exciting adventure that inspired the girl to commit these two acts.
Nothing can add more to an image of a feminist character than these two
episodes where the girl basically acted as a leader. Both times she told her
younger brother exactly what she wanted him to do, and both times he
obediently followed her orders. Here is another way to look at it: How often
do we run into a traditional, non-feminist girl who wants to see a horse shot
and who puts her brothers life in danger for fun?
The same need for excitement along with unsatisfactory, boring reality
boosted the young girls immense imagination. The narrator lived in two
worlds, imaginary and real, traveling back and forth in her mind between
home and an exotic other place. As I mentioned in several other paragraphs
throughout my essay, the girl recalls how in her early bedtime stories she
rescued people from a bombed building, shot two rabid wolves, and rode a
fine horse spiritedly down the main street of Jubilee. When the central
character turned eleven years old, her fantasies underwent a substantial

ntreaga zon animal cu un gard nalt de paz ntr-un " ora medieval . " Fata
face referire la lumea ei imaginar ca " recunoscut ca a mea ", i a fost
regretabil de lumea real , care au oportuniti care nu sunt prezente pentru
curaj , ndrzneal , i sacrificiu de sine . Ca Carscallen menionat , n scris, lui
Munro ", din nou i din nou , avem sensul de loc sau de timp sau ordine de
lucruri n picioare n afar de propria noastr " ( Carscallen 1 ) . MacKendrick
este de acord cu Carscallen spunnd c " personajele centrale Munro se gsesc
adesea n situaii n care se pare c orice se poate ntmpla ", i c doar aceste
personaje centrale ", a se vedea obinuit ca extraordinare " ( MacKendrick
115 ) . Gsim utilizarea extensiv a lumii imaginare n multe alte povestiri de
Alice Munro , cum ar fi " n cellalt loc ", " Walker Brothers Cowboy ", " Red
Dress ", " Ziua de fluture , " i " Miles City , Montana " pentru a numi doar
cteva .Din pcate , nevoia de excitare a avut propriile sale consecine - un
sentiment de vinovie , care a aprut ntr-o form de meditaie . Munro a
aratat acest episod special de meditaie printr-o tehnica flashback atunci cnd
fata dintr-o dat a amintit c n cazul fratele ei a avut loc n primvar , ca Hay a
fost sczut , i c Laird a fost poart un pic haina voluminoase maro i alb
verificate . De fiecare dat cnd a vzut c haina n dulap , a simit o greutate n
stomac i tristeea de neexprimat , vinovie secret ( Barnet 259 ) . Louis
MacKendrick etichetat acest caz de meditaie ca " un exemplu minor de o
trdare a inimii " ( MacKendrick 65 ) . Faptul c fata a locuit n aciunea ei
ruinoas din trecut, m face s cred c ea nu a fost doar aventuros , dar, de
asemenea, sensibile .De la un alt episod scurt de meditaie , aflm c fata
luptat pentru a nelege motivele pentru care mama ei a vrut s ajute mai mult
n cas tiind c fiica ei ura absolut treburile casnice . La nceput , fata crezut c
mama ei a fcut-o " pur i simplu de perversitate i de a ncerca puterea ei ",
dar dup ce a maturizat un pic , ea a recunoscut cu prere de ru : " Nu avut loc
pentru mine faptul c ea [ mama ] ar putea fi singur sau gelos " ( Barnet 256 ) .
Cred c aceast nelepciune brusc i simpatie aprut n caracterul fetei nu
numai din cauza vrstei ei matur , dar, de asemenea, c , a sublinia chiar , n
principal pentru c ea era o femeie adevrat . tiu din experien c femeile ,
de obicei, se poate explica motivele interioare ale comportamentului uman mai
bine dect brbaii pot .O natur meditativ a personajelor centrale este
evident la o scar mai larg n alte poveti de Munro . Ca Carscallen susine , "
este tipic de caractere lui Munro de a locui pe cauze " , deoarece se simt , ca
narator de " Acas " nu , c " un comportament aparent ru intenionat sau
prostie ar trebui s fie explicate , i a explicat simpatic " ( Carscallen 26 ) . De
asemenea, se poate vedea un grad remarcabil de meditaie n " Ceva am vrut
18

change. Now men rescued her and the stories were concerned with what
the girl looked like. Even description of the fox pens was touched by the
girls vivid imagination that turned the entire animal area with a high guard
fence into a medieval town. The girl referred to her imaginary world as
recognizably mine and was regretful of the real world, which did not
present opportunities for courage, boldness, and self-sacrifice. As Carscallen
noted, in Munros writing again and again we have the sense of a place or
time or order of things standing apart from our own (Carscallen 1).
MacKendrick agrees with Carscallen by saying that Munros central
characters often find themselves in circumstances where it seems that
anything may happen, and that only these central characters see the
ordinary as extraordinary(MacKendrick 115). We find extensive usage of
the imaginary world in the many other stories by Alice Munro such as At the
Other Place, Walker Brothers Cowboy, Red Dress, Day of the
Butterfly, and Miles City, Montana to name a few.
Unfortunately, the need for excitement had its own consequencesa sense
of guilt that emerged in a form of meditation. Munro showed this particular
episode of meditation by a flashback technique when the girl suddenly
recalled that the case with her brother occurred in spring, that the hay was
low, and that Laird was wearing a little bulky brown and white checked coat.
Every time she saw that coat hanging in the closet, she felt a weigh in her
stomach and the sadness of unvoiced, secret guilt (Barnet 259). Louis
MacKendrick labeled this case of meditation as one minor example of a
treachery of the heart (MacKendrick 65). The fact that the girl dwelled on
her shameful action from the past leads me to believe that she was not only
adventurous, but also sensitive.
From another brief episode of meditation, we learn that the girl struggled to
understand the reasons why her mother wanted her to help more in the
house knowing that her daughter absolutely hated the housework. At first,
the girl thought that her mother did it simply out of perversity and to try
her power, but after she matured a bit, she regretfully admitted: It did not
occur to me that she [mother] could be lonely or jealous (Barnet 256). I
think that this sudden wisdom and sympathy appeared in the girls character
not only due to her mature age, but also because, I would even highlight,
mainly because she was a true female. I know from experience that females
usually can explain the inner motives of human behavior better than males

s-i spun . " n aceast poveste Et privit pe ceilali prin seara lung pe verand ,
a reamintit lucruri pe care , la rndul su amintit reapariia Blaikie lui , poveste
de dragoste vechi , i a Char ncercat s se sinucid . Acesta a fost Et care
conectat suicid cu otrav pentru obolani i fatal potrivit grupului stnd
mpreun n aparent armonie . n acelai fel o conversaie n " Ferguson Fetele
nu trebuie niciodat s se cstoreasc ", a fost de dou ori ntrerupt de
episoade lungi din trecut , care sunt n mod clar amintiri declansat in mintea lui
Bonnie ( Carscallen 19 ) . n " Fete si baieti , " noiunea de libertate este
simbolic reprezentat de cai din poveti proprii ale fetei si de realitate . Ca un
copil ,fat folosit pentru a se spun poveti n care , printre altele , ea " a
cltorit cu un cal bun spiritedly pe strada principal a Jubileului ", pe care ea
considera a fi un act de eroism ( Barnet 254 ) . Iarn, atunci cnd fata sa
transformat unsprezece ani vechi , tatl ei a inut doi cai , Mack si Flora , n
grajd , deoarece vulpile au fost hrnite carne de cal . n primvara anului Mack
a fost mpucat n primul rnd . n ziua rndul su, Flora a fi mpucat a venit ,
ea sa desprins forma ferma ajutor Henry . Fata i fratele ei urcat pe gard i
privit Flora ruleaz liber n hambar . n ciuda faptului c Flora a fost doar un
vechi mare mcri , "A fost interesant pentru a vedea funcionare ei ,
whinnying , merge pe picioarele ei din spate , opie i ameninnd ca un cal
ntr -un film de Vest " ( Barnet 260 ) . n general , un cal care ruleaza liber ca "
un cal Ranch nentrerupt , " simbolizeaz o libertate de spirit i libertatea de
existen ( a fi ) . Calul care a fost nchis ntr- un grajd ntuneric timp de mai
multe luni lungi de iarn , nu a putut rezista puterii de spaiu i de aer
proaspt , i de neles luat-o razna , atunci cnd ea a fost luat pe o zi de
primvar luminos . Probabil , un sentiment de sfritul vine fcut Flora profita
de o libertate brusc i s se bucure de ultimele momente ale vieii ei . Nu e de
mirare c fata independenta , spirit care a fost nchis n aceeai ferm veche de
unsprezece ani , a fost ncntat de vizionarea Flora gratuite rupte .Munro
folosit simbolismul n alte povetile ei , de asemenea . De exemplu , un narator
in " Ziua Butterfly " povestea descris pentru prima dat o experien cu
moartea de colega ei de ase - calitate . n aceast poveste " de imense arcuri ,
complicate de panglica de satin fin , " care au fost fcute de mame pentru
ultima petrecere de ziua lui Myra n spital simboliza " funcia artificial ,
decorativ de femei " ( Rasporich 37 ) .Tema " Fete si " abordeaz problema
dobndirii contiinei de sine ca o fat . Pentru fata de o astfel de
contientizare vine doar cu un sentiment de ruine i umilin - ei visele de
eroism sunt de natur , de obicei, nu atribuite fetelor i ei un act de maretie
( lasa Flora evacuare ) este interpretat greit , lsnd-o marcate ca " doar " o
19

can.
A meditative nature of the central characters is evident on a larger scale in
the other stories by Munro. As Carscallen claims, it is typical of Munros
characters to dwell on causes because they feel, as the narrator of Home
does, that seemingly malicious or silly behavior should be explained, and
explained sympathetically (Carscallen 26). We also can see a remarkable
degree of meditation in Something Ive Been Meaning to Tell You. In that
story Et watched the others through the long evening on the porch, recalled
things that in turn recalled Blaikies reappearance, the old love affair, and
Chars attempted suicide. It was Et who connected the suicide with the rat
poison and fatally matched the group sitting together in apparent concord.
In the same way a conversation in The Ferguson Girls Must Never Marry
was twice interrupted by lengthy episodes from the past that are clearly
memories touched off in Bonniess mind (Carscallen 19).
In Boys and Girls, the notion of freedom is symbolically represented by
the horses from the girls own stories and from reality. As a child, the girl
used to tell herself stories where, among other things, she rode a fine horse
spiritedly down the main street of Jubilee, which she considered to be an
act of heroism (Barnet 254). The winter when the girl turned eleven years
old, her father kept two horses, Mack and Flora, in the stable because the
foxes were fed horsemeat. In spring Mack was shot first. On the day Floras
turn to be shot came, she broke away form the farm helper Henry. The girl
and her brother climbed up the fence and watched Flora running free in the
barnyard. Despite the fact that Flora was just an old sorrel mare, it was
exciting to see her running, whinnying, going up on her hind legs, prancing
and threatening like a horse in a Western movie (Barnet 260). Generally, a
horse that runs free like an unbroken ranch horse, symbolizes a freedom of
spirit and freedom of existence (being). The horse that was locked in a dark
stable for several long winter months, could not resist the power of space
and fresh air, and understandably went wild, when she was taken out on a
bright spring day. Perhaps, a sense of the coming end made Flora take
advantage of a sudden freedom and enjoy the last moments of her life. No
wonder that the independence-spirited girl who was confined in the same
old farm for eleven years, got excited about watching broken free Flora.
Munro used symbolism in her other stories as well. For example, a narrator

fat . Munro a jucat cu succes pe cuvntul " fat ", nu numai ntr- un schimb
verbal ntretat i agent de vnzri , dar, de asemenea, sugernd conotaiile
sale n ntreaga poveste . Permitei-mi s ilustrez afirmaia mea . Fata
difereniate lumetatlui de cea a mamei . Procednd astfel , ea pare s fi ajuns
la un sentiment de auto - definire , n special prin insinund se n lumea
Tatlui . De exemplu , nimic nu -i d un sentiment mai mare de mndrie de a fi
introduse de ctre tatl ei ca " noul meu om angajat ", o expresie care o
protejeaz de la observaia vanzator lui , " am crezut c a fost doar o fat "
( Barnet 255 ) . n ciuda o conotaie deprecierea , prima ei ntlnire cu ceea ce
ali oameni nelege prin cuvntul " fata " a fost destul de plcut , i ea nu a
menionat cu regret de faptul c instana ntreaga poveste . Deoarece fata
considerat de lucru pentru tatl ei " ritual important", putem vedea ct de
locuine ei despre posibilitatea de a alege ntrecas i hambar simbolizeaz o
diferen de sex feminin si masculin . Mai mult dect att , aceste locuine
portretiza o dilem tipic feminin ntre un sentiment de independen i de
supunere . n cazul n care locul de munc n aer liber a fost placut , de dorit , i
" ritual important", treburile casnice , prin contrast , a fost " fr sfrit , trist ,
i deosebit de deprimant . " Din cauza ataamentului fetei la tatl , mama ei se
simte ca n cazul n care nu exist " nici o fat n familie , la toate " ( Barnet
256 ) . n mod ironic , atunci cnd o zi , mama fetei vine afar s vorbeasc cu
soul ei , fata se simte c mama nu are nici o afacere la hambar . Aceasta a fost
a doua oar cnd fata auzit adulti aducerea tema fiind o " fat ". Din
conversaia a auzit , fata ajuns la concluzia c mama ei a fost pur i simplu
complot , iar ea nu se atepta tatl ei s acorde nici o atenie la ceea ce mama a
spus .Iarn, atunci cnd fata avea unsprezece ani , ea a nceput s aud o mare
mai mult pe aceeai tem mama ei a discutat cu tatl ei n faa hambar .
Cuvntul " fata " nu mai prea nevinovat i unburdened ca un cuvnt pentru
prima dat a dat seama c o fat nu a fost , ca ea ar trebui , pur i simplu ceea
ce a fost " copil . " , A fost c ea a trebuit s devin . Ca naratorul spune: " A
fost o definiie , ntotdeauna atins cu accent , cu repro i dezamgire . De
asemenea, a fost o glum pe mine " ( Barnet 257 ) . Ea a simit c oamenii
ateapt n jurul unui anumit comportament de la ei , un fel de comportament
care este necesar , tipic , i social acceptabile pentru o fat .Pe parcursul a
cteva sptmni, cnd bunica copiilor rmas cu familia , fata primit a treia
ans de a simi direct o presiune social asociat cu cuvntul " fata . " Fata auzit
destul de lucruri alarmante cteva , cum ar fi " Fetele nu trntii ui cum ar fi
ca , " i " Fetele pstreze genunchi lor mpreun atunci cnd stai jos . " cel mai
runaratorul auzit a fost rspunsul " Asta e treaba fetei ", atunci cnd ea a pus
20

in the story Day of the Butterfly described her first experience with death
of her six-grade classmate. In that story the immense, complicated bows of
fine satin ribbon, which were made by the mothers for Myras last birthday
party in the hospital symbolized the artificial, decorative function of
women (Rasporich 37).
The theme of Boys and Girls addresses the problem of acquiring selfawareness as a girl. For the girl such awareness comes only with a sense of
shame and humiliationher dreams of heroism are of kind not usually
attributed to girls and her one act of greatness (letting Flora escape) is
misinterpreted, leaving her marked as only a girl. Munro had successfully
played upon the word girl not only in a verbal exchange between the
father and the salesman, but also by suggesting its connotations throughout
the story. Let me illustrate my claim. The girl differentiated the fathers
world from that of the mother. By so doing, she appears to be arriving at
some sense of self-definition, particularly by insinuating herself into the
fathers world. For example, nothing gives her a greater sense of pride than
to be introduced by her father as my new hired man, a phrase that
protects her from the salesmans observation, I thought it was only a girl
(Barnet 255). Despite a belittling connotation, her first encounter with what
other people meant by the word girl was rather pleasurable, and she never
referred regretfully to that instance throughout the story. Because the girl
considered working for her father ritualistically important, we can see how
her dwellings about the choice between the house and the barn symbolize a
female and male difference. Moreover, these dwellings portray a typical
female dilemma between a sense of independence and submissiveness.
When the outdoor work was pleasant, desirable, and ritualistically
important, the housework, by contrast, was endless, dreary, and peculiarly
depressing. Because of the girls attachment to the father, her mother feels
as if there is no girl in the family at all (Barnet 256). Ironically, when one
day, the girls mother comes outside to talk to her husband, the girl feels
that the mother has no business at the barn. This was the second time when
the girl heard adults bringing up the theme of being a girl. From the
conversation she overheard, the girl concluded that her mother was simply
plotting, and she did not expect her father to pay any attention to what the
mother said.
The winter when the girl was eleven years old, she began to hear a great deal

cteva ntrebri legate de tema abordat ( Barnet 257 ) . Fata a continuat s

slam uile i stau la fel de dur ca posibil , gndindu-se c prin astfel de msuri a
continuat sa se gratuit . Avnd n vedere c multe informaii , putem vedea n
mod clar un conflict ntre ceea ce privete nsi ca eseniale , i presiunea
social de a se accepta ca un obiect pasiv .Profesorul Blodget adus o nuan
interesant a temei , subliniind c un cuvnt " fata " a fost calificat de dou ori
n povestea de la prima i ultima sa utilizare prin cuvntul " doar . " Pe aceast
baz, el a sugerat c , n " Fete si baieti " o stare de a deveni o fat ", a fost
nsoit de un sentiment de separare irevocabil i pierdere " ( Blodget 35 ) .
Dedeparte ntlni cu sensuri ascunse ale cuvntului " fata ", destinul fetei a fost
pecetluit n ultimele cuvinte ale tatalui ei ", ea este doar o fat ", care a
absolvit i a respins -o pentru totdeauna . Sunt surprins de usurinta cu care
oamenii ne pot eticheta , femeile , ca " numai fete ", pe baza doar pe un act de
buntate . Pentru fata din poveste , aceast etichet a nsemnat o pierdere de
nu numai statutul ei ca ajutor al tatlui , dar, de asemenea, o pierdere a
identitii ei individuale i libertatea de a alege . Blodget a contribuit foarte
mult la propria mea nelegere a povetii de o perspectiv istoric remarcabil ,
unde explica el : Pentru a fi doar o fat este respingerea de un fel radical , n
lumea de ferm Ontario rural n anii treizeci i patruzeci de ani aspiraiile
timpurii care au mers dincolo de cele de stereotipurile sexuale nu au fost pur i
simplu greit , erau tabu . Ele nu sunt corectate de furie , ci de o metod mult
mai puternic , de " umor bun . " Implicaia este c pentru a fi o fat este un
destin care poart cu ea o anumit prostie care nu poate fi corectat ( Blodgett
33 ) . S analizm acum indicaiile din textul care prevestesc schimbri interne
care au loc in fata . Dupa ce a vazut tatal ei pelting vulpile n mod regulat , i
mai ales dup vizionarea Mack fiind mpucat , fata a susinut c ea a fost
folosit pentru a vedea moartea animalelor , i c ea a acceptat ca o necesitate
de care fermierii trit . Cu toate acestea , fata a fost surprins de un nou
sentiment sentimental c umplut inima ei . n ziua a aflat c Flora a fost de
gnd s fie mpucat , fata a simit un pic ruine . Ea a reamintit c " a existat un
nou circumspecie , un sentiment de holding - off , n atitudinea mea fa de
tatl meu i lucrarea sa " ( Barnet 260 ) . Prin acest bit uoar de prefigurare
Munro ne d un indiciu c fata aparent masculin au nceput lent de cotitur
ntr-o domnioar sensibil .i cu siguran , mai trziu n poveste naratorul nu
las ndoial n mintea cititorului despre schimbrile fundamentale care au avut
loc n lumea ei interne . Fata a descris modul n care a decorat -o parte din
dormitorul copiilor ncercarea de a face o fantezie , i modul n care ea a
desprit -o seciune de cel al fratelui ei . Mai important ,teren de poveti de
21

more on the same theme her mother discussed with her father in front of
the barn. The word girl no longer seemed innocent and unburdened like a
word child. For the first time she realized that a girl was not, as she
supposed, simply what she was; it was that she had to become. As the
narrator says, It was a definition, always touched with emphasis, with
reproach and disappointment. Also it was a joke on me (Barnet 257). She
felt that people around expected a certain behavior from her, the kind of
behavior that is appropriate, typical, and socially acceptable for a girl.
During a few weeks when the childrens grandmother stayed with the family,
the girl got a third chance to feel directly a social pressure associated with
the word girl. The girl heard quite a few alarming things such as Girls
dont slam doors like that, and Girls keep their knees together when they
sit down. The worst the narrator heard was the response Thats none of
the girls business when she asked some subject-related questions (Barnet
257). The girl continued to slam the doors and sit as awkwardly as possible,
thinking that by such measures she kept herself free. Given that much
information, we can clearly see a conflict between regarding herself as the
essential, and the social pressure to accept herself as a passive object.
Professor Blodget brought up an interesting nuance of the theme by pointing
out that a word girl was qualified twice in the story at its first and final
usage by the word only. Based on this, he suggested that in Boys and
Girls a state of becoming a girl was accompanied by a sense of irrevocable
separation and loss (Blodget 35). By the forth encounter with the hidden
meanings of the word girl, the girls destiny was sealed in her fathers final
words She is only a girl, which absolved and dismissed her for good. I am
surprised by the ease, with which men can label us, women, as only girls
based just on one act of kindness. To the girl in the story, this label meant a
loss of not only her status as the fathers helper, but also a loss of her
individual identity and the freedom of choice. Blodget contributed greatly to
my own understanding of the story by a remarkable historic insight, where
he explains:

To be only a girl is rejection of a radical kind, for in the world of the rural
Ontario farm in the late thirties and early forties aspirations that went

adormit copiii au , de asemenea, transformat n mod semnificativ . Dei

povestea s-ar putea ncepe n vechiul mod , " cu un pericol spectaculos , un
incendiu sau animale slbatice ", i pentru un timp de fata s-ar putea salva
oamenii , atunci lucrurile se vor schimba n jurul , i n schimb , cineva ar putea o salva . Semnificaia de o poft de mncare aici este c " cineva " a fost , de
obicei, " un biat din clasa noastr de la coal , sau chiar domnul Campbell ,
profesorul nostru " ( Barnet 261 ) . Nu a fi surprins dac fata ar indica cumva
c ea a fost romantic atras de profesorul ei . n acest moment, povestea
imaginar a fost preocupat de ceea ce fata sa uitat ca - ce rochie de a purta ea
i ct de mult a fost prul ei . n momentul n care fata a lucrat aceste detalii n
mintea ei ,entuziasmul iniial al povetii a fost pierdut . Toate aceste confesiuni
dovedesc doar cu cererea iniial care naratorul era o " fat ", care , printre
altele , nseamn renunarea la un salvator de sex masculin .Fiind o fat , de
asemenea, nseamn a avea o inim moale i personalitate emoional . Putem
gsi o dovad a acestei afirmaii n cele dou episoade n care fata permis Flora
evadare i n cazul n care ea a plns n timp ce tatl ei a ntrebat despre acest
gest pozitiv . Potrivit propria amintire fetei , ea nu putea nelege de ce ea nu a
ascultat tatl ei, atunci cnd loc s se nchid poarta , ea a deschis la fel de
mare ca ea ar putea . Ea a afirmat cu ncredere c nu am planificat acest lucru
n avans , sau ea nu a decis s fac acest lucru pe loc , ea doar a fcut-o . Ironia
aceast situaie iese la suprafata atunci cand fata ne spune c ea nelege
complet interconectarea lan de evenimente a intervenit . tia c tatl ei a
pltit pentru calul , c familia avea nevoie de carne pentru a hrni vulpi , c
familia este nevoie de vulpi pentru a face lor de via , c tatl ei ar prinde calul
oricum , i c tot ce a facut a fost creat mai mult lucrezi pentru el . S ne
contemplm despre fora care a mpins fata pentru a elibera cal . Evident , fata
nu a dorit pentru calul s moar . Dar de ce ? Cred c calul care era pe cale s-i
piard viaa ei , a reamintit fata de ea , care era pe cale s-i piard libertatea
de auto -concept i o alegere libertate . Faptul c Flora sa rupt i a fugit m face
s cred c ea a simit sfritul vine . Calul a fugit pentru c nu a vrut s moar .
Refuzul Flora a muri simbolizeaz refuzul fetei de a lucra in casa pentru mama
ei . Pentru fata , nu numai libertatea , ci , de asemenea, ntreaga ei viitor ar
muri cu moartea de cal . Poate , de aceea fata se simte att de strns legat de
cal , i de aceea fata , condus de propria ei subcontient , din reflex ajut Flora
scape .La sfritul de poveste vedem cum emoional naratorul este ntradevr . n timpul cina de familie Laird a anunat c sora lui ar putea fi nchis
poarta , dar ea nu a fcut acest lucru . Cnd tatl a cerut fiicei sale , dac
aceast afirmaie a fost adevrat , ea a dat din cap n linite , nghiit alimente
22

beyond those of sexual stereotypes were not simply wrong, they were
taboo. They are not corrected by anger, but by a more powerful method, by
good humor. The implication is that to be a girl is a destiny that carries
with it a certain stupidity that cannot be corrected (Blodgett 33).

Let us now analyze the indications in the text that foreshadow the internal
changes occurring in the girl. After watching her father pelting the foxes on
a regular basis, and especially after watching Mack being shot, the girl
claimed that she was used to seeing the death of the animals, and that she
accepted it as a necessity by which the farmers lived. However, the girl was
surprised by a new sentimental feeling that filled up her heart. On the day
she found out that Flora was going to be shot, the girl felt a little ashamed.
She recalled how there was a new wariness, a sense of holding-off, in my
attitude to my father and his work (Barnet 260). By this slight bit of
foreshadowing Munro gives us a clue that the seemingly masculine girl
began slowly turning into a sensitive young lady.
And surely, later on in the story the narrator leaves not doubt in the readers
mind about the core changes that had occurred in her internal world. The
girl described how she decorated her part of the childrens bedroom trying
to make it fancy, and how she separated her section from the one of her
brother. More importantly, the plot of her bedtime stories had also
significantly transformed. Although the story might start off in the old way,
with a spectacular danger, a fire or wild animals, and for a while the girl
might rescue people; then things would change around, and instead,
somebody would rescue her. The significance of a twist here is that
somebody was usually a boy from our class at school, or even Mr.
Campbell, our teacher (Barnet 261). I would not be surprised if the girl
would indicate somehow that she was romantically attracted to her teacher.
At this point the imaginary story was concerned with what the girl looked
likewhat dress did she wear and how long her hair was. By the time the
girl worked out these details in her mind, the initial excitement of the story
was lost. All these confessions only prove the original claim that the narrator
was a girl, which, among other things, means surrendering to a male
savior.

cu mare dificultate , i a nceput s plng. O reacie femeie tipic la ntrebarea

tatlui , lacrimi care au inundat ochii , ilustreaz aspectul emoional de a fi o
fat . Societatea a creat anumite reguli de comportament social acceptabile
pentru biei i fete , pentru brbai i femei . Din copilarie , bieii sunt nvai
s nu afieze sensibilitatea lor , cu alte cuvinte , ei sunt nvai s nu se plng
pe publice . Prin contrast , este foarte bine pentru fetele s plng n orice loc ,
n orice moment , pentru orice motiv . Potrivit Rasporich , lacrimi finale ale fetei
sugereaza conformitate ( Rasporich 38 ) . Fata a comentat doar c i era ruine
de lacrimile , de simplul fapt de plns . Poate c , natura ei sensibil feminin
confruntat dorina ei feminist s rmn puternic ca un om , i atunci cnd
prima n cele din urm a ctigat peste , fata explodat n lacrimi . Am sugereaz
c o teama de pedeaps pentru nchirierea Flora evadare ar putea fi un alt
motiv posibil pentru Dumnezeu . Nu am putut ignora faptul c Munro a fcut -o
s plng personaj central o singur dat pe parcursul ntregii narativ , i a
salvat n mod intenionat acest episod pn n ( pentru ), la sfritul povetii .
Sunt convins c , prin utilizarea acestei tehnici Munro a fcut un punct de - a
puternic a relevat un conflict ntre cele dou pri ale fetei sine : masculin i
feminin .n " Fete si " Munro nregistrat psihologia umilit i chinuit de un copil
care era condiionat de societate pentru a deveni o definiie - o fat , pe care
ea a perceput ca o glum pe ea nsi . Caracterizarea , simbolism , i tema au
fost cele trei instrumente Munro folosite pentru a explora procesul de autodescoperire de o fat de la ferm tinere . Copilul a constatat ea nsi nu mai
este liber pentru a ajuta la ei Fox Fermier tat n aer liber , dar n schimb a fost
forat s fac treburile casnice urt . Punctul culminant al povetii avut loc
atunci cnd fata a eliberat un cal care a fost pe punctul de a fi mpucat i prin
aceasta a demonstrat c ea a fost " doar o fat ", ca tatl ei a comentat .
Imaginile poveste o contradicie ntre statutul fetei ca o fiin uman adevrat
i vocaia ei ca o femeie . Dei nu exist o rezoluie real a situaiei n " Fete si
baieti ", i se pare c fata este n conformitate cu regulile sociale prin ajustarea
fanteziile ei , ea este parial victorios atunci cnd ea se deschide poarta n
ncercarea de a salva calul augur . n opinia fetei , calul simbolizat libertatea , i
moartea animalului a nsemnat sfritul ei libertate i o pierdere a identitii
ei . Povestea propune o contemplare profund cu privire la ct de ru ar putea
regulile sociale si asteptarile modifica un auto- concept. Gndurile mele se
reduc la o ntrebare , "De ce lumea tradiional patriarhal a fost att de opus
conceptului de feminism la nceputul anilor patruzeci de ani , i de ce fumul a
acestui conflict nc ecouri de azi ? "BibliografieBarnet , Sylvan , i colab . O
Introducere n literatura de specialitate. Ed 12 . New York : Longman ,
23

Being a girl also means having a soft heart and emotional personality. We
can find a proof of this statement in the two episodes where the girl allowed
Flora escape and where she cried while her father questioned her about that
positive gesture. According to the girls own recollection, she could not
understand why she disobeyed her father when instead of shutting the gate,
she opened it as wide as she could. She claimed with confidence that she did
not plan this in advance, or she did not decide to do this on the spot; she just
did it. The irony of this situation comes to the surface when the girl tells us
that she completely understands the interconnection of the chain of events
she interfered. She knew that her father had paid for the horse, that the
family needed the meat to feed the foxes, that the family needed the foxes
to make their living, that her father would catch the horse anyway, and that
all she did was created more work for him. Let us contemplate about the
force that pushed the girl to free the horse. Obviously, the girl did not wish
for the horse to die. But why? I think that the horse that was about to lose
her life, reminded the girl of herself who was about to lose her freedom of
self-concept and a freedom choice. The fact that Flora broke free and ran
away makes me think that she sensed the coming end. The horse ran away
because she did not want to die. Floras unwillingness to die symbolizes the
girls unwillingness to work in the house for her mother. To the girl, not only
her freedom, but also her entire future would die with the death of the
horse. Perhaps, that is why the girl feels so closely connected to the horse,
and that is why the girl, lead by her own subconscious, reflexively helps Flora
escape.
At the very end of the story we see how emotional the narrator really is.
During the family dinner Laird announced that his sister could have shut the
gate but she did not do so. When the father asked his daughter if that
statement was true, she nodded quietly, swallowed food with great
difficulty, and began crying. A typical female reaction to the fathers
question, tears that flooded her eyes, illustrates the emotional aspect of
being a girl. The society created certain rules of acceptable social behavior
for boys and girls, for men and women. From the early childhood, the boys
are taught not to display their sensitivity; in other words, they are taught not
to cry on public. By contrast, it is perfectly fine for the girls to cry in any
place, at any time, for whatever reason. According to Rasporich, the girls
final tears suggest compliance (Rasporich 38). The girl only commented that
she was ashamed of her tears, of the mere fact of crying. Perhaps, her

2001.Blodgett , E.D. Alice Munro . Boston : Twayne Publishers ,

1988.Carscallen , James . Alte Tara : Modele n scris de Alice Munro . Ontario :
ECW Press , 1993.MacKendrick , Louis K. Fictions probabile: Faptele Apostolilor
narative Alice Munro . Ontario : ECW Press , 1983.Rasporich , Beverly J. Dance
dintre sexe : Arta i de gen n ficiunea de Alice Munro . La Universitatea din
Alberta Press , 1990. . . . . . . .Boys & Girls greuti n povestea ei , biei i
fete , Alice Munro descrie greutile i succesele de ritual de trecere la varsta
adulta , prin rolul ei de un narator tnr i fratele ei . Prin naratorul , obiectul
profund abuziv al stereotipurile de gen - rol , iar acest efect are asupra riturilor
de trecere la varsta adulta este prezentat . Protagonistul din poveste lui
Munro , neidentificat de un nume , trece printr- o iniiere extreme i radicale la
varsta adulta , similar cu cea a fratelui ei mai mic . Munro propune ca
stereotipurile de gen , relaii , i o pierdere de nevinovie joac un extrem , i
rolul adesea controversat n cretere i trecerea la maturitate pentru muli
copii mici . Iniierea , sau ritual de trecere la maturitate , este , n funcie de
tema de povestea lui Munro , att o experien obligatorie i
necesar .
Crearea Alice Munro a unui , protagonistul anonim i , prin
urmare, lipsit de demnitate feminin propune ca naratorul este , fr identitate
sau perspectiva de putere . Spre deosebire de narator , tnrul frate Laird este
numit - un nume care nseamn " Domnul " - i implic faptul c el , n virtutea
singur gen sale , este investit cu identitatea i este de a deveni un maestru .
Acest stereotip la numai nume pare s sugereze c sexul nu joac un rol
important n iniierea copiilor mici n aduli . Crescnd , naratorul i place s
ajute pe tatl ei n afara cu vulpile , mai degrab dect pentru a ajuta pe mama
ei cu " trist i ciudat deprimant " activitatea desfurat n buctrie ( 425 ) . n
aceast evadare din ndatoririle predestinate , naratorul se uit la sarcinile
mamei ei atribuite de a fi " fr sfrit ", n timp ce ea vede munca tatlui ei ca
" ritual de important " ( 425 ) . Acest punct de vedere ilustreaz copilria ei
fericit , plin de vise i fantezie . Contrastul ei dintre lucrrile de tatl ei i de
treburile de mama ei , ilustreaz o lupt care rezult ntre ceea ce se ateapt
pe narator s fac i ceea ce vrea s fac . Munca efectuat de ctre tatl ei
este privit ca fiind reale , n timp ce fcut de mama ei, a fost considerat
plictisitor . Opinii contradictorii despre ceea ce este distractiv i ce era de
ateptat s conduc naratorul la iniierea ei la varsta adulta .
Nerealist ,
naratorul crede c ea ar fi de folos pentru a tatlui ei mai mult i mai mult ca ea
a ajuns mai mare . Cu toate acestea , ca ea creste mai mari , diferena dintre
biei i fete devine mai clar i contradictorii la ea . Prima ei experien cu
acest lucru a fost atunci cnd un agent de vnzri oprit cu o zi . n mijlocul de a
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sensitive feminine nature confronted her feminist desire to stay strong as a

man, and when the first finally won over, the girl bursted into tears. I
suggest that a fear of punishment for letting Flora escape could be another
possible reason for crying. I could not ignore the fact that Munro made her
central character cry only once during the entire narrative, and she
purposely saved this episode until (for) the end the story. I am convinced
that by using this technique Munro made a powerful pointshe revealed a
conflict between the two parts of the girls self: masculine and feminine.

lucra pentru tatl ei , ea a fost introdus ca tatl ei " mn nou angajat ", dar
vnztorul , n loc de zmbind binevoitor , remarci "Am crezut ca a fost doar o
fat " ( 425 ) . Fiind la " bieoi " etap , i implic , prin utilizarea de " scen ",
c starea este unul temporar care toate dreapta - gndire , fete obiectm va
depi , naratorul este din nou confruntat cu conflictul de stereotipurile de
gen .

In Boys and Girls Munro recorded the humiliated and anguished

psychology of a child who was being conditioned by society to become a
definitiona girl, which she perceived as a joke on herself. The
characterization, symbolism, and theme were the three tools Munro used to
explore the process of self-discovery of a young farm girl. The child found
herself no longer free to help her fox-farmer father outdoors, but instead
was forced to do the hated housework. The climax of the story occurred
when the girl freed a horse that was about to be shot and by so doing
demonstrated that she was only a girl as her father commented. The story
pictures a contradiction between the girls status as a real human being and
her vocation as a female. Although there is no real resolution to the
situation in Boys and Girls and it seems that the girl is conforming to social
rules by adjusting her fantasies, she is partly victorious when she opens the
gate in an attempt to rescue the fated horse. In the girls opinion, the horse
symbolized freedom, and the death of the animal meant the end of her own
freedom and a loss of her identity. The story suggests a deep contemplation
about how badly could the social rules and expectations alter the ones selfconcept. My thoughts boil down to a question, Why the traditional
patriarchal world was so opposed of the concept of feminism in the early
forties, and why the smoke of this conflict still echoes today?
Works Cited
Barnet, Sylvan, et al. An Introduction to Literature. 12th ed. New York:
Longman, 2001.
Blodgett, E.D. Alice Munro. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1988.
Carscallen, James. The Other Country: Patterns in the Writing of Alice Munro.
Ontario: ECW Press, 1993.
MacKendrick, Louis K. Probable Fictions: Alice Munros Narrative Acts.
Ontario: ECW Press, 1983.
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Rasporich, Beverly J. Dance of the Sexes: Art and Gender in the Fiction of
Alice Munro. The University of Alberta Press, 1990
........
Boys & Girls hardships

In her story, Boys and Girls, Alice Munro depicts the hardships and successes
of the rite of passage into adulthood through her portrayal of a young
narrator and her brother. Through the narrator, the subject of the profound
unfairness of sex-role stereotyping, and the effect this has on the rites of
passage into adulthood is presented. The protagonist in Munro's story,
unidentified by a name, goes through an extreme and radical initiation into
adulthood, similar to that of her younger brother. Munro proposes that
gender stereotyping, relationships, and a loss of innocence play an extreme,
and often-controversial role in the growing and passing into adulthood for
many young children. Initiation, or the rite of passage into adulthood, is,
according to the theme of Munros story, both a mandatory and necessary
experience.

Alice Munro's creation of an unnamed and therefore undignified,

female protagonist proposes that the narrator is without identity or the
prospect of power. Unlike the narrator, the young brother Laird is named a
name that means "lord" and implies that he, by virtue of his gender alone,
is invested with identity and is to become a master. This stereotyping in
names alone seems to suggest that gender does play an important role in the
initiation of young children into adults. Growing up, the narrator loves to
help her father outside with the foxes, rather than to aid her mother with
"dreary and peculiarly depressing" work done in the kitchen (425). In this
escape from her predestined duties, the narrator looks upon her mother's
assigned tasks to be "endless," while she views the work of her father as
"ritualistically important" (425). This view illustrates her happy childhood,
filled with dreams and fantasy. Her contrast between the work of her father
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and the chores of her mother, illustrate an arising struggle between what the
narrator is expected to do and what she wants to do. Work done by her
father is viewed as being real, while that done by her mother was considered
boring. Conflicting views of what was fun and what was expected lead the
narrator to her initiation into adulthood.
Unrealistically, the narrator believes that she would be of use to her
father more and more as she got older. However, as she grows older, the
difference between boys and girls becomes more clear and conflicting to her.
Her first experience with this was when a salesman stopped by one day. In
the midst of working for her father, she was introduced as her father's "new
hired hand," but the salesman, instead of smiling benevolently, remarks " I
thought it was only a girl" (425). Being at the 'tomboy' stage, and implying,
by the use of 'stage' that the condition is a temporary one that all rightthinking, demurring girls will outgrow, the narrator is once again confronted
with the conflict of gender stereotypes. She shows no intention of putting
away childish androgyny, but rather, shows an increased desire and ability to
do a man's job a tendency that disturbs her mother. It is at this time, that
the mother, good intentionally shackles her daughter to her correct place in
the world to prepare her for stereotypes later on in life. However, after
talking with her mother, the narrator realises that she has to become a girl;
"A girl was not, as I had supposed, simply what I was; it was what I had to
become" (427). Here, the narrator realises that there is no escape from the
pre-determined duties that go along with the passage of a child into being a
girl and a girl into a woman.
Knowing that she is expected to become a girl and conform to society's
beliefs and norms, she expresses her desire to rebel against what is
expected. As with initiation, it is unknown what is lying ahead, but it is
known that one must conform to the expected nomenclature, or face
societal ridicule. As for example, when the narrator's grandmother is visiting,
she explains the do's and don'ts of being a girl, "Girls keep their knees
together when they sit down " (427). However, the narrator expresses her
resistance by continue to do things against the norm, "thinking that by such
measures [she] kept [herself] free" (427). Now exposed to what she must
become, the narrator's freedom is killed. In many ways, this loss of
innocence and freedom can be compared to the horse that her father raised.
In making an effort to aid in the escape of Flora, the narrator shows her
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resistance to what she knows she now must become, and that ultimately her
resistance is futile. This rebellion against her father's orders to cage the
horse illustrates the narrator's last final attempt at avoiding her stereotype.
In consciously making the decision to set the horse free, the narrator goes
against her set stereotype. Because of this conscious act, she loses her
innocence in her fathers eyes; however, this doesnt matter as she is only a
girl (432). Unlike her sister however, Laird, is seeking to becoming initiated,
and is given the chance when he is allowed to go and recapture the horse
which the narrator let loose. This contrasts the willingness of the narrator to
conform to society's beliefs and her own. In each their own, both Laird and
the narrator are accepted into their new niche with their rite of passage.
Laird's passage was symbolised by the horse blood on his arm, blood from
doing a man's job. Similarly, the narrator's passage was complete when her
father found out she purposely let the horse loose, but didn't get mad
because "She's only a girl" (432). The narrator doesn't protest this, "even in
her heart. Maybe it was true" (432).
"Boys and Girls" by Alice Munro highlights and emphasises the theme of
initiation. The story depicts initiation as a rite of passage according to gender
stereotypes and a loss of innocence. Conformity plays a vital role in
determining the outcome of the narrator's passage into adulthood.
Throughout the story, the narrator is confronted with conflicting thoughts
and ideas regarding her initiation into adulthood. Ultimately, she wishes to
work with her father, and stay a 'tomboy,' but through a conflict with her
mother and grandmother, she comes to realise that she is expected, like the
women before her, to adopt the gender stereotype which comes with her
growing and passing into adult hood. Similarly, her younger brother, Laird, is
also initiated, but into man-hood, something he yearns for. In conclusion,
Munro's story illustrates the struggles between the dreams and reality of the
rite of passage and initiation, based on gender stereotypes society has
placed on men and women.

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