Dreams are something all humans share in common and they manifest the realization of our lives. They have a great influence over our essence and can provide colossal amounts of courage and strength to accomplish our greatest desires. However, when we do not have dreams to fight for our lives become meaningless and sorrowful, nevertheless this is the situation many people face throughout their lives. Broken dreams have become a popular theme among writers because a connection can be made with the theme and because there one’s truth can be faced. Whether dreams are forgotten or unaccomplished, there is a theory by philosopher Carl Jung that states, “Nothing has a stronger influence psychologically on their environment, and especially on their children, than the unlived lives of their parents”, incorporated into literary pieces, we are able to understand the impact thorough the work of several writers. The theme is encountered on “Boys and Girls” by Alice Munro, “Brother Dear” by Bernice Friensen, and “A Cap of Steve” by Morley Callaghan. The stories portray parents living vicariously through their children as well as the impact their social and economical status has on them therefore forcing their will upon them and leaving them with no choice but to resign to their life and fulfillment of their dreams. In the short stories, living vicariously is a common motif the protagonists are victims of. They are being manipulated by their parents to achieve for them what themselves failed to accomplish. In the short story “Boys and Girls”, the narrator who is part of the female minority, is faced with the paradox of becoming what society but especially her mother wants her to become. Later on realizing that she did not had a choice, an... ... middle of paper ... ...ronment they live in. Unfortunately many children struggle to obtain the support and faith from their mentors, leaving them broken and unhappy struggling throughout their lives. Instead of being unsupportive and unfaithful in dreams, parent should guide and encourage them to pursue them, aiding them in their way and sharing their previous knowledge in order for them to succeed and reach their greatest desires, therefore being part of their journey to success. Works Cited Callaghan, Morley “A Cap for Steve” Viewpoints 11. Ed, Amanda Joseph and Wendy Mathieu. Alexandria, VA: Prentice Hall, 2001. Print. Friesen, Bernice “Brother Dear” Viewpoints 11. Ed, Amanda Joseph and Wendy Mathieu. Alexandria, VA: Prentice Hall, 2001. Print. Munro, Alice ““Boys and Girls” Viewpoints 11. Ed, Amanda Joseph and Wendy Mathieu. Alexandria, VA: Prentice Hall, 2001. Print.
Harmon, William, William Flint Thrall, Addison Hibbard, and C. Hugh Holman. A Handbook to Literature. 11th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009. Print.
Coontz, Stephanie. “For Better, For Worse.” The Contemporary Reader. Ed. Gary Goshgarian. 10th edition. Boston: Longman, 2011. 496-499. Print.
King, Larry, and Cal Fussman. My Remarkable Journey. 1st ed. New York: Weinstein, 2009. Print.
Gender socialization between boys and girls have been a topic of controversy for years. With views varying from supportive to disproving, one general consensus can be drawn from either side: gender socialization is the foundation of how children are brought up and is the primary reason for how boys and girls view the world in different ways. In Michael Lewis’s “Buy That Little Girl an Ice Cream Cone”, the reader is given personal anecdotes about Lewis’s family vacation trip to Bermuda, followed by an event that shaped the way he viewed both his two young daughters and the socialization of parents towards their children. Society’s differentiation between how boys and girls should act and behave is the main indication that children are socialized
Rose, Mike. "Lives on the Boundary." The Presence of Others. Eds. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997. 45-200.
Rose, Mike. "Lives on the Boundary." The Presence of Others. Eds. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997. 97-111.
Bishop, J. Michael. "Enemies of Promise." The Presence of Others:Voices that Call for Response. 2nd ed. Ed Andrea A. Lunsford and John J.Ruszkiewics. New York:St Martin's Press, 1997. 255-263.
The young girl in the story is struggling with finding her own gender identity. She would much rather work alongside her father, who was “tirelessly inventive” (Munro 328), than stay and work with her mother in the kitchen, depicted through, “As soon as I was done I ran out of the house, trying to get out of earshot before my mother thought of what to do next” (329). The girl is torn between what her duties are suppose to be as a woman, and what she would rather be doing, which is work with her father. She sees her father’s work as important and worthwhile, while she sees her mother’s work as tedious and not meaningful. Although she knows her duties as a woman and what her mother expects of her, she would like to break the mould and become more like her father. It is evident that she likes to please her father in the work she does for him when her father says to the feed salesman, “Like to have you meet my new hired man.” I turned away and raked furiously, red in the face with pleasure (328-329). Even though the young girl is fixed on what she wants, she has influences from both genders i...
...s and Contexts. Ed. Stephen A. Scipione Feinstein and Marisa. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin's, n.d. 119-34. Print. 29 Oct. 2013.
In the story, the narrator is forced to tell her story through a secret correspondence with the reader since her husband forbids her to write and would “meet [her] with heavy opposition” should he find her doing so (390). The woman’s secret correspondence with the reader is yet another example of the limited viewpoint, for no one else is ever around to comment or give their thoughts on what is occurring. The limited perspective the reader sees through her narration plays an essential role in helping the reader understand the theme by showing the woman’s place in the world. At ...
philosaphy. ED.J.Baird Callicott and robert Fdrodeman usa, 2009, 458-463. opposing view points in context. web.12 feb.2014
In the story, “Boys and Girls”, the narrator is not the only one coming to terms with their identity.
Alice Munro’s “Boys and Girls” is a story about a girl that struggles against society’s ideas of how a girl should be, only to find her trapped in the ways of the world.
In conclusion, through critical analysis and comparison of the two tales, it is evident tales shape gender mindsets at certain points in time whilst being shaped by changing mindsets, thereby producing more and new ideas on gender through women's place in story, the process of becoming a woman and on which gender blame tends to be put.
Many people think that boys in our culture today are brought up to define their identities through heroic individualism and competition, particularly through separation from home, friends, and family in an outdoors world of work and doing. Girls, on the other hand, are brought up to define their identities through connection, cooperation, self-sacrifice, domesticity, and community in an indoor world of love and caring. This view of different male and female roles can be seen throughout children’s literature. Treasure Island and The Secret Garden are two novels that are an excellent portrayal of the narrative pattern of “boy and girl” books.