Alice Munro's an Ounce of Cure

Modern literary analyses and studies make the link between literary techniques such as narrative and storytelling and several other disciplines. Thus, one may find the theories of narrative and storytelling extending up to several major disciplines, such as philosophy, psychology, and literary criticism. In the view of different experts in literary analyses, there is a close connection between narrative or storytelling and the definition of the nature of self and personal identity. The former has been understood as influential in determining the definition of the latter and several writers have significantly contributed to this characteristic through their narrative and storytelling. These writers organize the characteristics and ideals of characters into a cohesive whole which develops a sense of who a person is. The narrative theory of identity as presented in the memories, events, and dreams of various characters and their personality traits illustrates the significant contribution made by literature in the realization of the narrative theory of identity.

One of the superior examples of this relationship between literature and narrative theory of identity is Alice Munro’s “An Ounce of Cure” and the author has been celebrated as making observations on the episodic nature of life through her stories. “An Ounce of Cure” presents an important episodic nature of life through the mid-teenage problems and crises in the life of the main character and the major theme of the story reminds the readers that even the most repulsive issues which flip over every person at some episode of his life will be dispensed with in the course of life. It is through the effective narrative and storytelling that Munro conveys her points to the readers and the narrator in this story, who lives through the atrocious stage in her teenage life, presents her viewpoints in the most convincing manner. Therefore, Alice Munro, through her short story “An Ounce of Cure,” illustrates the

References: Coles, John. (2008). “Bebo bullies kill Emo music lad.” The Sun. Retrieved March 6, 2009 from http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1281007.ece Martin, Walter Rintoul. (1987). Alice Munro: Paradox and Parallel. Edmonton, Alta: University of Alberta Press. p 37. Munro, Alice. (2002). “An Ounce of Cure.” Bedford Introduction to Literature. Michael Meyer. (Ed). New York: Bedford. p 451. Rasporich, Beverly Jean. (1990). Dance of the sexes: art and gender in the fiction of Alice Munro. University of Alberta. p 178.