Boys And Girls by Alice Munro-Unfair stereotypes

A stereotype is an oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person, group of people or thing. A common one that is around even today is gender stereotypes. The short story “Boys and Girls” by Alice Munro is narrated by a young girl who is reflecting back on her childhood when she was challenged greatly by gender norms and had to reconcile expectations with her own identity. The unfairness of gender stereotyping is a prominent theme in this short story. The female narrator was introduced to such stereotypes from a young age; they were forced upon her through members of the family, slowly changed how she viewed herself and when entering womanhood, had no other choice but to accept them. The narrator was a young girl entering womanhood and through this transition her mother and grandmother had various expectations she was going to have to live up to. They both shared the same views on how a girl should look, act, know and not know. They forced these views upon the narrator who certainly didn't appreciate their criticism. The narrator didn’t wish to change who she was simply because of her gender. The mother didn't accept that though and planned for her daughter to eventually take on more traditional female roles around the house although she rather be outside helping her father.
Gender stereotypes the mother and grandmother forced upon the narrator caused her to slowly change how she viewed herself. In the beginning of short story “Boys and Girls” the narrator imagines herself in adventurous stories in which she would always play the hero. As time passes her character in her stories change from being the heroic figure to being the damsel in distress. In the later stories she also becomes very concerned of how she looks and a boy would always save her. When she was a child she was who she wanted to be and that's all that mattered-as she entered adulthood, she became who society required her to be. The narrator becoming more girl-like became