Brother Dear Bernice Friesen

Comparative Literary Essay- Short Fiction
Self-growth and self-identity are common themes among many literary works. In Bernice Friesen’s “Brother Dear” and Alice Munro’s “Boys and Girls” character growth is a key concept. The conflict encountered by each protagonist, and the growth of their individual mentality is what results in their happiness, as shown through the conflict between their dreams versus reality, the obstacle of family, and their resistance against conformity.
Although both protagonists are at different stages in their lives, they are both consumed by an illusion created by their parents, which leaves them with a false sense of happiness. Sharlene, the protagonist from “Brother Dear” is stuck in an illusion many individuals
Sharlene’s brother Greg has just told his parents he quit school which makes his dad furious (Friesen 31). Greg unlike Sharlene’s parents, recognizes that Sharlene does not want to go to university right after high school (Friesen 31). Sharlene is afraid that her dad will get mad at her since she has similar views as Greg about the future, which causes self-conflict because she wants to be like Greg; make her own decisions. The protagonist of “Girls and Boys” faces a familial and societal stereotype, “The word girl had formerly seemed to me innocent and unburdened, like the word child; now it appeared that it was what I had to become. It was a definition, always touched with emphasis, with reproach and disappointment” (Munro 52). The protagonist realizes that her family defines girls as weak which creates a self-conflict because being weak is not something she wants to be, but is afraid that it is something she is obligated to be. These familial obstacles leave each protagonist questioning if they should follow their parents’ opinions or if they should follow their own views in
From her brother’s choices Sharlene’s mindset grows, “I look at the cracks in the sidewalk because I’m jealous. He’s off on his life adventure, and I’m stuck in grade eleven. I guess I’d like to run away, too. Someday I will––to Europe” (Friesen 34). Sharlene uses her brother’s choices as a guide, and finally realizes that she has control over her life. The protagonist from “Boys and Girls” also grows towards the end of the story, “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” (Munro 56). Instead of obeying her dad’s order of closing the gate the protagonist realizes that her views are more important to her than her father’s. The discovery of self-identity allows each character to break free from their conformity, express their individuality, and by doing so gain the happiness they did not have at the starting of each