The Bass The River And Sheila Mant Analysis

In the stories that we read, many characters had to make hard choices. In the story “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant”, the narrator had to make a choice between getting a girl and getting a once in a lifetime catch. In the story “Boys and Girls”, the girl had to choose between accepting the society’s view of a girl or her own definition of a girl. Making a choice that would change her future forever, the girl, once completely against anything feminine, made the harder choice by accepting society’s definition of a girl.

Both making hard choices, the narrator in the story “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” and the girl in the story “Boys and Girls” had character traits and personalities that contributed to their final decision. Both
If a character faces conflict, most of the time, it makes them a dynamic character. Before, the narrator adored Sheila and worshipped her. During the date, he changed himself to impress Sheila, hiding his true identity to please her. He was influenced by other people’s opinions instead of holding and staying true to his own. When Sheila said that she thought fishing was stupid, he didn’t argue back, but instead tried to keep his fishing pole and bass a secret. When Sheila chose another person over him, he realizes that he should have stayed true to himself. Because of this mistake, he lost his lifetime opportunity to catch the largest bass he had ever hooked. From then on, he had different priorities. He put his passions or interests, including fishing, before girls. He said, “I never made the same mistake again”. He changed for the better. However, the girl in “Boys and Girls” did not change for the better. According to her society, she might have, but deep down inside her heart, she knew she did not. Before she changed, she loved doing outdoor work that was meant for the males. However, when she began to develop as a girl and saw a horse get killed, she started to think differently. Before, she was obedient to her father and did as he told her to. But, she let the escaping horse go, showing her disobedience to her father. However, when she matured, she became uncomfortable with death. In her dreams, she used to be the hero, saving the day. However, in her more recent dreams, she focused on her appearance and she was no longer the hero of the story. She used to completely object with anything that had to do with being a girl, including indoor chores, politeness, and sitting properly. But, gradually changing, she accepted the society’s definition of a girl. She said, “I didn’t protest that, even in my heart. Maybe it was true.” Both the narrator and