Language
Style of language
The short story “Boys and Girls” by Alice Munro is written in a formal style. The narration does not use slang or contractions, and the vocabulary is quite advanced. For instance:
They were beautiful for their delicate legs and heavy, aristocratic tails and the bright fur sprinkled on dark down their back — which gave them their name — but especially for their faces, drawn exquisitely sharp in pure hostility, and their golden eyes. (p. 3, ll. 27-29)
The style of language creates a serious tone. It also helps us understand that the perspective is that of an adult narrator remembering events which happened in her childhood.
The repetition of the phrase “ ‘only a girl’ ” (p. 4, l. 5; p. 12, l. 6) is significant, as it highlights the negative meanings that people place on the female gender. When the narrator’s father says it in the climax of the story, i...