Themes

Gender issues

The main theme of the short story “Boys and Girls” by Alice Munro is gender issues. 

As a child, the narrator enjoys helping her father in his outdoor activities. She also imagines herself in traditional male roles in the stories she makes up. However, she is discouraged by the others’ expectations of her to behave more “like a girl.” For instance, her mother pressures both the narrator and the narrator’s father to get her to help with housework, believing this is what a girl should do (p. 5, ll. 5-7). The narrator’s grandmother outright tells her that her behavior is not acceptable for her gender, and she should change it (p. 6, ll. 19-22).

The narrator rebels against these rules and expectations, as she believes they restrict her freedom. 

Apart from restricting her freedom, ...