Summary

The short story “Gravel” by Alice Munro is opened by an unnamed narrator who tells a story from her childhood.

The story begins with the description of the place where the narrator lives: a trailer in the countryside, situated next to a gravel pit that is out of use. The narrator lives here with her mother, her sister Caro, their dog Blitzee, and a man named Neal.

The narrator vaguely remembers the house in town where she lived before. She lived with her mother, her sister, and her father. The narrator reveals that her father was an insurance agent who travelled a lot, and her mother volunteered as an usher at the summer theatre.

The mother’s involvement with the theatre seems to change her lifestyle, as she begins to dress and act differently. The narrator’s father is at first supportive of his wife’s new life, but ultimately she has an affair with Neal, who is an actor at the theatre. She becomes pregnant wi...