Monday, April 22, 2013

What are 6 symbols and images in the short story "Boys and Girls" by Alice Munro?

The "odor of the fox itself" (imagery pertaining to smell)
is something the narrator describes as "reassuringly seasonal" and a comfort to her at
night.


(Sight/Touch) Images of light and dark: the
"brightly lit downstairs world," contrasted with the "stale cold air upstairs."  Light =
warmth and safety; dark = cold and fear.


Further images of
light and dark in her room: provide the narrator and her brother with boundaries of
safety.  At night, as long as the lights are on, they are
"safe."


Henry Bailey's laugh (imagery pertaining to sound):
the children "admired" the sound of "whistlings and gurglings...faulty machinery of his
chest."  Despite his sickness, Henry Bailey also provides a source of emotional comfort
and protection.


Description of the foxes pens as "a
medieval town" (sight imagery): symbolizes the safety and security her father is able to
provide, both for the foxes and for her.


Description of the
"hot dark kitchen in summer" (mostly sight but some sound imagery): shows that the
narrator feels caged in by inherently female tasks and contrasts directly with the
freedom she feels when working outside, like a man.


The
fact that the narrator remains unnamed throughout the story could be symbolic of her
search for an identity throughout the story.

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