The Importance of Gender in Boys and Girls Since the beginning of time, gender roles have existed in society. Women were entrusted with the tasks of looking after children and preparing food. Men performed most of the activities that required physical strength. As society has progressed, the role of women has not changed. Although less emphasis is placed on gender roles today, gender roles still exist. In 1968, Alice Munro wrote "Boys and Girls" to address the confusion that gender roles can cause in modern society. “Boys and Girls” is a coming-of-age story about a young girl who is enjoying her tomboy years and is rebellious in becoming a woman. The theme of "Boys and Girls" is this transition from childlike tomboy to mature woman. The girl is not sure whether she wants to be a woman or not, because she likes her father's work and wants to be a part of it. On page 113, the girl expresses her feeling of disgust: "she (the mother) was now plotting to make me stay at home more, even though she knew I hated it (because she knew I hated it) and to keep me from working." for my father." The girl does not want to participate in the feminine chores of the house; she wants to work outside with her father. The entire story is centered on women's gender roles and the girl must face and accept that her role is not unrelated to 'launching operation. The girl, who is the protagonist, describes her father's launching operation in detail demonstrating her interest and knowledge about it. On page 109 and at the beginning of page 110, line eight, she describes what she means by tanning operation explaining: "this was what the killing, skinning and preparing of furs were called." She likes her father's work so much that she worries about k...... half of the paper...... Munro's story "Boys and Girls", gender is a key element Although the theme is the girl transforming into the woman she was meant to become, it ultimately shows the limits placed on women It seems that, in reality, not much has changed for women since the days of hunting and gathering and the Enlightenment. Women are still associated with certain ways they must act and the tasks they must perform. Works Cited and Consulted Carscallen, James. The Other Country: Patterns in Alice Munro's Writing. Toronto: ecw 1993Heble, Ajay. The Tumble of Reason: Alice Munro's Speech of Absence. Toronto: University of Toronto Press 1994 Munro, Alice. "Boys and girls." Norton's introduction to literature. Eds. Carl E. Bain, Jerome Beaty, and J. Paul Hunter. 6th ed. New York: Norton, 1995. Martin, W. R. Alice Munro: Paradox and Parallel. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press 1987