The major themes of this story by Alice Munro are coming of age and gender roles. Set on a Canadian fox farm, a young tomboy prefers to spend her time outdoors with her father rather than indoors helping her mother. When she overhears her mother talking about how happy she will be when the girl is older and can help more around the house, she feels betrayed. Her outlook slowly changes as she gets older, culminating in a rebellious act that her father dismisses with the words She’s only a girl. Other themes: family relationships, loss of innocence, self-awareness.
Some reviewers see the descriptions of the mother’s role in the family, Laird’s “coming of age” in attending the slaughter of Flora, and the father’s final words She’s only a girl [my emphasis] as indicative of an additional feminist theme: patriarchy.
Original Text / PDF / Audio (6,350 words)