Thursday, July 12, 2012

Identify and explain the epiphany in "Boys and Girls."

An epiphany is a sudden realization, usually by a character, that provides insight into an important situation and often inspires that character to change course. In Alice Munro’s story, one important epiphany occurs when the unnamed female protagonist realizes that her brother is becoming more like her father, and they both will never fully accept her because she is female. This epiphany occurs in conjunction with the girl’s decision to open the gate and let out Flora, the horse. This action, which her father quickly dismisses as gender-related, prompts her to consider the more enduring consequences. The girl sees that she must live her life according to her own principles: she must decide for herself what it means to be “only a girl.” The choices she makes will inevitably involve disagreements with her father and mother, especially concerning appropriate gender roles.
http://www.literarydevices.com/epiphany/

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