Boys and Girls

by Alice Munro

Short story by Alice Munro.

My father was a fox farmer. That is, he raised silver foxes, in pens; and in the fall and early winter, when their fur was prime, he killed them and skinned them and sold their pelts to the Hudson's Bay Company or the Montreal Fur Traders...

Genres: Short Stories, School, Fiction, Classics, Read For School, Feminism, College

10 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Collections of short stories of noted Canadian writer Alice Munro of life in rural Ontario include Dance of the Happy Shades (1968) and Moons of Jupiter (1982); for these and vivid novels, she won the Nobel Prize of 2013 for literature.

People widely consider her premier fiction of the world. Munro thrice received governor general's award. She focuses on human relationships through the lens of daily life. People thus refer to this "the Canadian Chekhov."

(Arabic: أليس مونرو)
(Persian: آلیس مانرو)
(Russian Cyrillic: Элис Манро)
(Ukrainian Cyrillic: Еліс Манро)
(Bulgarian Cyrillic: Алис Мънро)
(Slovak: Alice Munroová)
(Serbian: Alis Manro)

Reviews

[PattyMacDotComma · Rating 5 out of 5]

5★
“It did not occur to me that she could be lonely, or jealous. No grown-up could be; they were too fortunate.”

Why wouldn’t her mother be content being a grown-up and doing the cooking and housework? Isn’t that what mothers want to do?

She herself is a pre-teen with a little brother living with their family on a fox farm. Father raises foxes for their pelts and buys old horses for meat to feed them. The kids help their father and busy themselves outside as much as possible.

She’s finding it harder and harder to get away before her mother has her helping with the cooking and housework.

“The word girl had formerly seemed to me innocent and unburdened like the word child; now it appeared that it was no such thing. A girl was not, as I had supposed, simply what I was; it was what I had to become. It was a definition, always touched with emphasis, with reproach and disappointment. Also it was a joke on me.”

I am always struck by how Munro’s short works seem to cover such big thoughts. I know exactly how this girl felt – and also how her mother, father, and little brother felt. If you haven’t read any of her stories yet, there are bound to be some in your local library. She was a Nobel prize winner, after all. Or you can find some to read online here:

LitHub's list of 25 Alice Munro Stories You can Read Online Right Now

[Sidharth Vardhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The word girl had formerly seemed to me innocent and unburdened like the word child; now it appeared that it was no such thing. A girl was not, as I had supposed, simply what I was; it was what I had to become."

Read it here:
http://womeninlit.tripod.com/alicemun...

[Nici · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for my book club

[Ritu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boys and Girls captures what other stories try their hardest to.

It's a trip down memory lane to the time you were slowly shaped into gender roles.

I kinda hate it and love it.

It seemed that in the minds of the people around me there was a steady undercurrent of thought, not to be deflected, on this one subject. The word girl had formerly seemed to me innocent and unburdened like the word child; now it appeared that it was no such thing. A girl was not, as I had supposed, simply what I was; it was what I had to become. It was a definition, always touched with emphasis, with reproach and disappointment. Also it was a joke on me. Once Laird and I were fighting, and for the first time ever I had to use all my strength against him; even so, he caught and pinned my arm for a moment, really hurting me. Laird is the younger brother in this one.

I had goosebumps reading this because even though I haven't been raised on a fox farm, I have felt these exact emotions. The universalizing of them, through this story, is a no small feat.

All I know is I want to quote the whole darn story so that everyone reads it.

[DALZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this for litcharts but didn't get the job. liked the story though.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having only read one short story by Alice Munro, I've come to the conclusion she's like John Steinbeck. Her work is accessible and effective at getting the point across. Plus, animal murder.

**2nd read edit
Having re-read this short story and written an essay on it. I've only grown to love the story more. Sure, the writing could be better; it's not Mona Awad or Plath or anything like that. It's just a really well crafted short story that masterfully handles its complex themes surrounding patriarchal harm and gender non-conformity. Everything it has to say is insightful and still rings true today, which is what good fiction should be. Also, I'd love to read an essay about how this subtly connects patriarchy to colonialism because the breadcrumbs are there if you pay attention. Can you tell I desperately want to talk about this story with someone?..

[holl · Rating 5 out of 5]

could easily be my favourite short story ever. so bittersweet

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

How the narrator's dad referred to her when she was young and proud to be out on the farm with him:
(talking to a feed salesman)
"Like to have you meet my new hired hand." I turned away and raked furiously, red in the face with pleasure.
"Could of fooled me," said the salesman. "I thought it was only a girl."

How her father referred to her by the end of the story when she didn't help her father trap their horse to be slaughtered for meat:
"Never mind," my father said. He spoke with resignation, even good humour the words which absolved and dismissed me for good. "She's only a girl," he said.

If you couldn't really tell, this story is about a girl discovering gender roles in her life. It starts with a young girl who loves to be outside with her father and dreads when her mother wants her inside to do "house chores" and when her grandmother tells her to act more "ladylike". Her father started out so proud of his daughter and loved spending time with her. By the end, when she starts to shift in her behavior and attitude, he just brushes her off and dismisses her crying when asked why she let the horse get away because "she's only a girl". I loved this story but also hated it at the same time because gender roles suck haha.

[Charlotte Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a school book this was pretty good. I really liked how characters and how they developed. Finding their ways and their roles in the household even if they don’t like them. The narrator is such an interesting character. She has so many conflicts between gender roles and what others expect her to be capable of. I also really like how the book shows the impact people’s environments have on their beliefs. Her hatred for the kitchen and all the female responsibilities it represents compared to her love for the outdoors. Her love for helping her father in the “man’s world”. My fav part was definitely when she lets the house go at the end. It shows how her character has changed and responded to the toxic time period and environment that she’s in. Something in her mind just clicks and she realizes that she will never be able to survive outdoors, that no matter how much she tries, she will always be “shot” by the men. And it’s even more devastating when her father just dismisses her at the end of the story, because she is only just a girl.

[adela · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I no longer felt safe. It seemed that in the minds of the people around me there was a steady undercurrent of thought, not to be deflected, on this one subject. The word girl had formerly seemed to me innocent and unburdened like the word child; now it appeared that it was no such thing. A girl was not, as I had supposed, simply what I was; it was what I had to become. It was a definition, always touched with emphasis, with reproach and disappointment."

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

the plot was very good and interesting

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5/5

This story challenges what we all know about gender norms, discusses the stereotypes one is expected to abide by because of one's gender, and shows how a young girl, once carefree, can change and lose her confidence and spirit. It’s sad and true to many. An important read.

[charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

the original “i’m just a girl” 🎀🥲

ps: back to school season means adding assigned readings to my goodreads goal!

[Sleet Sleet · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, I did not understand why Alice Munro uses plural in the title although there is only one girl and one boy in "Boys And Girls", but then the chain of events, as well as what the father says at the end "she's only a girl'', reveal much about the intention of the author. "Boys And Girls'' sheds light on the way girls and women were perceived in society in 1964; it highlights society's unwritten rules that were forced upon them. Rules that did not equate between men and women. For instance, in the story, even though the girl is of more help to her parents, her younger brother, though he almost does not contribute in any way, is deemed superior. Also, the mother has a traditional role which involves her doing solely household work.

But interestingly enough, the story is not merely about that because in it, we can see that men are also assigned traditional roles that usually involve them being outside doing harsh works.

However, there is one bias in the story as it gives voice to the girl to impart to the reader that she abhors traditional roles women are expected to play, and that she prefers to be outside assisting her father. This is apparent when she says about her mother "she loves me, but she was also my enemy. She was always plotting now to get me to stay in the house more, although she knew I hated it, and keep me from working for my father." Men in the story, however, never get to voice their opinion and the way they feel about their stereotypical roles.

[portia-rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

read this for english. alice munro is a great author :) my teacher read this to our class for the first time and it was so funny how i naturally assumed that she was a boy! munro brilliantly conveys to the reader the way in which gender roles are enforced by societal and parental pressure. i think ultimately, this book highlights that as 'progressive' we may be today, gender stereotypes are still going to loom in society and is inevitable we will come to terms with the expectations of our gender.

[Sowmya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly, very little has changed since the 50s and 60s, especially the part about how girls are treated. At least in India, it hasn't.

Through small actions everyday, people with little to no awareness, treat boys and men superior to girls and women. Boys & Girls is a short story that details the unspoken, suppressed pains of gender bias.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful short story on growing up as a girl and how it effects how you define yourself and how others define you. The fact that everything changed in one inexplicable moment adds to the beauty and power of the story.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Boys and Girls” is a coming-of-consciousness story that exposes how romance begins long before love—embedded in roles, expectations, and the quiet education of gender. Munro’s unnamed narrator grows up on a fox farm, where labour is divided along strict lines. Her childhood intimacy with her father and the outdoors feels natural, earned, and reciprocal. Yet it is temporary.

Romance here is not desire but alignment: the slow pressure to become legible within a social script. The narrator does not yearn for a partner; she yearns to remain herself. The tragedy lies in how quietly this wish is overridden.

The pivotal moment—when she fails to shut the gate and allows a horse to escape—has often been read as accident or rebellion. Munro leaves it ambiguous. What matters is the consequence: her father’s judgment that she is “only a girl.” That sentence becomes a romantic verdict, assigning her future attachments, limitations, and acceptable dreams.

Munro treats gender not as ideology but as atmosphere. The romance of childhood freedom fades into the romance of compliance. The narrator is not violently constrained; she is gently repositioned. This gentleness is the cruelty.

In this story, romance is the promise that submission will be rewarded with belonging. Munro exposes the cost of that promise. The narrator survives—but survival is not fulfillment.

“Boys and Girls” reframes romantic initiation as loss: the loss of imaginative sovereignty. Love comes later; this is the training ground.

Most recommended.

[Panos · Rating 4 out of 5]

i am officially an Alice Munro stan. There is a magical quality to her short stories because when you read one of her pieces, she demonstrates a perfect understanding of the story's purpose. Just from the title alone, you can grasp the essence of this particular story: "Boys and Girls." The entire framework of this tale revolves around a memory, and as far as I understand, that is the underlying structure of every Alice Munro story. However, there is something uniquely special about the way she writes memories. Specifically, this memory feels simultaneously specific and universal. It feels like something that could happen to anyone but only to a young protagonist. The way Munro writes is also noteworthy. Her writing is not flowery, fancy, or excessive; it is simply good. Her descriptions are not mere fillers; they become their own little stories. If I were to nitpick, as I always tend to do, it would be about the story's theme, which is something I have encountered and read about countless times. Nevertheless, I am certain that during Munro's time, it would have been groundbreaking.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ This is a powerful, brief story about how childhood turns into girlhood, not because it is meant to but because it is expected to. The brutal rural world described is unfamiliar to me, but I can remember feeling like the girl from the story when I was told that girls are not supposed to climb trees and fences and get into fistfights. It took me decades to re-liberate myself from the burden of such societal expectations.

“The word girl had formerly seemed to me innocent and unburdened like the word child; now it appeared that it was no such thing. A girl was not, as I had supposed, simply what I was; it was what I had to become. It was a definition, always touched with emphasis, with reproach and disappointment. Also it was a joke on me.”

[Az · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was a bit boring to read at some parts, however, it shapes a clear message on gender stereotypes, societal norms, family beliefs and one's own sense of reality and dreams vs others. It was interesting to see the author's opinion on the topics through the short story and there were also a couple of parts that were a little surprising and unpredictable. I liked the writing style and the subject of the whole story. I think the engagement quality could have been improved on but all in all it was a good read. The ending was pretty sad in my opinion :( Although I believe that made the story even more realistic, deep and unique.

[Anatoly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boys And Girls by Alice Munro — Review

The story “Boys And Girls” by Alice Munro tells about a young girl who lives in a harsh Canadian wilderness. She helps her father in daily situations as if she was a boy.

With the onset of adolescence, the parents suddenly become concerned that their child did not correspond to the generally accepted stereotype of a mother's helper.

She never suffers from the problem of gender self-identification, until a certain age comes.

However, over time, in a completely natural way, she rediscovers her role as a girl and she finds a lot of advantages. The moral of the story is that everything has its time; nature sooner or later takes its toll.

Here is the text of the story:
https://womeninlit.tripod.com/alicemu...

[anastasija · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The word girl had formerly seemed to me innocent and unburdened like the word child; now it appeared that it was no such thing. A girl was not, as I had supposed, simply what I was; it was what I had to become."

A subtly profound exploration of gender roles and identity Munro's deft storytelling captures the nuanced transition from childhood innocence to societal awareness. With precise prose and deep empathy, she delves into the internal conflicts that come with growing up and the impact of family expectations. A compelling, insightful read.

[Jeethu Varghese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly it can't get better than this one. I absolutely loved the work . It is notable for its setting,its imagery and a brilliant sub-plot immersed to create a brilliant ending. The tale is deeply poignant . It effectively portrays the deep rooted character of patriarchy and its evil. The invisible bonds of patriarchy cruelly clip the wings of a young girl ,killing her originality and aspirantions and transforms her into an "ideal girl" .

[Mike Narvaez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is certainly an interesting read. It shows the life of a young boy and a young girl in a farm and the hardships of having to kill the animals they have to live with and now it affects our feelings. While it is worth reading, it's really nothing out of the ordinary. I was actually expecting more from a Nobel winner.

[Suzanne Gert · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The word girl had formerly seemed to me innocent and unburdened like the word child; now it appeared it was no such thing. A girl was not, as I’d supposed, simply what I was, it was what I had to become. It was a definition, always touched with emphasis, with reproach and disappointment.”

#shesjustagirl

[booksandbark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was nice, but a bit outdated, and I'm not sure what it was trying to say in the end. Nevertheless, I found this very entertaining and can see why it was considered an ingenious short story when it was first published. Munro was ages before her time when it comes to talking about gender, and is a skilled writer to boot.

[Himali Kothari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story about the coming of age of a young girl. Her acceptance of the fact that she is "just a girl" appears to be from a space of resignation brought on by actions of those around her and centuries of gender-based classification of qualities and duties.
Thus, while the protagonist may seem at peace, it leaves the reader restless.

[Binati Sheth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gender roles have to start somewhere... they start in those days we yearn for as sad adults.
The roles hurt everyone. Boys and girls both have to trade their innocence for responsibilities... Were they allowed to be free, they could have been responsible and kept their childlike-ness alive.

Docked a star because this made me sad.

[Jasmine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for a literature course. Good character development, vivid details, good for understanding gender inequality. but the age of the story comes through in how it's written, which doesn't usually resonate with me.