The past week has been insightful as we got introduced to fiction. The four short stories we covered had a distinct symbolic connection and all revolved around a feminism. For instance, the short story titled “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, talks of a young girl that is being molded into adulthood. The girl of this mother is trying to initiate the daughter to live like a ‘’woman’’ despite her tender age. The mother is very categorical to the daughter as she insists that the girl should act like a lady and emphasizing that she is not a boy.  In essence, the symbolism in this short story is describing the expected roles and behavior of a woman in the society.

In the next short story “The Birth-Mark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author is also concerned with the role of women and the societal expectations of a woman. It is a story narrating a marriage between Aylmer and Georgiana. Despite the girl being gorgeous, Aylmer is not contented with the birthmark on the girl’s cheek. The presence of this birthmark becomes the source of discontent amongst the couple and finally leads to their separation through demise. In essence, the symbolism in the story is to provide insights that there3 is nothing perfect in this world. Aylmer’s desire to get rid of Georgina’s “imperfection” brings about death.

“A Pair of Tickets” written by Amy Tan is another short story that talks of how two sisters were left behind by their mother.  The symbolism of his short story is evidenced by the title of the short story ‘’pair’’. It involves twin sisters this fulfilling the author’s intention of using the word ‘’pair’’ in the story. Also, the twin sisters are also in an identity crisis as they are torn between the Chinese and American culture. At the end of the story, there is a definite ending as the sister can re-unite again and open a new chapter in life.

Lastly, “Boys and Girls” by Alice Munro is another story that explains the expectations of boys and girls. The author emphasis on the need for boys doing masculine jobs, while the girls should concentrate on the feminine roles. From the story, it is evident that there is a young girl who refuses to conform to the societal expectations of a woman and does the contrary. “I hated the hot dark kitchen in the summer” from this statement, it is clear that the girl does not endorse the social norms that a woman should be working in a kitchen, be delicate and look feminine. The grandmother tries to give a clear distinction between the roles of boys and girls as she talks of slamming the door by boys and girls keeping their knees together.  In essence, the short story intends to draw a line between the two genders.

Works Cited

Mays, Kelly J. The Norton Introduction to Literature: Shorter 11th Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. 2013. Print.

 
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