Gender Roles in Alice Munro’s "Boys and Girls" and Bobbie Ann Mason’s "Shiloh"

Until recently, society has defined a definition of what male or female should be; men should be strong and dominant to serve their families in the workplace, cleanliness, cuisine, children these definitions Deviating from the balance of culture will be totally compromised. It is absurd for men to play a housewife, and women are the only provider of strange families. In Alice Munro's short story "Boys and Girls" and Bobbie Ann Mason's "Shiloh", conflict occurs when the character can not meet expectations based on sex.

In Bobbie Ann Mason's Shbie by Shoboh Bobbie Ann Mason story "Shiloh", she draws Norma Jean's character as empty although it is a strong personality. Norma Jean is an external force at the beginning of the story. "She lifted a 3 pound dumbbell to warm up and progressed to a 20 pound barbell" (Mason, page 46). However, as the story progressed, she showed the emptiness that she felt. "One day Leroy returned home from a driveway and found Norma Jean tears down" (Mason P.

"Shiloh" by Shiloh Bobby Ann Mason of Bobby Ann Mason, Leroy and Norma Jean Moffit participated in a very common but malfunctioning marriage. They all lived in Kentucky and were surrounded by the same people most of the time. They were married when they were 18 years old, as Norma Jean was pregnant with his son Randy. Randy died after a few months of birth and left a permanent but unspoken impression on their marriage life. Leroy was a truck driver and he was unable to drive his equipment until he encountered an accident four months ago.

Through the story of Bobby Anne Mason's "Shiloh", many social, cultural and sexual issues have shaped this story. In the social aspect, Leroy uses illegal drugs to suppress him. Culturally, Leroy is no longer satisfied that he does not provide a major source of income for his family. Gender, the most important question in the story; Leroy was at home, so he was angry because his wife Norma Jean was never there, he is not the center of her life right now.