cannot control her own destiny, and there are times when the narrator thinks that she cannot control her destiny either. The expectations of being a girl close in on her, but she wants to be free.

So when the narrator sees Flora running toward her, she takes the horse’s side. She lets the horse escape for a time, even though she knows that the men will eventually catch up with her. The narrator also knows that being a girl is catching up with her; just like Flora, there is little she can do about it. Her fate is sealed when she cries at the table and her father says, “She’s only a girl.”

Feminism and Social Change
In 1968, the short story collection Dance of the Happy Shades, which includes ‘‘Boys and Girls,’’ was published. That same year, Pierre Elliot Trudeau became Prime Minister of Canada. Charismatic, progressive, and dynamic, Trudeau's rise to power symbolized the collective aspirations of a decade marked by significant social transformation. His election to the highest office underscored the consolidation of profound shifts in societal norms and beliefs that set the latter half of the twentieth century apart from the earlier half. Before assuming the role of Prime Minister, Trudeau served as the Minister of Justice, where he enacted liberal reforms on issues such as abortion, birth control, divorce, and homosexuality. The late 1950s and especially the 1960s were transformative years in Canada, much like in the United States and Europe, as various social movements reshaped Western society. Many of these movements were directly related to the status and freedoms of women. Therefore, ‘‘Boys and Girls’’ is very much a product of its era, reflecting the perspectives of a female author who supported the evolving beliefs that broadened women's social options.

Allusion
When an author includes an "allusion" in a narrative, they reference a well-known event or object meant to evoke associations relevant to the story's context. For example, mentioning that a character's father's favorite book is Robinson Crusoe serves as an allusion. This novel, written by Daniel Defoe, narrates the tale of a man on a colonial expedition from England to South America who gets shipwrecked and becomes the sole survivor on an island off the South American coast. Unable to construct a seaworthy vessel with the tools at his disposal—either salvaged from the wreck or handmade—Crusoe focuses on building a home and farm, shaping his environment to suit his needs. He spends many years in solitude. Eventually, he witnesses South American Indians arriving on his island to execute a hostage from another tribe. Crusoe rescues the captive, and the story progresses to depict an idealized relationship where the Indian, out of deep gratitude, willingly becomes Crusoe's servant. Crusoe names him "Friday" to mark the day of the rescue, which also symbolizes the end of his loneliness. Modern critics often interpret this part of Defoe's book as reflecting the fantasies of a European man who believed that indigenous people accepted their subjugation without resistance. Similar to the fur company's calendar, Defoe's novel romanticizes the history of colonialism to favor those in power. By linking this book to her father in a story that challenges women's secondary status to men, Munro draws a parallel between Crusoe and her father, and herself and Friday. She suggests that, like Crusoe, her father fails to see that she does not accept her subordinate social position.

Foreshadowing
In a narrative about a young girl feeling trapped in an unwelcome role, the subplot involving two horses purchased for fodder serves as foreshadowing. While readers understand that the fox farm's success hinges on the sacrifice of these animals, Munro's focus on Flora's escape attempt elicits sympathy for the horse, whose life ends in its prime. The inevitability and harshness of the horse's fate foreshadow the protagonist's destiny. Despite her efforts to resist her future, she is bound to be overpowered by forces beyond her control.

Subplot
The tale of the two horses forms a subplot within the broader narrative of "Boys and Girls." Subplots typically fulfill a particular role in a story. They might offer a contrast to the main plot, presenting a secondary story that either contradicts or parodies the primary events. In this case, however, the subplot enhances the main narrative. The bleak and predetermined fate of the horses mirrors the future of the girl narrator. Munro skillfully intertwines the main plot with this subplot, creating a cohesive and impactful conclusion to the story.

1960s and 1970s: In Canada, much like in the United States and other regions, the Women’s Movement thrives and solidifies its presence. Women activists, alongside other groups advocating for equal rights, achieve notable social progress.

1990s: In the United States, the Men’s Movement, including organizations such as the Promisekeepers, emerges. Spearheaded by a few influential leaders, men come together to rediscover their sense of masculinity or, in some cases, advocate for a return to pre-feminist societal structures.

1960s: Native Americans, from both Canada and the United States, start challenging their societal status in these nations. In Canada, the historical French-English colonial backdrop had long fostered a sense of multiculturalism, which begins to broaden to include acknowledgment of the indigenous peoples. In the United States, Civil Rights legislation is enacted to ensure equal treatment for racial minorities.

1990s: Terms like ‘‘melting pot’’ and ‘‘multicultural’’ compete with concepts such as ‘‘diversity,’’ ‘‘difference,’’ and ‘‘hybridization.’’ These terms strive to capture the ethnic and cultural landscape in highly diverse countries and are increasingly used to describe the new global space where cultures and groups intersect.

Sources
Blodgett, E. D. Alice Munro, Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1988.

Busch, Frederick. Review of Something I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You, in New York Times Book Review, October 27, 1974.

Dahlie, Hallvard. "The Fiction of Alice Munro," Ploughshares, Vol. 4, No. 3, 1978, pp. 56-71.

Dobbs, Kildare. "New Directions for Alice Munro," Saturday Night, July 1974, p. 28.

Levin, Marlin. Review of Dance of the Happy Shades in New York Times Book Review, September 1973.

MacDonald, Rae McCarthy. "A Madman Loose in the World: The Vision of Alice Munro," Modern Fiction Studies, Autumn 1976, pp. 365-74.

Munro, Alice. Interview by Ken Murch, "Name: Alice Munro. Occupation: Writer," Chatelaine, August 1975, pp. 42-3, 69-72.

Oates, Joyce Carol. Review that includes commentary on Munro’s first three books in The Ontario Review, no. 1, Fall 1974.

Thacker, Robert. "Alice Munro: An Annotated Bibliography," in The Annotated Bibliography of Canada’s Major Authors, edited by Robert Lecker and Jack David, Downsview, Ontario: ECW Press, 1984.

Further Reading
Morton, Desmond. A Short History of Canada, Toronto: McClelland and Stewart Inc., 1994.
Originally published in 1983, this history of Canada was revised in 1987 and again in 1994.

Muir, Alexander. From Aberdeen to Ottawa in 1845: The Diary of Alexander Muir, Aberdeen: Aberdeen UP, 1990.
Edited by George A. McKenzie, this selection of diary entries offers a nineteenth-century Scotsman’s perspective as he traveled through the Canadian region before it became a nation.

Munro, Alice. "Working for a Living," in Grand Street, Vol. 1, No. 1, Autumn 1981, pp. 9-37.
An autobiographical essay.

Struthers, J. R. (Tim). "Alice Munro and the American South," in Here and Now: A Critical Anthology, Vol. 1 of The Canadian Novel, edited by John Moss, Toronto: NC Press, 1978.
Struthers draws parallels between Munro’s southern and rural Canadian fiction and the literature of the Southern United States. He explores the connection through their shared history of Scots-Irish communities in the Americas.