Abstract：Alice Munro (1931-) has long been famous for her understated “feminine” style and her graphic description of female pursuit, attitude and femininity in her writing. This thesis attempts to explore the characters in Alice Munro’s Lives of Girls and Women in the light of gender roles. 

     In Lives of Girls and Women, Alice Munro shapes many memorable female characters, such as Del, Mrs. Jordan, Fern, as well as aunts as representatives of the individual and the typical rural values. Meanwhile, she creates a plenty of male characters who exert great impact on the growth of female consciousness in this work. 

     Based on feminist theories on gender role, such a study entails a comprehensive look into the variations and complexity of Munro’s characters and the historical, cultural and biographical elements that result in their characterization as well as their significance in Munro’s writing and more generally, their relation to gender issues or the reconstruction of gender in modern culture. Also, it is hoped to inspire readers to think, elaborate and explore the present relationship between men and women under new historical conditions. 

Key words: Alice Munro; Lives of Girls and Women; Gender Role

CONTENTS

ABSTRACT

中文摘要

Chapter One INTRODUCTION-1

  1.1 Introduction to Alice Munro and Live of Girls and Women-1

  1.2 Aims and Significance of the Thesis-2

  1.3 Layout of the Thesis-2

Chapter Two LITERATURE REVIEW-3

  2.1 Theoretical Basis-3

  2.2 Reviews on the Studies of Alice Munro-4

     2.2.1 A brief history of past studies-5

     2.2.2 Inadequacies of previous studies-6

Chapter Three THE MASCULINITY AND FEMININITY OF THE HEROINES-8

  3.1 Del — An Androgynous Woman-8

  3.2 Ida — A Manly Woman-11

  3.3 Women of Conventional Female Roles-11

Chapter Four THE EFFECT OF MALE CHARACTERS ON THE

   DEVELOPMENT OF DEL’S FEMALE CONSCIOUSNESS-13

  4.1 The Influence of the Absent Father-13

  4.2 The Influence of Other Male Characters-14

Chapter Five THE MAKING OF ALICE MUNRO’S GENDER POLITICS-17

  5.1 The Influence of Social Historical Background-17

  5.2 The Influence of Munro’s Personal Experience-18

Chapter Six CONCLUSION-20

WORKS CITED-22