Sociocultural Dimensions of Nature and Gender in Alice Munro’s Boys and Girls

This article examines the relationship between gender hierarchies and the control of nature in Boys and Girls by Alice Munro, situating the story within feminist reinterpretations of Canadian literature. Drawing on ecofeminist theory, particularly the work of Val Plumwood, the study investigates how patriarchal systems construct symbolic associations between women and nature in order to legitimize hierarchical domination. Methodologically, the analysis combines ecofeminist criticism with spatial analysis, focusing on the narrative organization of the farm environment and the binary division between masculine and feminine spaces. The discussion demonstrates how the father’s authority over the farm establishes a hierarchical order in which the control of animals parallels the spatial and social restriction of women to the domestic sphere. Through the rigid separation of masculine (outdoor/public) and feminine (indoor/private) domains, the story reveals how gender identity is shaped within a system of patriarchal power. Ultimately, the narrative illustrates that, despite the protagonist’s resistance and identification with the ‘untamed’ natural world, her necessity to survive within an established order in tandem with social pressure leads to an acceptance of a more traditional role. The analysis argues that by linking survival ideologies to gendered oppression, Munro uses survival tropes to critique the persistent colonial and biological justifications for women’s subjugation.