Munro Literature Reflection

What is the purpose and benefit of the study of literature?

When we compare literature a popular fiction, there are several differences that do make a huge difference. First of all, in literature, there is put more emphasis on the personality, attitudes, feeling, and emotions of the characters, describing at any moment the shifts in the personalities of the characters when it comes to different situations that the characters are facing. For that matter, from my point of view, the purpose of literature is to make the audience, or reader get involved with the character at a whole different level.

Since Alice Munro's stories present this situations in which unexpected occurrences happen to the main characters of her stories, the reaction of the characters invites us to empathize with them, being able to experience how it would be to be in that same situation. Therefore, my opinion is that reading literature gives us experience that can be applied to our lives, and allows us to be in situations in which we have not been before, only through reading a book. 

What is women's literature, and what is the value of studying it?

Woman's literature is literature written by women, and literature that has a thematic related to the  role that the female gender has had in society. Besides of this, in many cases a contrast between the male, and female gender is shown in this type of literature, so that the message can be transmitted clearly, and to the point.

Why were the themes and values of Munro's realism so significant during the 1950s to the 1980s? 

The impact of Munro's literature in those times was the fact that she was one of the first female authors that depicted the realism of the situation of the female gender in society. Her stories portrayed in a clear way how women have to struggle daily in situations in which society benefits men more than women, just because of the gender. Besides of this. the impact that her stories had, was huge since having this style in which there is put so much focus on the characters, the readers empathized more with the situations of female protagonists, that had to face these struggles.

Although she does not identify as a feminist author how has Munro's work contributed to gender equality?

As previously discussed, then portrayal of the struggle that female protagonists had to face in her stories, created the opportunity for the readers to put themselves in the skin of these protagonists, having to face situations in which being a women would not benefit them to achieve something. Overall, her work was a huge inspiration for the feminist groups,

What do you enjoy most about the content of Munro's work and what impact has it had on you?

From my point of view, the way in which she shifts the attitudes of the characters, and the way in which she develops the personalities, putting so much depth has made an impact on me, specially in the case of Clara, in runaway. Besides of that, the emphasize that is put as well on describing the setting, and making the setting play a role in the whole story, that is linked to the big picture of the theme, is what I liked the most as well.