Alice Munro is a Canadian author whose works incorporate many themes. One of which is the feminist theory of gender construction. She illustrates the traditional roles and duties between men and women and often depicts women in binaries like the angel and the fallen. Even the strongest of women are quieted by society's preconceived stereotypes. In the short stories, "The Shining Houses" and "Boys and Girls" we become acutely aware that women have historically been suppressed and brought to become submissive in a patriarchal society. In both stories, men and women go about their daily conventional duties that have been passed on from generation to generation. The men leave the home for work and the women are expected to remain at home and perform all domestic tasks along with raising the children. The men are expected to perform any manual outdoor jobs around the house. The women are strictly confined to indoor tasks and any outdoor activities are usually social in nature. The expectation is that they will be perfectly dressed with proper make up and etiquette. In "The Shining Houses , at a birthday gathering, both men and women are discussing the issue of Mrs. Fullerton's unsightly property. Janie poses a question about the lane deal to her husband "˜what does that mean dear?," said Janie, casual, wifely .pg.70. This simple word “ wifely, perfectly summarizes her place in the conversation and where her duty lies. It is as if she is propping up her husband so he can shine in his opinion of how to deal with the issue. Another subtle example of the women's submissiveness is when Mary decides to take a stand and refuse to sign the petition, only to be gently reminded of her place when Steve rests his hand on her shoulder and the crowd gives her a look as if to suggest that what she had really done was "serve yourself up as a conversational delight for the next coffee party pg.72. She realizes that her opinion really means nothing here and will not be considered. In "Boys and Girls , Alice Munro's genius is noted in her omission of the main character/narrator's name. We never come to know what her name is; all we know is that she is female. This is such a powerful